If you’re looking for plastering options and wondering how much it would cost to plaster a room, this article is for you. If your home’s interior walls have lost their lustre, you might need to have the wall plastered. This procedure will leave you with a smooth base for painting and decorating.
What is the cost to plaster a room?
To give you an idea of the cost to plaster a room, this section will explore various scenarios. The cost to plaster a room will very much depend on the square meters to cover. The overall plastering cost will also depend on the size of the room with the cost to plaster a small room ranging from £400 to £700, a medium-sized room ranging from £600 to £900 and a large room ranging from £800 to £1500+.
In each scenario, it will depend on the number of walls you wish to plaster and the complexity of the job e.g whether it involves skimming, artex removal, painting and decorating, etc.
The table below outlines the various costs for plastering a room depending on its size.
| JOB DESCRIPTION | COST (exc. VAT) |
| Small Room Plastering Cost | £450 – £650 |
| Medium Room Plastering Cost | £650 – £850 |
| Large Room Plastering Cost | £850 – £1500 |
| Plaster Patch Repair Cost | £100 – £250 |
| Plaster Over Skim Cost | £250 – £950 |
Additional cost to plaster a room
Painting
After being plastered by a qualified plasterer, your walls can be given a finish coat of high quality emulsion paint in any colour you choose. This will cost around £400 – £650 to paint a medium sized room and may vary depending on the quality of paint chosen.
Wallpapering
Typically, if you would prefer wallpaper to paint, then there will be an additional cost for an experienced decorator to hang your chosen wallpaper. The overall price will depend on the type of wallpaper you choose, as some types of wallpaper are a lot harder to hang.
Labour costs
You need to remember there will be an additional charge for each day that the plastering takes. The cost of labour will depend on where you are located; in London, plasterers charge approximately £200 – £250 per day, but in surrounding areas they ask around £140 to £180 per day.
Factors that affect cost to plaster a room
The items mentioned below are some factors you would need to consider as they can largely determine the overall cost to plaster a room.
Type of plaster
There are some factors which may affect the cost of interior wall plastering in your home. One of these is the type of plaster you choose. For instance, undercoat plaster tends to cost around £0.40 to £0.80 per kg, while topcoats are normally priced at £0.40 to £1.25 per kg.
Size of area
The size and complexity of the job can also determine the overall plastering cost. As a rough rule, for a basic single room job you will pay around £8-12 per square metre. Some plasterers charge ‘per run’ so that the size of the area can be calculated by multiplying the length by the height. However, most plasterers charge ‘per square metre’.
Number of Walls
Plastering costs are also based on how many walls require repair, how much new plaster you need, and how big the room is. If you only need one wall of plastering done, for example, you should expect to pay £150 to £300. However, if you need more work done, like in a full room with four walls and ceiling, then you could be looking at £600 to £1200.
Site location
Your property’s location is one factor that affects the price, as tradesmen will charge different rates depending on how far they have to travel. For example, plasterers in London will usually charge a lot more than those around London.
Ease of access
When plasterers price up a job they will consider the level of access to the area they are plastering and the ceiling height, especially when working on a property with high ceilings. As this makes the job more difficult they will charge more for making extra effort.
Process of plastering room
If this is your first time having your walls plastered, follow our guide to find out the basics and get a clear picture of how a professional will complete the job.
1. Protect the room
A professional plasterer should always put down dust sheets to protect the floor. This will collect any debris, and also prevents it from sticking to the plaster for a smooth and clean surface.
2. Remove old plaster
After the dust sheets have been set out, the plasterer will remove any old plaster and replace it. It’s a cost-effective method for prolonging the life of your walls. There are many ways to re-plaster, one method is removing any old plaster with a hammer, chisel and drill.
3. Priming the walls
The plasterer will then prime your walls. PVA solution is diluted with water to make a runny paste. This solution ensures any excess moisture or dirt is completely removed, meaning the plaster going onto the wall is clean and even.
4. Mixing the Plaster
Most plasterers choose to mix their plaster on-site. Their choice of plastering technique is either for traditional (smooth, wet) or dry-lining which is faster, quieter, and can achieve a clean finish. There are two main types of plaster; wet and dry. Wet plaster is most common (and most preferred by homeowners) as it offers a smooth, seamless finish. It usually takes longer to apply, but it dries gradually which avoids any cracks.
5. Applying the Plaster
Modern methods involve plastering 2 coats of plaster in order to adequately cover the existing plaster. The first coat is applied to take up any discrepancies in the wall and present a reasonably flat surface for the 2nd coat. Most popular methods involve applying small amounts at a time, until the entire wall is covered.
6. Skimming and Smoothing
After the first layer of plaster has settled, they’ll wait around 20 minutes to allow it to dry slightly. Once this time waits, the plasterer will even out any bumps and smooth down the top and bottom corners.
7. Scraping the Surface
Using a float, a plasterer smooths out the surface. This step is very important because it gets rid of any small lumps or bumps which may appear on the surface of the plaster and should be completed by a professional.
8. Applying Another Layer
After the initial layer of plaster has set, a new layer of plaster will be applied. The second coat will use a finishing plaster, which is slightly thinner than the first coat, and should be applied smoothly to ensure you get an even, smooth finish.
9. Finishing up
To finish off the plasterwork, the tradesman will wait two minutes before spraying the edges with water. He will use a trowel or a wet brush to then run over the surface. This means that when it’s set, the plaster is an integral part of the wall and can be covered with paint or wallpaper.
Types of plaster
In a previously published article, we looked at the best types of plasters available for your requirements. British Gypsum has a wide range of products that you can browse through to help you make a more informed decision. As discussed, there are many factors you need to consider when hiring someone to plaster your wall. The most important include the type of plaster and the contractor’s expertise, experience, and warranty.
Bonding plaster cost
Bonding plaster is one of the most economical undercoat plasters costing around £0.40 to £0.80 per kg. It has excellent adhesion qualities and can be applied to even rough surfaces because it does not require an absorbent base layer. Bonding plaster is therefore ideal for decorative finishing and repair work. It shouldn’t be used as a second layer since it is not designed to provide the finish you would want especially if you want paint over it.
Browning Plaster Cost
Browning plaster is another type of undercoat plaster that agrees with absorbent surfaces and can dry within 1 to 2 hours. You should expect to pay approximately £0.40 to £0.80 per kg for this type of plaster. They work well on common bricks, building blocks and other absorbent surfaces which can be applied very easily. Browning is not as resistant as bonding or hardwall plaster but can be used across most jobs.
Hardwall Plaster Cost
Hardwall plaster is a compound which is applied to the surface of external walls in order to protect them from atmospheric erosion, such as rain and moisture. The cost of hardwall plaster is dependent upon the size of the property being plastered and the area you would like covered. However, hardwall plaster usually costs around £0.40 – £0.80 per square metre to cover a normal-sized house. The biggest benefits associated with Hardwall plastering are that it is relatively quick and easy to apply, it offers much better protection than conventional plasters, and it is cheaper than most other options on the market.
Tough Coat Plaster Cost
Tough coat plaster provides a tougher finish than standard hardwell plaster for interior masonry surfaces. It is suited to walls that are subject to high levels of impact and vibration, such as those in shopping centres and sports halls. You should expect to pay around £0.40 to £0.80 per kg for tough coat plaster.
This is not suitable for very cold or very hot environments, so you might need to apply extra measures to protect the surface if you live in an area with extreme temperatures.
Dri-Coat Plaster Cost
Dri-coat plaster is a cement-based plaster which is normally used for re-plastering purposes after a damp-proof course installation. This type of plaster normally costs around £0.80 to £1.20 per kg. It is applied to the wall and allowed to set over several hours. When the plaster has dried, it can be sanded or textured with a trowel or wire brush to achieve different looks. The main advantage of opting for Dri-coat plaster is that it is waterproof, which prevents damp damage.
Multi-Finish Plaster Cost
The finish plaster is used as a topcoat plaster. You can purchase this product for around £0.40 to £0.80 per kg. It is normally used on top of browning or bonding plaster. The finish plaster is used as a topcoat plaster for internal walls and has a high quality finish and an inert surface which gives it an in-depth finish. Professional plasterers tend to choose finish plaster as a finishing material if they are covering a variety of backing surfaces, also taking possibly up to 2 days to apply this type of finishing material.
Board Finish Plaster Cost
Board finish plaster is a type of plaster that will have different finishing effects. The typical price for Board finish plaster is around £0.30 to £0.60 per kg. Typically, it can be used in new builds or where a gloss finish is required. It’s also not entirely suitable for larger areas as it is more delicate than other types of plaster and prone to cracking if not applied correctly.
One Coat Plaster Cost
One Coat plaster is a mixture of Binding and Multi-finish plaster. It’s used to fill patches on damaged walls with an average cost of £0.60 – £0.90 per kg. It can be applied with a thickness up to 50mm with just one layer, which works perfectly on a variety of surfaces including brick, concrete, block and plasterboard. One Coat Plaster does not provide as good of a finish as two-coat plaster, but you can always use another coat.
Plastering Repair and Maintenance
Old plaster can be a problem for plasterers. If the plaster is in poor condition, you may notice that the walls sound hollow if you tap them with your knuckles – this is a sign the plaster could flake off in large lumps.
To prevent this from happening and make sure your plaster is long-lasting, you should conduct the following jobs:
Skimming Cost
If you have damaged walls or can see the plaster through the paint, a skimmed wall is probably necessary. The cost depends on how much needs to be skimmed and how many walls have imperfections. The cost will be around £400 to £800 depending on the labour rate as well as the size of the skimming wall cost.
Patch repair cost
If you notice any cracks in your plaster, then it may be possible to fix it by performing a blown plaster repair. Before starting the repair, a plasterer will assess whether a repair is sufficient or whether completely new plaster is required for the whole wall.
Professional plasterers will inspect the wall and determine whether there is in fact damage to the plasters and if so where, this could take some time. They will then remove the damaged plaster with a scraper and residue remover and clean off any loose debris. Next they will use a combination of filler powder sets and water mixed together to fill in the gap and then they will sand and finish it to look clean again.
The cost of a patch repair is normally around £100 to £250, although this will depend on the extent of the job and how many walls need repairing.
Hiring a plastering contractor to plaster a wall
When choosing a plasterer, ensure they are holding a Level 2 NVQ in Plastering and have at least 5 years of experience. Find someone who is accredited in the profession, such as a British Gypsum Certified Plasterer Scheme. You should also ask for references or recommendations from past clients or go through their reviews. Also, check that they have insurance for public and employer liability and if possible get three quotes from plasterers before agreeing to one.
Here at Ralph Plastering, we meet all the above conditions and can guarantee a peace of mind for any type of plastering work. If you are looking to find out the cost of plastering a wall then please feel more than welcome to request a free quote today!
