Cost guide
How much does coving and cornice cost?
Coving costs £18 to £40 per linear metre supplied and fitted. An average room is £250 to £500. Running a cornice in situ to match an existing profile is quoted per job and starts around £70 per linear metre.
Typical prices
Ranges, not quotes. A quote depends on your room.
| Work | Typical UK price |
|---|---|
| Lightweight coving, per linear metre | £14 to £24 |
| Plaster coving, per linear metre | £18 to £40 |
| Average room, supplied and fitted | £250 to £500 |
| Ornate fibrous cornice, per linear metre | £45 to £90 |
| Run in situ to match an original, per linear metre | from £70 |
On a period repair, ask whether the damaged section can be cast and let in rather than the whole run replaced. It is usually cheaper and it keeps the original plasterwork.
What moves the price
- The profile. A plain 127mm cove is a stock item; an ornate section is heavier, dearer and slower to mitre.
- Material. Lightweight and plaster coving cost far less than fibrous plaster or a run cornice.
- How many corners. The mitres are the work, so a bay window costs more than the same metres on a straight run.
- Whether an existing profile has to be matched, which means a template and often a cast.
- Whether the ceiling and wall are straight, because a cove telegraphs every deviation it is stuck to.
What the money buys: fitting plaster coving around a room and filling the joints.
Who quotes for it
Questions about coving and cornice
Does coving have to go on before or after painting?
Before. The cove is fitted, the joints are filled and the whole run is painted with the ceiling, so the joints disappear. Fitting coving into a finished room means cutting in twice.
Will coving hide a bad ceiling line?
It helps at the junction and it is a common reason for fitting it. It will not hide a ceiling that is out of level across its width, because a straight cove against a curved ceiling opens a gap in the middle.