Guide

How Much Does Plastering Cost Per Room?

Plastering costs depend on whether you're skimming over sound walls, boarding and skimming, or doing a full re-plaster. Here's a guide for 2026.

Skimming vs boarding vs re-plastering

Skimming a wall that's already sound is the cheapest job — a thin fresh finish coat. Boarding and skimming (dot-and-dab plasterboard plus a skim) costs more because of the board and labour. A full re-plaster, hacking off and starting again, is the most expensive.

Typical costs

Plasterers usually price per room or per day. A single average room skimmed might cost a few hundred pounds; a whole house is a multi-day job priced accordingly. Ceilings, high walls and heavy prep all add to the figure.

Doing the boarding yourself

Skimming is a skilled job best left to a plasterer, but hanging the plasterboard yourself first can cut the cost. Our plasterboard calculator works out the sheets, screws and scrim you'll need so you can supply the boards and pay the plasterer just to skim.

Getting a fair price

Always get more than one quote, and make sure they're pricing the same scope — skim only versus board and skim are very different jobs. A wall that looks fine might need more prep than expected once the plasterer sees it, so a site visit beats a phone quote.