Tell us what the walls need

Skimming and replastering

A skim is a thin finishing coat over sound plaster or new plasterboard, giving a smooth surface for paint. If the old plaster is loose, hollow or crumbling, it has to come off and the wall is replastered from the brick. Tap the wall: a hollow sound usually means the plaster has come away.

Ceilings are priced separately from walls. Old lath and plaster ceilings that sag or crack are often overboarded with plasterboard and skimmed, or taken down and replaced, depending on their condition and what sits above.

Plasterboard, drylining and period walls

We build stud walls, line walls with plasterboard and box in pipes, then tape and joint or skim them. Where a wall will carry kitchen units, a TV or a basin, we fix backing inside it before it is boarded.

Many Victorian and Edwardian houses in London have lime plaster on solid brick walls. Gypsum plaster over these walls can trap moisture, so we check what is there first and repair like with like where it matters.

Before the plasterer arrives

Plastering is wet, dusty work. Clear the room if you can, or tell us what has to stay so it can be covered. Electricians and plumbers should finish chasing walls and moving pipes first, so the plaster only goes on once.

New plaster has to dry before it is painted, usually a few weeks depending on its thickness, the heating and the ventilation, and the first coat should be a mist coat. If you are working to a deadline, tell us, as taped and jointed plasterboard is ready sooner than a full replaster.

Typical plastering prices in London

These are typical ranges for London, not fixed prices. Your quotation depends on the condition of the walls, the ceiling height, access and whether old plaster has to come off.

Work	Typical price
Day rate	A plasterer in London typically charges £200 to £350 a day. Materials are usually extra.
Skimming a room	Skimming the walls of an average room typically costs £550 to £1,100 in London, depending on its size and the preparation the walls need.
Ceilings	Skimming a ceiling typically adds £180 to £500. Taking down and replacing a damaged ceiling costs more and is quoted after a visit.
Replastering	Hacking off and replastering typically costs £25 to £40 a square metre, more where the brick behind needs repair or there is damp.

Prices usually exclude VAT. We look at the walls or your photographs before we price, and the quotation says what is removed, what is boarded and what is skimmed.

How much does plastering cost in London?

Questions before you enquire

Can you skim over old paint or wallpaper?

Wallpaper has to come off first. Painted walls can usually be skimmed once they are cleaned and treated with a bonding coat, as long as the plaster underneath is sound. We check for loose areas before we start.

Do you take on small jobs like patches and cracks?

Yes. For holes, cracks and patching after other trades, see our plaster repairs page, or send photographs and we will tell you whether a patch or a full skim makes more sense.

Can you decorate after plastering?

Yes. Once the plaster has dried we can mist coat and decorate, so you do not need to book a separate decorator.

What to send for a useful quotation

Send your postcode, photographs of each wall and ceiling, rough room sizes and what is wrong, such as cracks, blown plaster, damp or old wallpaper. Say whether the room will be empty, whether other trades are still working and when you need it finished.

If the work needs a site visit before we price it, our engineer's visit is free, with no obligation.

Related services and advice

Drylining and ceilings

Plaster repairs and patching

Painters and decorators in London

Plasterers in London

Tell us which walls need plastering.