Tiling, floors and decorating
Kitchen plastering and decorating
Kitchen plastering and decorating is the work that gives a kitchen sound, flat walls and ceilings and a finish that wipes clean. After strip-out, walls are either skimmed over sound plaster or hacked off and re-boarded, before the units go in. New plaster is sealed with a diluted mist coat, then finished in a moisture-resistant kitchen paint once it has dried, with woodwork and the edges around units done last.
When do you need kitchen plastering and decorating?
Taking out an old kitchen usually exposes damage: holes from wall-unit fixings, loose or blown plaster behind old tiles, chased-out cable runs and patches where pipes used to be. New units, tiling and worktops need a flat, firm wall to fix against and scribe to, so plastering is normally part of a full refit rather than an afterthought. Decorating then finishes the room with paint that copes with steam, grease and regular wiping.
At the free survey visit we tap-test the walls and check the ceilings, then confirm the plan once the old kitchen is out: a skim where the plaster is sound, or hacking off and re-boarding where it is not. Plastering goes in after strip-out and first-fix electrics and plumbing, before the units. Fresh plaster usually needs three to six weeks to dry before full decorating, so the mist coat goes on early and the final coats later.
What is included?
- Free survey visit to check walls and ceilings and give an itemised quote
- Loose or blown plaster hacked off back to the wall where needed
- Walls re-boarded or skimmed so units and tiles fix to a flat surface
- Chases around new sockets, cable runs and pipework filled and made good
- Ceilings skimmed or overboarded, after textured coatings in older homes are tested for asbestos
- Diluted mist coat on new plaster, then moisture-resistant, wipeable kitchen paint
- Ceilings, walls, skirting, architraves and door frames decorated to finish the room
- Edges around units, worktops and splashbacks cut in neatly at the end
How much does kitchen plastering and decorating cost?
These are national guide prices including VAT at 20%. Prices are higher in London and the South East and lower in much of the North, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Choose your area below for a local range.
| Typical project | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Skim kitchen walls and ceiling over sound plasterPrepared and skimmed | £350–£800 |
| Hack off, re-board and skim a kitchenOld plaster removed back to the wall | £900–£1,800 |
| Kitchen decoratedWalls, ceiling and woodwork | £400–£1,200 |
Guide prices are for a typical kitchen, with labour and standard materials for plastering or decorating; asbestos testing, structural repairs, damp treatment and lime plaster are not included and are quoted separately if needed. Your price is confirmed after a free survey visit.
How long does it take?
Typical timescale: 1 to 2 days to plaster; 3 to 6 weeks drying before full decorating. The programme for your kitchen is set out in the quote, and depends on the size of the room, what is moving, lead times for units and worktops and, after plastering, drying time.
Do you need permission or building regulations approval?
The rules differ across the UK. Choose your nation:
Skimming, re-boarding and decorating a kitchen in England need no planning permission or building regulations approval in most cases. In a listed building, listed building consent may be needed before original plaster is removed, and older solid walls may be better suited to breathable lime plaster than gypsum. Hacking an outside wall back to brick and re-boarding it may count as renovating a thermal element under Part L, so check with building control first.
In Wales, skimming, re-boarding and decorating a kitchen need no planning permission. Sockets added or moved before plastering are another matter: Part P in Wales makes extending a circuit within a kitchen notifiable, so that work is certified through a competent person scheme or building control. Listed buildings may need consent before historic plaster is removed, and stripping an outside wall back to masonry may bring in Part L insulation requirements.
In Scotland, replastering and decorating a kitchen do not normally need a building warrant or planning permission. Listed buildings may need listed building consent before original plaster, cornicing or other historic features are removed, and older solid stone or brick walls may be better suited to lime plaster than gypsum. If you plan to add insulation or alter walls rather than simply replaster, check with the local authority's building standards team first.
In Northern Ireland, plastering and decorating a kitchen needs no planning permission or building control application in most cases. In a listed building, listed building consent may be needed before original plaster or features are removed, and older solid walls may suit lime plaster better than gypsum. If an outside wall is being stripped back and re-lined, ask council building control whether insulation requirements apply.
What should you think about before starting?
- Plaster before the units go in: skimming around fitted cabinets is slower, messier and leaves edges that are hard to finish neatly.
- Fresh plaster usually needs three to six weeks to dry fully, so plan for a mist coat first and the final colour once it has dried.
- If your home was built before 2000, have textured ceiling coatings tested for asbestos before anyone sands, scrapes or drills into them.
- Choose a paint sold for kitchens or bathrooms, with a wipeable or scrubbable finish; standard matt emulsions can mark easily near the hob and bin.
- Whether a wall can be skimmed or needs hacking off is often clear only once the old tiles and units are off, so allow some contingency.
- Older homes with solid walls may have lime plaster, which is often better repaired with lime than gypsum, particularly where the building is listed.
How does the project run?
- Guide price. Use the online guide-price tool or call us for a realistic range for your area
- Free survey visit. We measure the room, check walls, floors and service positions, and look at the plan or delivery
- Itemised written quote. Broken down by stage and trade, with any worktop templating, engineer or approval costs listed
- Fitting in the right order. Strip-out, first fix, units, worktops, second fix and finishing, with the trades booked in sequence
- Final check and handover. A walk-round together, certificates for electrics and gas, and the manufacturers' documents
Questions about kitchen plastering and decorating
How much does it cost to plaster and decorate a kitchen?
Skimming kitchen walls and ceiling over sound plaster typically costs £350 to £800 including VAT, before regional adjustment. If the old plaster has to be hacked off and the walls re-boarded and skimmed, it is usually £900 to £1,800. Decorating the walls, ceiling and woodwork is around £400 to £1,200. Your price is confirmed after a survey visit.
Should a kitchen be plastered before or after the units are fitted?
Before. Plastering is done after strip-out and first-fix electrics and plumbing, so new cables and pipes are chased in and covered, and before the base and wall units go in. Units then fix to a flat, finished surface, and the decorator only needs to cut in around them at the end. Patch repairs after fitting are possible but harder to hide.
How long should new plaster dry before painting?
Fresh plaster usually needs three to six weeks to dry fully before full decorating, depending on its thickness, the time of year and how well the room is ventilated. It turns from dark to an even, pale colour as it dries. A diluted mist coat can usually go on sooner to seal the surface, with the final coats applied once drying has finished.
Do I need to replaster after removing kitchen tiles?
Usually, at least in places. Taking tiles off often pulls away the plaster skin or leaves adhesive ridges, so the wall may need skimming, patching or, where the plaster has come loose, hacking off and re-boarding. If you are retiling the same area, a flat, sound surface may be enough without a full skim. We check this once the tiles are off.
Can a textured kitchen ceiling be skimmed over?
Often, yes, but have it tested first if the house was built before 2000. Some older textured ceiling coatings contain asbestos, so a sample should be tested before anyone sands, scrapes or drills them. If the result is clear, the ceiling can usually be skimmed or overboarded. If asbestos is found, follow the report's advice and use a specialist asbestos contractor.
What paint should be used on kitchen walls?
A moisture-resistant paint with a wipeable or scrubbable finish, often sold as kitchen and bathroom paint, suits most kitchen walls. It copes with steam and can be cleaned without marking. Silk or eggshell finishes are easier to wipe than flat matt, and woodwork usually gets a satinwood or gloss. New plaster needs a diluted mist coat before any of these.
Related guides
Related kitchen services
- Kitchen strip-out and removal
- Kitchen electrics
- Open-plan kitchen knock-throughs
- Splashbacks and tiling
Where do we carry out kitchen plastering and decorating?
We take on kitchen plastering and decorating across England, Wales, mainland Scotland and Northern Ireland. Choose your area for local guide prices and the rules that apply there.
England
- Bedfordshire
- Berkshire
- Bristol
- Buckinghamshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Cheshire
- Cornwall
- Cumbria
- Derbyshire
- Devon
- Dorset
- County Durham
- the East Riding of Yorkshire
- East Sussex
- Essex
- Gloucestershire
- Greater London
- Greater Manchester
- Hampshire
- Herefordshire
- Hertfordshire
- the Isle of Wight
- Kent
- Lancashire
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Merseyside
- Norfolk
- North Yorkshire
- Northamptonshire
- Northumberland
- Nottinghamshire
- Oxfordshire
- Rutland
- Shropshire
- Somerset
- South Yorkshire
- Staffordshire
- Suffolk
- Surrey
- Tyne and Wear
- Warwickshire
- the West Midlands
- West Sussex
- West Yorkshire
- Wiltshire
- Worcestershire