Plastering is applying a smooth finishing coat of plaster to walls and ceilings, either as a thin skim over sound surfaces or as a full re-plaster after removing failed plaster, creating a flat surface ready for decoration.
Getting plastering and skimming right in Cirencester starts with understanding the house you already have: its age, how it was built and what has been altered over the years. We survey first, then commit on paper to a price that holds as long as the scope stays the same. Across the South West, guide prices run at £550–£1,650 including VAT, and homes in Stroud, Cheltenham and Swindon are covered too.
- Guide price
- £550–£1,650 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 1–3 days per room, plus drying time
- Postcodes
- GL7
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Gloucestershire
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
Plastering and skimming prices in Cirencester
The table below shows guide prices for plastering and skimming in Cirencester. They are based on rates in the South West, which run about 2% above the national guide, giving an overall range of £550–£1,650. All figures include VAT and are firmed up after a free site survey.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Cirencester |
|---|---|---|
| Patch repairs or one wall | Repairing cracks, filling cable channels after a rewire or skimming a single wall. | £150–£500 |
| One room, walls and ceiling | Skimming or boarding and skimming the walls and ceiling of a typical room. | £550–£1,650 |
| Whole house | Skimming or re-plastering most rooms in a typical 3-bed house during a renovation. | £5,100–£12,000 |
What moves the price up or down:
- Total wall and ceiling area to be plastered
- Ceiling height, stairwells and access
- Removing artex, wallpaper or failed plaster first
- Number of corners, windows and openings to bead
What does the job include in Cirencester?
- Survey of walls and ceilings, including tap-testing for hollow plaster
- Floor and furniture protection with dust sheets and masking
- Removal of loose or failed plaster and old wallpaper
- Plasterboard fixed to ceilings or walls where needed
- Skim coat or full two-coat plaster to agreed areas
- Waste removal and a tidy finish ready for decorating
Homes in Gloucestershire
Golden Cotswold limestone defines towns and villages such as Cirencester, Stow and Tetbury, often with stone-slate roofs. Cheltenham is known for Regency stucco terraces and villas, Gloucester has Victorian brick terraces and interwar estates, the Stroud valleys have mill-era stone cottages, and the Forest of Dean uses its own sandstone.
Cotswold stone homes often need lime pointing, stone repairs and windows that suit conservation areas. Regency houses may call for render and decorating, while brick terraces and estate homes suit loft rooms and extensions.
None of this holds for every street in Cirencester, which is why we look at your actual house before pricing plastering and skimming rather than assuming from its age alone.
Planning and building rules in Cirencester
For anyone in Cirencester, the relevant framework is England's. The summary below is general, so we always contact the council about your address before putting a price in writing.
Internal work such as a new kitchen, bathroom, flooring, plastering or decorating does not need planning permission in England, unless the house is listed, when listed building consent may be needed even for internal changes.
Some internal work is covered by Building Regulations: new electrical circuits and work in bathrooms (Part P), new drainage, structural changes, extractor ventilation and any new window. Notifiable work is certified by a registered installer or by building control.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
From survey to handover
Free site survey
It starts with a survey at the property, free of charge. We check condition, access and services, ask how you want the finished result to look, and answer any questions you have about plastering and skimming.
Your fixed price
We put everything into a written, fixed-price quote: the specification, what's excluded, staged payments and the expected time on site. Take whatever time you need to decide; there's no pressure to commit.
Booking the work
With the quote agreed, we book the work in and handle preparation: permissions where needed, building control notifications, material orders and access arrangements for your Cirencester property.
Build and hand over
The work is carried out to the agreed specification, with floors and furniture protected and the site kept tidy. At the end we clean up, walk through the finished job with you and hand over any certificates.
Why homeowners choose us
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to plaster a room?
Skimming the walls and ceiling of a typical double bedroom costs £550–£1,650, depending on the room size, the state of the existing surfaces and whether new plasterboard is needed. As a guide, a skim coat costs roughly £15–£35 per square metre, while a full re-plaster back to brick costs more. Stairwells and high ceilings add access costs. We confirm a fixed price after inspecting the walls.
Is the price fixed?
Yes, for the specification we agree. Your written quote sets out exactly what is included at a fixed price. It only changes if you ask for something different, or if a problem the survey could not reasonably reveal later needs extra work. In either case we explain the change and confirm it in writing before going ahead.
Can you plaster over artex?
Artex and similar textured ceilings can usually be covered, either by applying a bonding coat and then a skim, or by fixing new plasterboard over the top and skimming that. Some older textured coatings contain hazardous fibres, so they should not be sanded or scraped until a sample has been tested. We can arrange a test before quoting and choose a method that avoids disturbing the coating.
Which postcodes in Cirencester do you cover?
We cover GL7, along with the rest of Gloucestershire. If your postcode is not listed, get in touch anyway: our coverage is UK-wide, and we can usually arrange a survey wherever you live. Enter your postcode in the guide-price tool or contact form and we will confirm.
Should older houses be plastered with lime?
Older homes with solid walls and no damp-proof course are often better with lime plaster, because it lets moisture move through the wall and evaporate. Modern gypsum plaster can trap moisture in these walls, which can cause damp patches and blown plaster. Lime takes longer to apply and dry, so it costs more. We check your wall construction before recommending a material.
Nearby towns
We welcome enquiries from all GL7 postcodes in Cirencester, plus Stroud, Cheltenham and Swindon. Each one gets the same survey at no charge and a written price fixed for the work described.