Plastering is one of the few trades where pricing by the metre is genuinely common — but only when it works in your favour. Knowing when to quote per m², when to quote by the day, and how long different types of work actually take is how you protect your margin on plastering jobs.
These are labour-only rates for 2024/25 across the UK outside London. Add 15–25% for London and the South East.
| Work type | Labour rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Skim coat over existing plaster | £8 – £12 / m² | Fastest work. Good for large open walls. |
| Skim over bonding/browning coat | £12 – £18 / m² | Two-coat system. More time per m². |
| Plasterboard and skim (dot and dab) | £18 – £28 / m² | Supply and fix board, then skim. |
| Stud wall board and skim | £15 – £25 / m² | Board both sides, tape joints, skim. |
| Artex removal and skim | £20 – £35 / m² | Labour-intensive. Test for asbestos first. |
| Rendering (sand and cement) | £20 – £40 / m² | External or internal. Scratch and top coat. |
Use per-metre pricing on large, open areas of straightforward work — a new build plot with clean walls, or a full house re-plaster where the rooms are clear and unobstructed. Use day rate pricing on small, fiddly, or stop-start work — making good after a first fix, small patches, archways, alcoves, or any room with lots of obstacles. The per-metre rate assumes efficient, continuous work. Five small patches in five different rooms is a day's work regardless of the square metreage.
| Room | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small bedroom (10–12 m²) | 0.5 – 1 day | Skim only. 1–1.5 days with boarding. |
| Average bedroom (14–18 m²) | 1 day | Skim. 1.5–2 days with boarding. |
| Living room (20–28 m²) | 1 – 1.5 days | Skim. 2–3 days with boarding. |
| Hallway and stairs | 1.5 – 2.5 days | Fiddly angles. Never underestimate stairs. |
| Full 3-bed house re-plaster | 5 – 8 days | One plasterer. Skim only, rooms cleared. |
| Full 3-bed house board and skim | 10 – 15 days | One plasterer and labourer. |
Plaster costs roughly £10–£15 per 25kg bag. A bag covers approximately 5–7 m² at skim coat thickness. For a typical bedroom (16 m²) you'd use 3–4 bags. Add PVA primer (£15–£25 for a 5L tub) and beads for any external corners. Plasterboard (standard 12.5mm) costs roughly £8–£12 per sheet (2400×1200mm). Most plasterers mark materials up 10–15% for supply-and-fix jobs.
Always allow plaster to dry fully before painting — typically 3–4 weeks for a skim, longer for a full boarding and skim. Put a note in your handover to the customer. A painter starting too early is a call you don't want.
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