See local plasterers rates for 2024

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Plasterer cost per hour

Plasterer cost per hour

Plastering, skimming and rendering your house, inside and outside, is an immediate facelift adding value to your home. A classic example would be skimming old Artex ceilings which will definitely improve your house's sale value. The average hourly rate for a plasterer in the UK is £25 per hour, but varies from £15 to £50 depending on where you live. A plasterer will usually give a price based on the size of the rooms and ease of access rather than how long it will take. Occasionally an hourly rate is quoted if the job is relatively small such as plastering a water damaged ceiling or wall. Don’t forget budgeting in the price of painting the walls and ceilings after they have finished.

Plasterer cost per day

A day rate of plasterer will give you a better idea of how much they will cost for your particular job. Usually they will take a day to plaster a room, so if the average day rate in the UK for a plasterer is £170 then you can expect to pay £300 to £400 to finish a room, including plaster. A good plasterer will work very quickly and produce very flat and attractive surfaces so they will be happier to quote for the job by area rather than time spent in your house. Rates vary across the country from £120 to £400 per day so expect to pay a lot more in London and the South East.

How to get the cheapest quotes when looking for a plasterer

Self-employed plasterers are just as qualified and experienced as those working for a big company.

By being a small business plasterer avoids many business costs (e.g. administration staff, office rental etc), charging less for plastering, but giving you the same level of quality.

Get quotes from self-employed plasterers and talk directly with the person who is going to do the job.

Choosing a plasterer

When choosing a Plasterer try to get 2 to 3 comparison quotes so you have a feel for the value of service. Insist on being given a written quote which is legally binding rather than an estimate to avoid disputes over payment and job expectations at the end of the project. Notice if VAT has been added onto the quote and if you cannot see it, ask if the Plasterer is vat registered so that you are aware to still allow for it. Most plasterers will be expected to get paid when the job has been completed, but it is best to wait a few days because plaster needs to dry out and then you might start to notice cracks and imperfections.

When receiving a quote, discuss if the quote includes materials or what materials you still need to purchase. If you are looking for ways to save money and the quote includes materials, ask if it will be cheaper for you to source them yourself to avoid any mark-up for collection costs from the plasterer, although they may get better trade discounts on materials than you can. If it is up to you to have bags of plaster ready for the tradesperson, ask how many kilogram bags you should source and what brands are the best (e.g. British Gypsum brand called Thistle is a favoured brand and easily available from local DIY stores such as B&Q)

Ask for references from previous clients and follow up seeing how happy they were using the tradesperson, would they recommend them to you, and because of the amount of dust created with plastering see how tidy they say the plasterer worked. Always ask for ‘before and after’ photos of the projects completed that are similar work to what you are asking to be completed. Ask if your plasterer has any insurance while working in your home. As plastering is a skilled job, ask to see any diplomas showing City & Guilds Level 1, 2 and 3 qualifications.

If the plasterer will be rendering your outside walls, discuss the need for scaffolding and whether this is added onto the quote or an extra to still be factored in. If needed, will they outsource and arrange the scaffolding, or do you need to have it erected first? If old plaster is being removed, will there be the need for skip hire and check if this is also added onto the invoice and again, whose responsibility is it to organise the skip prior to commencement of works. If no skip is required but there will be a few bags of rubble produced, as these are so heavy to lift, check if they will clear them from your home and leave the area orderly for you. If you live in an area where parking or other vehicle access charges are made make sure you agree whether these are included as over a long period these costs can add up.

Types of plastering work

Plastering and skimming

Let the plasterer know which walls you want plastered and skimmed and if it is to include ceilings. Listen to advice on how many coats of plaster will be needed and if old plaster needs to be removed first or if they can just skim existing plastered walls with a thin coat of plaster to fill any cracks and provide a smooth, seamless surface. If you are needing a ceiling plastered, discuss whether you want any Artex styling to be removed. Artex sometimes contains asbestos so might not be able to be sanded down but can be covered with plasterboard and have the plasterboard skimmed for a smooth finish.

Most plastering jobs involve applying a base coat (or scratch coat) of plaster and allowing it to dry before a second or skim coat is added. Be sure to discuss how many days the base coat will need to fully dry as any moisture left behind will result in mould coming through if the room is closed up.

Plastering is a long messy process that can take between three days and a week to complete in a room. When the plasterer is standing in the room, ask about furniture in the room and what needs to be cleared before the job start date. Check if they will remove radiators from the walls of the room or if you need to have someone in to first remove any radiators.

Rendering outside walls

For outside walls and rendering, ask advice on which type of render is best for your home. Usually newer homes have a cement render whilst older country cottages and Victorian homes opt for a Lime render. However, any newer home with damp issues may benefit from Lime rendering as the render is more flexible and breathable. Ask for product advice, especially if you are sourcing the bags prior to the job start date, e.g. K Rend is a high-end cement rendering product keeping the finished look fresher for longer.

Point out any old damp deteriorated plaster spots and check if the plasterer will remove those sections before applying the new base coat. Show the plasterer the entire section of outside walls that need rendering so they can do a visual and check if the walls are bare brickwork, and just need a clean before applying the render or if some of the walls are pebble dash, as these must first be stripped back to bare brickwork before the rendering commences. While outside inspecting the walls, the plasterer can let you know if they will need scaffolding for the job and discuss the requirements with you.

How much plastering, skimming and rendering costs

JobEstimate
Rendering a 4-bed detached home (no scaffolding) £7000
Rendering an external wall per sqm £50 per sqr metre
Plastering a medium sized room (walls only) £600
Cost to fit coving £85
New wall plastering and skimming £300
Plastering over an exposed chimney breast £300
Plastering and skimming a medium sized room (walls only) £750
Skimming a medium sized room (walls only) £400
New ceiling plastering and skimming a medium sized room £350
Rendering a 2-bed bungalow (no scaffolding) £2500
Rendering a 3-bed semi-detached house (no scaffolding) £4500

Rates for other trades

Plasterer hourly rate and daily rate
Plasterer: Average Hourly and Daily Rates in the UK for 2024 (excluding VAT or callout charges)
Location in UKHourly RateDaily Rate
Plasterer near Aberdeen£17£138
Plasterer near Amber Valley£22£183
Plasterer near Angus£30£240
Plasterer near Arun£25£186
Plasterer near Ashfield£26£190
Plasterer near Aylesbury Vale£33£222
Plasterer near Barnsley£23£181
Plasterer near Basildon£29£200
Plasterer near Basingstoke & Deane£30£198
Plasterer near Bassetlaw£22£173
Plasterer near Bath & North East Somerset£25£194
Plasterer near Bedford£30£195
Plasterer near Belfast£20£152
Plasterer near Birmingham£24£188
Plasterer near Blackburn£24£169
Plasterer near Blackpool£23£161
Plasterer near Bolton£24£175
Plasterer near Bournemouth£27£193
Plasterer near Bracknell Forest£32£211
Plasterer near Bradford£27£179
Plasterer near Braintree£27£187
Plasterer near Breckland£19£166
Plasterer near Bridgend£22£169
Plasterer near Brighton£25£191
Plasterer near Bristol£25£196
Plasterer near Broadland£19£151
Plasterer near Broxtowe£24£181
Plasterer near Bury£24£177
Plasterer near Caerphilly£23£184
Plasterer near Calderdale£27£176
Plasterer near Cambridge£37£209
Plasterer near Canterbury£28£217
Plasterer near Cardiff£24£183
Plasterer near Carmarthenshire£15£111
Plasterer near Charnwood£18£160
Plasterer near Chelmsford£28£196
Plasterer near Cheltenham£24£187
Plasterer near Cherwell£29£196
Plasterer near Chester£21£152
Plasterer near Colchester£23£176
Plasterer near Conway£19£155
Plasterer near Coventry£22£172
Plasterer near Crewe & Nantwich£22£168
Plasterer near Dacorum£36£217
Plasterer near Derby£22£187
Plasterer near Doncaster£21£164
Plasterer near Dover£26£168
Plasterer near Dudley£23£184
Plasterer near Dumfries & Galloway£20£160
Plasterer near Dundee£24£154
Plasterer near East Ayrshire£20£170
Plasterer near East Devon£17£150
Plasterer near East Dunbartonshire£25£207
Plasterer near East Hampshire£27£192
Plasterer near East Hertfordshire£30£207
Plasterer near East Lindsey£25£150
Plasterer near East Riding£19£165
Plasterer near Eastleigh£36£203
Plasterer near Edinburgh£23£185
Plasterer near Elmbridge£34£216
Plasterer near Epping Forest£33£210
Plasterer near Erewash£23£180
Plasterer near Exeter£20£186
Plasterer near Falkirk£19£154
Plasterer near Fife£30£180
Plasterer near Flintshire£20£144
Plasterer near Gateshead£21£164
Plasterer near Gedling£26£187
Plasterer near Glasgow£24£199
Plasterer near Gloucester£23£184
Plasterer near Guildford£32£210
Plasterer near Gwynedd£21£169
Plasterer near Halton£22£164
Plasterer near Harrogate£23£164
Plasterer near Havant & Waterloo£28£189
Plasterer near Highland£20£160
Plasterer near Horsham£26£191
Plasterer near Huntingdonshire£41£255
Plasterer near Ipswich£23£170
Plasterer near Isle of Wight£34£192
Plasterer near Kings Lynn & West Norfolk£24£190
Plasterer near Kingston-upon-Hull£19£165
Plasterer near Kirklees£28£187
Plasterer near Knowsley£24£169
Plasterer near Lancaster£23£171
Plasterer near Leeds£24£183
Plasterer near Leicester£17£152
Plasterer near Lisburn£22£167
Plasterer near Liverpool£24£169
Plasterer near London£33£211
Plasterer near Luton£31£214
Plasterer near Macclesfield£23£182
Plasterer near Maidstone£30£176
Plasterer near Manchester£25£182
Plasterer near Mid Bedfordshire£31£210
Plasterer near Mid Sussex£25£188
Plasterer near Middlesbrough£42£163
Plasterer near Milton Keynes£30£211
Plasterer near Neath Port Talbot£21£172
Plasterer near New Forest£30£193
Plasterer near Newbury£29£195
Plasterer near Newcastle-under-Lyme£22£175
Plasterer near Newcastle-upon-Tyne£21£166
Plasterer near Newport£24£186
Plasterer near North Ayrshire£20£168
Plasterer near North East Lincolnshire£17£142
Plasterer near North Hertfordshire£31£214
Plasterer near North Lanarkshire£23£187
Plasterer near North Lincolnshire£20£169
Plasterer near North Somerset£25£189
Plasterer near North Tyneside£21£166
Plasterer near North Wiltshire£21£161
Plasterer near Northampton£25£185
Plasterer near Norwich£19£157
Plasterer near Nottingham£25£185
Plasterer near Nuneaton & Bedworth£21£175
Plasterer near Oldham£27£181
Plasterer near Oxford£49£197
Plasterer near Pembrokeshire£16£140
Plasterer near Perth & Kinross£45£360
Plasterer near Peterborough£48£304
Plasterer near Plymouth£23£187
Plasterer near Poole£27£196
Plasterer near Portsmouth£31£189
Plasterer near Powys£15£120
Plasterer near Preston£22£162
Plasterer near Reading£35£204
Plasterer near Redcar & Cleveland£24£133
Plasterer near Reigate & Banstead£32£209
Plasterer near Renfrewshire£26£223
Plasterer near Rhondda, Cynon, Taff£23£172
Plasterer near Rochdale£27£178
Plasterer near Rotherham£20£160
Plasterer near Salford£24£180
Plasterer near Salisbury£26£178
Plasterer near Sandwell£23£184
Plasterer near Scarborough£22£170
Plasterer near Scottish Borders£20£160
Plasterer near Sefton£26£174
Plasterer near Sevenoaks£31£194
Plasterer near Sheffield£20£162
Plasterer near Slough£33£217
Plasterer near Solihull£23£173
Plasterer near South Ayrshire£22£179
Plasterer near South Bedfordshire£30£195
Plasterer near South Cambridgeshire£37£203
Plasterer near South Gloucestershire£25£197
Plasterer near South Kesteven£24£192
Plasterer near South Lanarkshire£18£151
Plasterer near South Oxfordshire£40£199
Plasterer near South Somerset£24£164
Plasterer near South Tyneside£21£165
Plasterer near Southampton£34£199
Plasterer near Southend-on-Sea£27£191
Plasterer near St Albans£35£218
Plasterer near St Helens£24£173
Plasterer near Stafford£25£189
Plasterer near Stockport£24£183
Plasterer near Stockton-on-Tees£39£158
Plasterer near Stoke-on-Trent£22£175
Plasterer near Stratford-on-Avon£18£164
Plasterer near Stroud£23£190
Plasterer near Suffolk Coastal£22£161
Plasterer near Sunderland£21£162
Plasterer near Swale£30£211
Plasterer near Swansea£19£153
Plasterer near Tameside£25£182
Plasterer near Teignbridge£20£168
Plasterer near Tendring£23£176
Plasterer near Test Valley£26£184
Plasterer near Thamesdown£23£176
Plasterer near Thanet£25£161
Plasterer near The Wrekin£20£166
Plasterer near Thurrock£29£198
Plasterer near Torbay£21£176
Plasterer near Trafford£24£178
Plasterer near Vale of Glamorgan£24£181
Plasterer near Vale of White Horse£27£199
Plasterer near Vale Royal£19£143
Plasterer near Wakefield£26£184
Plasterer near Walsall£23£186
Plasterer near Warrington£25£183
Plasterer near Warwick£20£167
Plasterer near Waveney£21£162
Plasterer near Waverley£32£214
Plasterer near Wealden£27£200
Plasterer near West Lancashire£25£177
Plasterer near West Lothian£24£191
Plasterer near West Wiltshire£21£161
Plasterer near Wigan£24£173
Plasterer near Windsor & Maidenhead£33£217
Plasterer near Wirral£24£168
Plasterer near Wokingham£31£210
Plasterer near Wolverhampton£24£186
Plasterer near Wrexham Maelor£19£141
Plasterer near Wychavon£22£181
Plasterer near Wycombe£41£224
Plasterer near York£25£182