Plastering a house costs between $16,000 and $100,000 on average, depending on the size of the home. Costs are typically calculated by surface area rather than a home's floor area.
Professional plastering installation costs between $2,000 and $8,000 per square foot depending on your project scope and materials. The condition of your walls and the type of plaster you select will determine the amount of prep work your project requires.
Lath and plaster was a skilled craft and a time-consuming technique and the advent of cheaper, mass produced, pre-manufactured plasterboard meant lath and plaster largely fell out of favour by the 1930s and 1940s. Plasterboard was simply faster and less expensive to install.
How long does it take to plaster a 3 bedroom house? It will take between 5 to 8 days on average to complete the plastering of a 3 bedroom house. This however depends on the job requirements and whether you are having a full replaster or a simple skim.
Professional plastering is part of property value growth, it's not just about looks. From curb appeal to long-term durability and energy efficiency, expert plastering adds real value to any property.
When building a house, the most expensive phases can be broken down into three primary cost drivers: interior finishes (which often make up the largest single chunk of the budget), followed closely by structural framing and the foundation.
Durability. Since plaster is a thicker material than drywall, it is a much more durable material. In fact, one of the easy ways to tell if a wall is made of drywall or plaster is if you can easily stick a push pin in the wall; it is most likely drywall.
Plaster typically lasts 50 to 100 years and can even last a lifetime or centuries with active maintenance. However, the exact lifespan depends on the type of plaster and environmental conditions:
Gypsum plaster is one of the most common types of plaster used in the interior of homes. It's often used in conjunction with plasterboard, but can also be used over existing plaster. "Gypsum is often the go-to plastering option when building, renovating or extending a home.
Average Day Rates for Plasterers
Most plasterers in the UK charge by the day. Typical daily rates range from £150 to £250, depending on location, skill level, and job complexity. In areas like Cheltenham and Gloucestershire, prices often sit around the middle of that range.
Yes, you can plaster over existing plaster, commonly referred to as "skim coating". However, the old plaster must be structurally sound and properly prepped. If the old base is crumbling, cracked, or loose, the new plaster will fail.
If you are looking for an alternative to traditional drywall, PVC wall panels (like Trusscore or Duramax) are a leading modern replacement. They install up to four times faster than gypsum boards because they eliminate the need to mud, tape, sand, or paint.
People choose plaster over drywall for its superior durability, better soundproofing, and smoother, more polished aesthetic. While drywall is quicker and cheaper to install, plaster provides a premium, hard-surface finish that is highly resistant to dents and is ideal for curved walls.
The best alternative to drywall depends on your project. For utilitarian spaces like garages or sheds, plywood or OSB are excellent. For moisture-prone rooms, PVC panels or cement boards are ideal. For living areas, materials like wood planks, shiplap, or veneer plaster provide better aesthetics or unique textures without the mess of taping and mudding.
As time passes, plaster is continually curing harder and harder making it more fragile than drywall. In areas with high traffic, cracks are common in walls and especially ceilings, which can be shattered by age and gravity.
Drywall ceilings
Drywall finishes on ceilings are a common alternative to plaster ceilings because they are smooth, can easily be painted, and are typically less expensive.
Instead of tearing out an old plaster wall, you could save quite a bit of mess by hanging drywall over the existing plaster wall instead. Removing plaster does produce significant dust and loose chunks of plaster and lath. However, by placing new drywall over your plaster, you won't have to deal with a big mess.
Plaster is rarely used in modern construction primarily because drywall (gypsum board) is faster, significantly cheaper, and easier to install. While plaster is highly durable and offers better soundproofing and fire resistance, traditional multi-coat plastering requires highly skilled labor and lengthy drying times, making it inefficient for modern housing demands.
How Plastering Enhances Soundproofing. Soundproofing is all about controlling how sound travels through a building. Without the right materials and finishes, even the thickest walls can allow unwanted noise to seep through. Plaster adds an additional barrier that helps absorb, reflect, and dampen sound vibrations.
Drywall can last around 30-50 years, depending on the quality and maintenance, but it's more prone to damage from moisture or impacts. Plaster, on the other hand, is more durable and can last over 100 years if properly maintained, making it a better long-term investment for older homes.