Cost guide
How much does lime plastering cost?
Lime plastering costs £60 to £110 per square metre against £18 to £28 for gypsum, and cures over weeks rather than days. Lime render outside is £70 to £120. Haired lime on riven lath in a listed building is quoted per job.
Typical prices
Ranges, not quotes. A quote depends on your room.
| Work | Typical UK price |
|---|---|
| Lime plaster internally, per m² | £60 to £110 |
| Lime render externally, per m² | £70 to £120 |
| Three coat work on riven lath, per m² | £90 to £160 |
| Removing cement render first, per m² | £20 to £40 |
| Gypsum skim, for comparison, per m² | £18 to £28 |
Do not let a cement render or a gypsum skim go onto a solid wall because it is cheaper. It is cheaper once, and the damage shows up two winters later somewhere you were not looking.
What moves the price
- Coats. A three coat job on lath is a different proposition from a single finish coat over sound lime.
- Time. Each coat has to carbonate before the next, so the programme is weeks and the wall needs protecting between.
- Hair, aggregate and the specification, which on a listed building is set by the conservation officer rather than by the plasterer.
- Whether the existing cement render or gypsum has to come off first.
- Availability. Fewer firms do it, and the ones that do price accordingly.
What the money buys: lime plastering a solid wall that has to stay breathable.
Who quotes for it
Questions about lime plastering
Is lime plaster more expensive?
Per square metre, roughly three times a gypsum skim, and the programme is far longer. Against replastering a solid wall twice and chasing damp around the house in between, it is not.
How do I know if my wall is solid?
Measure the wall thickness at a window reveal. Around 230mm of brick with no gap is solid; 250mm or more with a gap is a cavity. Pre-1919 is almost always solid, and brick laid in a pattern with short header bricks showing is a strong sign.