Plastering in Birmingham

Planning your plastering in Birmingham

Plastering in Birmingham rarely needs any approval. The exception is stripping and re-plastering a large part of an outside wall, which can trigger the Building Regulations insulation rules, and a listed building, where Birmingham City Council would need to give consent.

Older solid walls in Birmingham homes may suit lime plaster better than gypsum.
An undamaged Artex ceiling can usually be skimmed or over-boarded without removing it.
Ceilings are usually plastered before walls in the same room.

Postcode districts: B1, B7, B9, B10, B12, B18
Planning and building control: Birmingham City Council
From our West Bromwich base: About 6 miles to the centre

Choices to weigh up in Birmingham

Ceilings and over-boarding

Cracked or sagging lath and plaster ceilings, and ceilings with failed textured coatings, can be over-boarded with new plasterboard screwed to the joists and skimmed. Over-boarding avoids the mess of pulling down an old ceiling. Where a ceiling is unsafe or the boards have failed, it's taken down and replaced instead.

Dry lining

Plasterboard fixed to the wall with adhesive dabs or onto a timber or metal frame, then skimmed. Dry lining is quicker to dry than wet plaster and gives a flat finish on uneven walls. Insulated plasterboard can improve cold external walls, though it reduces room size slightly and needs care around sockets and windows.

Plastering prices in Birmingham

For a home in Birmingham, our guide range is £220–£1,900 per room. Re-skim the walls and ceiling of a medium bedroom of about 3.5 × 3 m: usually £650–£950 per room.

Guide prices for plastering
Option	Guide price	Good to know
Skim one ceiling	£220 – £450 per room	Sound ceiling, average-sized room
Skim walls and ceiling	£550 – £1,100 per room	Small to large room, plaster sound
Full re-plaster of a room	£850 – £1,900 per room	Hack off, backing coat and skim

Guide ranges include VAT where it applies. Your fixed price for the agreed specification follows a free survey at your Birmingham address.

Your questions answered

What guarantee do I get for plastering?

Materials such as plaster and plasterboard carry their manufacturers' guarantees, and the terms are set out in your quote. Fine hairline cracks can appear as a house moves with the seasons, which is normal and not usually a fault in the plastering. Ask us about anything in the specification you're unsure of.

How do I book a survey in Birmingham?

Send the form on this page, use the guide-price tool or call 0800 088 6248 free. We'll ask a few questions about your plastering and arrange a time to visit.

When can I paint new plaster?

Wait until it's fully dry, when the colour has turned an even, light pink with no dark patches. Then apply a mist coat, which is watered-down emulsion, so the paint bonds to the new plaster. Don't use vinyl or wipe-clean paint for the first coat, as it can peel.

Does Birmingham City Council need to approve my plastering?

Not normally. Re-plastering a large part of an external wall can bring in the Building Regulations insulation rules, and a listed building would need consent from Birmingham City Council.

Plastering across Birmingham

Pick the nearest place to you:

Close to Birmingham

Other work we do in Birmingham

We'll look at every wall and ceiling in Birmingham and give you a fixed price for the agreed specification.