Cost guide
How much does ceiling repair cost?
Overboarding and skimming an average ceiling costs £350 to £650. Pulling an old ceiling down first adds £200 to £400 including the skip. A small patch repair is a half day minimum at £150 to £220.
Typical prices
Ranges, not quotes. A quote depends on your room.
| Work | Typical UK price |
|---|---|
| Overboard and skim an average ceiling | £350 to £650 |
| Take down, reboard and skim | £550 to £1,050 |
| Skim an existing sound ceiling | £250 to £450 |
| Patch repair, half day minimum | £150 to £220 |
| Large or high ceiling, per m² | £28 to £45 |
Find out why it cracked before paying to make it flat. A ceiling that has cracked because of a leak, a bathroom above or movement will crack again through the new plaster.
What moves the price
- Whether the old ceiling comes down or gets boarded over. Overboarding is faster, cleaner and cheaper.
- Ceiling size and height. Anything above a standard room height needs a tower rather than a hop-up.
- Room access, and whether furniture and flooring can be cleared and covered.
- Whether there is coving, a ceiling rose or a light fitting to work around or reinstate.
- Skip hire on a strip-out, which on a lath and plaster ceiling is heavier than it looks.
What the money buys: overboarding a cracked or bowed ceiling and skimming it.
Who quotes for it
Questions about ceiling repair
Why is my ceiling sagging between the joists?
On a pre-war house that is lath and plaster with broken keys: the plaster that squeezed through the laths has snapped off and only friction is holding it. It is a repair job rather than a decorating one, and it is worth looking at sooner than later.
How long before I can paint a new ceiling?
Three to seven days for the plaster to change from pink to pale, then a watered-down mist coat before any proper paint. A ceiling dries slower than a wall because the warm air sits against it and holds the moisture in.