Kitchen plastering and decorating in Portsmouth

Thinking about kitchen plastering and decorating in Portsmouth?

Landlords in Hampshire often have a kitchen redecorated between tenancies, filling fixing holes and repainting walls and woodwork in a scrubbable finish that stands up to regular cleaning.

Some people in Portsmouth are keeping their units but want the whole room redecorated in a tougher, wipeable paint after years of steam and cooking marks. Homes right across Portsmouth are covered, as are nearby places such as Southsea, Gosport and the villages in between.

What is included in the work?

Your written quote lists everything included. For kitchen plastering and decorating, that normally means:

Diluted mist coat on new plaster, then moisture-resistant, wipeable kitchen paint
Free survey visit to check walls and ceilings and give an itemised quote
Edges around units, worktops and splashbacks cut in neatly at the end
Ceilings skimmed or overboarded, after textured coatings in older homes are tested for asbestos
Chases around new sockets, cable runs and pipework filled and made good
Ceilings, walls, skirting, architraves and door frames decorated to finish the room

What does kitchen plastering and decorating cost in Portsmouth?

The figures below are guide prices for Portsmouth, including VAT and adjusted for typical costs across the South East. The fixed price comes after we have measured up. Labour in the South East generally costs more than the UK average, which lifts these ranges a little.

What does kitchen plastering and decorating cost in Portsmouth?
Typical project	Guide price
Skim kitchen walls and ceiling over sound plasterPrepared and skimmed	£400–£920
Hack off, re-board and skim a kitchenOld plaster removed back to the wall	£1,000–£2,100
Kitchen decoratedWalls, ceiling and woodwork	£460–£1,400

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 around Portsmouth

The housing mix across Hampshire includes Victorian terraces, 1930s semis, post-war estate houses and thatched and brick cottages, so no two kitchen fits are quite alike. Terraces in Southampton and Portsmouth often have a narrow back kitchen, while post-war estate houses tend to have a compact rectangular room suited to an L-shape.

Dense terraced streets can be very tight for parking, and New Forest lanes and village roads may limit the size of delivery vehicle. Water across Hampshire is mostly hard, largely from chalk sources, so limescale on taps and boiling water taps is common and a filter can help.

Regulations for kitchen work in Portsmouth

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.

Homes within the New Forest or South Downs national parks, listed cottages and conservation areas may need consent for a new extractor vent or alterations to historic features.

Planning ahead

Before final decorating in your Portsmouth kitchen, check that the new worktops and floor are covered, as paint splashes are much easier to prevent than to remove.
If your Hampshire home was built before 2000, arrange an asbestos test on any textured ceiling before plastering is booked, so the programme is not held up.
If the house is listed or has solid walls, ask whether lime plaster is needed before the old plaster in your kitchen is stripped out.
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.

Questions about kitchen plastering and decorating in Portsmouth

How much does kitchen plastering and decorating cost in Portsmouth?

For skimming the walls and ceiling over sound plaster, budget around £400 to £920 including VAT in Portsmouth. That reflects typical costs in the South East; we confirm the actual figure in writing once we have measured up.

Which parts of Portsmouth do you work in?

All of them. Our Hampshire coverage takes in the whole of Portsmouth, including the PO5 postcode district, as well as surrounding towns such as Southsea. If you are unsure, send us your postcode.

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.

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.

Nearby places we cover

The same service is available a short drive from Portsmouth, including: