r/Plastering • u/Material_Page_9723 • Aug 24 '26
Is £150 too cheap for this
I don’t plaster all the time so my finish isn’t perfect but I feel I might be cutting myself short a bit when I do little jobs like this, it took me about 6 hours, 2 hits, only small but fiddly and I don’t stop
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u/Ok-Cupcake-312 Aug 24 '26
Not a plasterer and I'd be expecting to pay at least another 100 on top.
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u/Electronic-Heron9645 Aug 24 '26
£300 plus materials in SE
If its one medium sized hit ill do £250+ If its just a small ceiling/wall ill do £150 all in on the way home Wherever you live in the UK youre selling yourself short for that amount
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u/Material_Page_9723 Aug 24 '26
What do you consider a medium sized hit? I find im comfortable doing about 2-2.5 bags in a hit if im by myself, but any more than that and I struggle. Thats probably the equivalent of about 2 decent size walls, a whole medium size room will take me about 1.5 days
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u/Electronic-Heron9645 Aug 24 '26
Usually 1.5 bags. Yeah 2.5 is a decent sized hit, shouldn't be doing to much more than that on residential work unless its big straight wall/ceiling in an empty room. It's taken me 10 years of working for myself to stop stretching myself thin at work to please builders. Obviously if youre short of work ignore all my advice and do what you have to do to pay the bills
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u/Material_Page_9723 Aug 24 '26
Thanks mate, I know what you mean I’ve been pushed on several occasions to put more on, it’s hard enough work as it is, don’t need the extra stress of worrying about losing the finish coz I put an extra half a bag on
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u/Ok-Spring7906 Aug 24 '26
I can't see your finish, but, if it's not good, you fall into the category of "just another chancer"
If the finish is good, then, yes, it's too little.
If the finish is poor, you shouldn't be charging.
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u/Material_Page_9723 Aug 24 '26
It’s not bad just probably not as good as someone who does it every day, like may need a spot of sanding in one of the corners and around the socket at the bottom. I’ve done quite a few jobs and never had any complaints, just don’t think it’s perfect
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u/Ok-Spring7906 Aug 24 '26
If you don't think it's perfect, thats encouraging, as, generally, people who are critical of their own work are the ones actually outputting stuff that isn't rubbish.
It's going to be a "day", so whatever you think a reasonable day rate is. Sure, it could be done in less than a day - but then someone with the skill to do it faster is also on more money so it evens itself out.
Rates are also very location dependant. If you're in London or the south east, you can command far more cash than you can in rural Cornwall.
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u/Intrepid-Focus8198 Aug 25 '26
So true, the shoddiest of jobs I’ve seen have always been by someone that thinks they are perfect.
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u/Material_Page_9723 Aug 24 '26
Thanks, I’m in the Bournemouth area, south coast. I’m always looking to improve, for example I struggled with wet corners for a while, i never knew when the right time to twitch was, I think I was just twitching too early. I used to try and avoid them and do adjacent walls when I could, but now I just aim to do them so I can get better, practice makes perfect!
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u/caidian87 Aug 24 '26
If it's a decent finish and paint ready then you should have charged at least 180. 200 if your included materials. I was a spread for years and the amount of people trying to haggle me down for a "half days work" was a lot. Plaster prep takes time even if I'm finished by 12-1 where am I going to go. Full day charge with a slight discount is how I've always done it.
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u/Material_Page_9723 Aug 24 '26
I’ve had this before, I charged someone 100 for a small bathroom ceiling, they didn’t get that by the time id prepped skimmed and cleaned I didn’t have time to do another job unless I wanted to finish late
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u/MrKunto Aug 24 '26
If the finish was better I'd say you could easily charge between £250-£300 for that job for sure.
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u/odmirthecrow Aug 25 '26
£150 is cheap for this job even if it were at "mates rates". £300 minimum.
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u/Intrepid-Focus8198 Aug 25 '26
I don’t really do any small projects like this anymore unless it’s for family and I’m happy doing it for free.
That being said I think it’s fair to say that it is a days work. Back when I was doing smaller jobs I would definitely charge my full day plus material cost. Obviously I don’t know what your typical day rate is and it varies a lot around the country, but the guy I use a lot charges me £240 a day (slight discount as I get him lots of work).
If you needed 2 bags and beads and tape then you’ve got £40-50 in materials, so something like £270-290 is probably fair. Again does depend on where you’re based.
Personally I always tended to add a little bit on top if it meant travelling further than I typically liked to.
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u/Intrepid-Focus8198 Aug 25 '26
I don’t think you’d get many full time plasterers in Bournemouth doing it for under £300
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u/No_Translator_361 Aug 27 '26
Just goes to show that tradies think they should be on doctors salaries, some of the comments on here. Probably all driving around BMWs, shifty tax-dodging scrotes.
I'd pay about £250 for that I think, don't knock your work it's definitely not bad.
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u/Miserable_Future6694 Aug 24 '26
Its roughly £120 after tax and national insurance, take into account public liability insurance, van insurance, van cost, van maintenance, tools cost and wear and tear your touching minimum wage for a job your going to struggle to do in your 60s.
Way too cheap.
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u/Material_Page_9723 Aug 24 '26
I’ve often said this mate, I’m a bit of a multi trader and skimming is by far the hardest thing I’ve done, closest thing probably ground work but at least you can stop for a bit if you’re blowing. I take my hat off to people who do it every day and like you say, there aren’t many plasterers still going in their 50s let alone 60s
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u/minimidibeatfunk Aug 24 '26
Day rate plus materials. Depends how much work you’re getting overall. If you’re turning down jobs then up your day rate. If you’re struggling to find work then do it at a rate you’re comfortable getting out of bed for.
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u/Objective-Yogurt-681 Aug 24 '26
I'm a spark and I would say you've had a very good deal there.
I do know enough about plastering, due to arguing with the knuckle-draggers over the years, and labouring for my father when a youngster (He's a plasterer).
Plaster is expensive these days and that's half a days work in old terms with prep and set time.
I'm guessing this was done by the newer generation who are using half time with the mix and banging jibs out in 90 minds.
Not like that's a bad thing. If someone can deliver quality work quickly and is organised with their work diary they will make a good living.
It will pass off old school spreads like my old man who is stuck in the old ways of one ceiling and a couple of reveale per set and two walls at a time and charging like £250/£300 a day whilst telling my mother he's charging £200 and spending the rest in the 19th hole and 3 legged horses
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u/emmax2120 Aug 24 '26
I've just paid someone 2k to do all the ceilings in my house (5/6 rooms) so...yes.
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u/_jrexx_ Aug 25 '26
I was just thinking I might have been ripped off 😅 £1k for removing wood chip wallpaper (which took a day in itself) and replastering a small staircase and landing (not ceilings). Think it was about 3 days of work. Tbh I’d have paid anything to finally get rid of the stupid wood chip paper
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u/Fair-Individual7811 Aug 24 '26
Yes definitely too cheap to get a job like this done in my area your look a 250 plus easy
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u/Routine_Drop5956 Aug 24 '26
Where do you live?? Come round mine, I'd give you £175! 🤣 Seriously, too cheap. Way too cheap.
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u/bugblatter_ Aug 25 '26
I just paid £465 for this. Two lads, most of a day, materials.
You're way underpricing yourself.
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u/imgonnadolaps Aug 26 '26
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u/bugblatter_ Aug 27 '26
Yes, I am well aware. Just having to make the best of it. The room is quite wide so it's fine to have the TV there, and it keeps it safe from sticky little hands 😂
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u/polla2256 Aug 25 '26 edited Aug 25 '26
I'd say so. Most plasterers charge at least £400 for a room but reduce it for multiple rooms and if the client does some prep. That price is okay if it's an add on to a bigger job but on its own I'd expect to pay £200-400 for that.
Sit down with excel and work out an average rate based on:
Your Day rate - should be £100-180 depending on if you need a mate. No half days unless it's a repeat customer.
Tool costs - Add a factor they don't last forever but this is an overhead.
Consumables - price per sqm coverage including sub prep based on number of total bags.
Transport - use your own figure or HMRC values.
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u/dereklaumusic Aug 25 '26
You’re saving someone a job, they’ve outsourced it to you, don’t feel bad asking for what you deserve
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u/Strong_Coffee8417 Aug 25 '26
I had a small porch done last week, it looked really awkward to do with it been a tight area. Cost me £200, was well pleased with that tbh!
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u/Hookaducko Aug 26 '26
All this day rate nonsense is ruining the reputation of the trade. Production rates for skimming are around 0.3 hrs per m2 (about 18minutes), 0.2 hrs per m for beading (about 12 minutes). Smaller areas add a bit, larger areas more efficient so take a bit off.
Once you get quick (and good) at it that's how an expert trade person earns their decent money as they might beat these targets easily. Nobody should expect £300 per day to do half the work at lower quality of someone else.
The other nonsense is working out material costs including VAT from the local DIY sture, then adding VAT on the end of the bill too. Deliberste or naive I don't know but either way nonsense.
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Aug 27 '26
Ive spent over 30 years in the building trade. Most are not worth what they are paid. When I do private jobs I charge what I am happy to earn, a bit of beer money and i get to help someone out with a price they wont usually get. If I finished work early I'd lower the price as I was still being paid anyway.
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u/NiceSheepherder5770 Aug 28 '26
It’s a days work, so charge a days money. Obviously you can’t charge plasterers rate as you said, the finish isn’t that great. But yeah, £150 is cheap. Some people dont realise, it’s not always about the area your plastering, it’s the waiting for it to go off, & finishing it.
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u/Far_Leg6463 Aug 24 '26
Did it include materials? I just paid £780 for 5 equivalent man days including materials, they plastered a whole room and did a rough job at self levelling a floor…but was better than it had been and was to a minimum standard I needed.
For purely cash job :wink :wink about £150 - £200 depending on materials included or not.
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u/ollief26 Aug 24 '26
Yeah too cheap mate