Kitchen plastering and decorating · Scotland
Kitchen plastering and decorating in Edinburgh
We carry out kitchen plastering and decorating across Edinburgh, from the city centre to the suburbs, with a free survey visit and an itemised written quote as standard.
What prompts kitchen plastering and decorating in Edinburgh?
Homeowners in Edinburgh with textured ceilings in older kitchens often want them smoothed, and the first step is an asbestos test if the house dates from before 2000.
Once the old kitchen is out in an Edinburgh home, the walls behind it are often patched, chased and uneven, and a skim gives the new units a sound surface.
What does kitchen plastering and decorating in Edinburgh include?
Your written quote lists everything included. For kitchen plastering and decorating, that normally means:
- 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 in Edinburgh?
As a starting point for Edinburgh, these ranges include VAT at 20% and allow for typical labour costs in Edinburgh and Glasgow. For Edinburgh and Glasgow, these ranges are close to the national figures.
| Typical project | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Skim kitchen walls and ceiling over sound plasterPrepared and skimmed | £360–£820 |
| Hack off, re-board and skim a kitchenOld plaster removed back to the wall | £920–£1,800 |
| Kitchen decoratedWalls, ceiling and woodwork | £410–£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. Prices include VAT at 20%.
Kitchens in homes across Edinburgh
The housing mix across Edinburgh includes Victorian tenement flats, Georgian New Town flats, stone villas and post-war council-built houses, so no two kitchen fits are quite alike. Tenement flats often have a small kitchen off the hall, while Georgian flats may have kitchens in former bedrooms or reception rooms with tall ceilings.
Edinburgh's mains water is soft, so limescale is rarely a problem and taps, sinks and boiling water taps stay cleaner for longer. Common stairs without lifts, controlled parking and cobbled streets in older parts of the city mean deliveries and stair carries need planning before fitting day.
Tenement and Georgian flats often have kitchens in small rooms, and opening one into the living room needs a building warrant if the wall is load-bearing, and can need one even if it is not, where the change affects the escape route or fire separation in a flat. Stone villas and bungalows on the edge of the city more often suit a larger supply-and-fit kitchen.
Rules for kitchen plastering and decorating in Edinburgh
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.
The Old and New Towns form a World Heritage Site with many listed buildings, so new vents or internal changes may need consent, and tenement neighbours may need to agree.
Before you start
- 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.
- If your home was built before 2000, have textured ceiling coatings tested for asbestos before anyone sands, scrapes or drills into them.
- Plaster before the units go in: skimming around fitted cabinets is slower, messier and leaves edges that are hard to finish neatly.
- 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.
- Pick the final paint colour for your Edinburgh kitchen while the plaster dries, testing samples on the dried mist coat rather than on bare plaster.
- Small hairline cracks can appear as new plaster dries; ask for them to be filled and sanded just before the final coats, not straight away.
Questions about kitchen plastering and decorating in Edinburgh
How much does kitchen plastering and decorating cost in Edinburgh?
Guide prices in Edinburgh are about £360 to £820 including VAT for skimming the walls and ceiling over sound plaster. The final price depends on the size of the kitchen and what is moving, and is set out in an itemised written quote.
Do you cover the whole of Edinburgh?
Yes. We carry out kitchen plastering and decorating across Edinburgh. Every job starts with a free survey visit and an itemised written quote.
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.
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.
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.