Project guide
How much does it cost to plasterboard and plaster a room in the UK?
Boarding and skimming a room is one materials list: sheets, fixings, tape and the plaster. The area, the ceiling and how you fix the boards are what change it. A plasterer, if you hire one, is quoted separately and varies by area.
The short answer
The materials list is plasterboard, screws or dot-and-dab adhesive, scrim tape and Multi-Finish plaster. A 4 x 3.5m room with 2.4m walls and the ceiling is 50 m², which is 20 sheets, 1 box of screws, 1 roll of scrim and 6 bags of plaster. Labour to fix and skim is not in that list.
Labour is not priced on this page. A plasterer is quoted separately and the price varies by area. Materials prices are not written here either: the button opens the plasterboard project, including the skim, with live prices from supplier feeds where we have them.
How the numbers are worked out
The formula
- Materials = boards + screws or dot-and-dab adhesive + scrim tape + corner bead on outside corners + skim plaster
- Area (m²) = wall length x height + ceiling area
- Sheets = area / 2.88 x 1.1, rounded up (2400 x 1200mm board)
- Multi-Finish bags (25kg) = area x 1.1 / 10, at about 2mm thick
Worked example
A 4 x 3.5m room, 2.4m high, walls and ceiling, boards screwed to timber:
- Walls: 15 x 2.4 = 36 m². Ceiling: 14 m². Total 50 m²
- Sheets: 50 / 2.88 x 1.1 = 19.1, so 20 sheets of 12.5mm board
- Screws: about 642, so 1 box of 1000
- Scrim: 1 roll of 90m. Skim: 6 x 25kg bags of Multi-Finish
- Dot and dab instead of screws: the wall screws come off the list and adhesive bags go on. The calculator switches this
Materials checklist
- 12.5mm plasterboardStandard wall and ceiling board, 2400 x 1200mm. In a bathroom, choose moisture-resistant board instead. The sheet count stays the same.
- 42mm drywall screwsFor timber. About 12 per m² on walls and 15 per m² on ceilings. Not used on walls you dot and dab.
- Dot and dab adhesiveFor brick or block, instead of wall screws. About one 25kg bag per two boards.
- Scrim tapeOver every joint before the skim, so the plaster has something to bridge.
- Multi-Finish plasterThe skim, about 2mm. British Gypsum allows about 10 m² per 25kg bag. The list adds 10%.
- Metal corner beadOne length per outside corner. Leave this at zero if the room has none.
You'll also need
- A board lifter or a second person for the ceiling
- Joint tape and beads are in the list; a plastering trowel, hawk and buckets are tools
- A plasterer, if you are not skimming it yourself. Their quote varies by area and is not on this page
- A mist coat of emulsion once the skim has dried, before the colour
Step by step
- Measure walls and ceilingAdd the wall lengths, multiply by the height, and add the ceiling if you are boarding it.
- Choose the fixingScrews on timber, dot and dab on brick or block. That choice changes the list, not just the method.
- Count sheets, tape and plaster togetherThe skim is part of this job. Leaving it off makes the materials total look too low.
- Add outside cornersEach one needs metal bead. The calculator adds it when you enter the number of corners.
- Open the priced listThe button fills the plasterboard project with your measurements, including the Multi-Finish.
Tips from the manufacturers
- British Gypsum puts Multi-Finish on in two coats to about 2mm, at about 10 m² per 25kg bag. The calculator uses that, plus 10% for waste.
- Use 42mm screws in 12.5mm board so at least 25mm goes into the timber, which is what British Gypsum asks for. Screw centres are 300mm on walls and 230mm on ceilings.
- Scrim every joint, including where the ceiling meets the walls, before you skim.
- In a bathroom, use moisture-resistant board rather than the standard sheet this list prices. The number of sheets does not change.
Mistakes to avoid
- Pricing the boards and forgetting the skim, the scrim and the fixings.
- Buying screw boxes for a wall you are dotting and dabbing, or adhesive for a stud wall.
- Leaving the ceiling off the measure, then finding the board and plaster both run short.
- Treating a plasterer day rate from another town as your price. Labour varies by area and is not calculated here.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to plasterboard a room in the UK?
Count the sheets, fixings, scrim and skim from the area. A 4 x 3.5m room with the ceiling is 20 sheets and 6 bags of Multi-Finish. The button shows live prices. Plasterer labour is extra and varies by area.
How much does it cost to plaster a room?
Over new board, the plaster is the Multi-Finish on the same list: about one 25kg bag per 10 m², plus 10%. Skimming a sound wall without new board is the plaster guide, which is bags only.
Does the list include the ceiling?
It does when you enter a ceiling area. Set that to 0 for walls only. A 4 x 3.5m ceiling is 14 m².
Screws or dot and dab?
Screws into timber or battens. Dot and dab onto brick or block, which swaps wall screws for adhesive bags. Ceilings are still screwed.
Is the plasterer included?
No. This page is the materials. Labour to board and skim is quoted separately and varies by area.
Sources
- British Gypsum Site Book, good practice guide
- British Gypsum Thistle MultiFinish data sheet
- British Gypsum drywall screw data sheet
Quantities are estimates for typical jobs, using the coverage figures above. Products vary, so check the data sheet for the product you buy, and talk to a professional for structural, electrical or gas work. SmartBuild is independent and not affiliated with any of the manufacturers listed.
Related guides
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