Cost guide
How much does tape and joint cost?
Tape and joint costs £8 to £16 per square metre depending on the finish level, against £18 to £28 for a full skim. Level 5, a skim coat over the whole board, runs £14 to £22. A day rate applies on small areas.
Typical prices
Ranges, not quotes. A quote depends on your room.
| Work | Typical UK price |
|---|---|
| Level 2, tape bedded and one coat, per m² | £8 to £11 |
| Level 4, filled and sanded, per m² | £11 to £16 |
| Level 5, skim coat throughout, per m² | £14 to £22 |
| Full plaster skim, for comparison, per m² | £18 to £28 |
| Day rate, small areas | £220 to £340 |
Get the finish level written on the quote. It is the difference between a wall you can paint and a wall that shows every joint when the sun is low, and it is invisible until the light changes.
What moves the price
- The finish level, which is the main variable and the one most often left out of a quote.
- Area. Machine jointing pays on a large job and not on one room.
- How good the boarding is, because a badly fixed board is filled rather than fixed.
- Number of internal and external angles, which are slower than the flat.
- Access and dust control, since sanding jointing compound makes a great deal of fine dust.
What the money buys: taping, filling and sanding board joints to a paint-ready finish.
Who quotes for it
Questions about tape and joint
Can you paint straight onto taped and jointed board?
Yes, after a suitable primer or mist coat. The board paper and the jointing compound absorb differently, so painting a topcoat straight on without sealing gives a patchy finish that shows the joints.
Why can I see the joints on my new wall?
Almost always because the finish level was lower than the light in the room needs. Under a raking light a level 2 or 3 joint reads as a shallow ridge. Correcting it means another coat and another sand across the whole wall.