In short
Checkatrade's June 2026 guide puts a ceiling skim at around £275 for a small 9m² ceiling, £360 for a medium 15m² ceiling and £575 for a large 25m² one, excluding VAT. If the ceiling has to be overboarded first, the same guide gives £700 to £1,000 including the plaster. Our price depends on the state of the existing ceiling, so we always look before we quote.
This is a job for our Plastering service.
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The figures, and whose they are
We do not publish a price list because no two ceilings are the same. For a benchmark, Checkatrade's cost guide (updated June 2026, checked by their CIOB and RICS estimators) gives these averages excluding VAT:
| Ceiling | Skim only, Checkatrade average | Checkatrade range |
|---|---|---|
| Small, about 9m² | £275 | £200 to £350 |
| Medium, about 15m² | £360 | £280 to £440 |
| Large, about 25m² | £575 | £425 to £725 |
| Overboard and skim, any size | £700 to £1,000 | |
Those are national averages. Around Diss, Harleston and Long Stratton we are not pricing at London rates, but the drivers below move the number more than the postcode does.
What moves the price
- Size. The biggest single factor. A landing is cheap; an open-plan kitchen-diner is not.
- What is up there now. A sound, flat, previously plastered ceiling is a straight skim. Artex needs sealing or, on older ceilings, an asbestos check before anyone sands it. Lath and plaster that is sagging needs overboarding, not skimming.
- Height and access. A vaulted ceiling or a stairwell means a tower or staging rather than hop-ups, and slower work.
- Repairs first. Water damage from a bathroom or a gutter leak means cutting out and patching before the skim. Checkatrade's guide makes the same point: cracks do not always mean a new ceiling, but the cause has to be dealt with.
- Coving and lights. Downlights, a ceiling rose or existing coving all add cutting-in time.
Skim or overboard?
We tap the ceiling. If it is solid and flat with hairline cracks, we skim. If it drums, sags between joists, or has patches that have already come down, we fix new plasterboard over it (or take it down if the joists need seeing) and skim the new board. Checkatrade's plasterboard guide puts ceiling board at around £37 per m² supply and fit, on top of the skim, which is why the overboard figure above is higher.
What is in our quote
Everything: sheeting the room, the plaster and beads, the labour, clearing up and taking the waste. Decorating is not included; we leave a smooth, even finish and tell you how long to leave it before the mist coat. If we find something on the day that changes the job, we stop and talk to you before doing it.