Cost guide
How much does plastering and skimming cost?
Skimming an average room costs £450 to £750, which works out at £18 to £28 per square metre. A ceiling on its own is £350 to £650. Floating and skimming a bare wall runs £40 to £60 per square metre, because it is two coats rather than one.
Typical prices
Ranges, not quotes. A quote depends on your room.
| Work | Typical UK price |
|---|---|
| Skim one ceiling | £350 to £650 |
| Skim a small bedroom, walls and ceiling | £450 to £600 |
| Skim a large room, walls and ceiling | £650 to £900 |
| Float and set a bare wall, per m² | £40 to £60 |
| Patch repair, half day minimum | £150 to £220 |
Ask whether the quote is for skimming or for floating and setting, and ask what happens if the wall turns out to be blown once the old paper is off. The answer to the second question is the one that decides whether your price holds.
What moves the price
- Whether it is a skim or a float and set. Skimming needs a sound surface; a bare or blown wall needs a backing coat first and roughly doubles the figure.
- Ceiling or wall. Ceilings are slower, harder and usually priced above walls of the same area.
- Access and preparation. A room cleared and sheeted is quicker than one worked around, and most plasterers price for a clear room.
- How many angles and reveals. A plain box is fast; a room with a chimney breast, a bay and three reveals has a lot of edges, and edges are where the time goes.
- The minimum charge. Below about half a wall you are paying for half a day regardless, because a bag has to be mixed and the morning is gone.
What the money buys: skimming over existing plaster that has gone tired but is still sound.
Who quotes for it
Questions about plastering and skimming
Can you skim over Artex?
Sometimes, if the texture is shallow and sound. If the coating went up before 2000 it may contain asbestos, and the answer then is not to sand it. Overboarding is the usual route and it is cheaper than the alternative.
Do I need to clear the room?
Yes, or as close to it as you can manage. Plaster splashes, and most quotes assume a clear room with the floor sheeted. Anything left in the middle under a dust sheet is in the way of the job.