How much should skimming my lounge cost?

[hullpaul]

Hi folks

Although I have had a go at plastering to patch up my lounge, I don't know too much about it, so thought it best to get a real plasterer in to finish off the job, by skimming the room properly! My other half said she had a recommended plasterer she could ask about it, but I was surprised when the quote came in at over £700. I thought it would be a fair bit less than that: am I being a bit stingey!!?

The details are: all the walls and ceiling have been prepared by stripping them back to bare plaster, and so now all walls and the ceiling need to be primed and skimmed.

Basic room measurements are:
Room height: 2.55m
Total room length: 7.2m
Room width: 3.5m across, with room narrowing to 2.7m for final 2.1m of the room’s length – this adds one vertical corner edge that needs an angle bead.

Additional features of room:
1) Chimney wall with fireplace along centre of one long wall, emerging 0.3m into the room – this adds two edges and angle beads.
2) Two doors in the opposite long wall.
3) Semi-bay window in one short wall, with one large and one small window, adding 4 more angle beads.
4) Patio door (1.8m x 2m) in the opposite short wall, the recessing of which adds 1 vertical corner edge and angle bead.

That makes 8 corners that need beading altogether. The thing that surprise me was: the plasterer said that the job would be expensive because all the existing plaster at the corners would need chopping back to the brickwork, to replace the wooden dowels that form the corners at the moment, in order to put in all the new metal beads. I thought he'd just be able to stick the new beads over the existing corners, like the last time I had some skimming done (which was a good job done very cheaply by a plasterer I knew, but he's moved away now).

So really I need to know which is the best way to get the angle beads put in, so I can ask for a quote using the right method. Are there different types of beads that make for better corners, less cracking, that sort of thing? I thought I'd try and check about this before I get another quote in.

Any advice gratefully received!

Regards Paul

 

[joe-90]

Well it's two days labour plus materials at about £25.

So wadda you think is fair?

In Nottingham it would cost about £400

 

[brist]

Agree with Joe id charge about £450

 

[FredFlintstone]

That's a decent sized room!

I'd tend to agree with Brist and Joe here that about £450. However, your plasterer may be busy and may not really want the job so has priced it higher than he would ordinarily do.

regards

Fred

 

[makitaman]

2 days labour at £200 per day plus materials and vat=£528 ish.
I can't understand why he needs to hack back to the brick in order to attach metal beading. We would tack beading onto existing corner dowels and spread away. Try and get another quote

 

[Richard C]

Get several quotes & look at their work first; as you will see from recent posts on here there are some real cowboys around. Don't pay any more than £180 a day + materials & it should be less than that but, like everything, it depends on the amount of work currently available in your area.

 

[makitaman]

I've never once had a potential customer ask to see my standard of work, nor have I met any plasterers who take potential clients to look at their previous work at somebody's property. Though if the plasterers who do it for a living want to contradict me on this please feel free.

Go ahead and try and get several quotes, might take some time though - best bet as always is recomendation. Good luck.

 

[Richard C]

I've never once had a potential customer ask to see my standard of work, nor have I met any plasterers who take potential clients to look at their previous work at somebody's property. Though if the plasterers who do it for a living want to contradict me on this please feel free.

Go ahead and try and get several quotes, might take some time though - best bet as always is recomendation. Good luck.

Don’t understand your problem? What’s wrong with wanting to see an example of your work, either through personal recommendation or one of your satisfied customers! If you’re as good as you say (& at those rates I would expect you to be!) then you’ve nothing to hide & your customer will have nothing to loose.

You don’t know the first thing about me, what I do or my capabilities so I don’t understand the condescending “who do it for a living” jibe. I do know what I’m doing, am pretty good & get a lot of satisfaction out of what I do. I may not do it for a living but, trust me, I could if I really wanted to; truth is, I don’t have to!

I have a lot of experience both working in & with wet & dry trades &, as I’ve said before, I have a great respect for “good” plasterer’s, as I know it’s one of the most difficult trades to master.

 

[makitaman]

According to your other posts you're a home owner - and as you so snootily said 'you don't have to do it for a living'.

I'm talking from 20 years experience - so forgive me if I think I have an opinion on these matters. I now book work for nov 07 and have many satisfied customers, despite the rates I charge

Forgive me if you think I was in any way condescending to you in any way - but I live in the real world. Nobody gets several quotes - except maybe you, most people don't have that sort of spare time.

As I said I would love to hear from other plasterers who have clients asking to inspect their previous work.

 

[Richard C]

According to your other posts you're a home owner

So what's wrong with that, aren’t you? Is that almighty chip your problem!

and as you so snootily said 'you don't have to do it for a living'.

I wasn't being snooty as my final comment reflects; I can plaster but don't do it for a living & I certainly worked bloody hard in my own profession for what I’ve got.

I'm talking from 20 years experience - so forgive me if I think I have an opinion on these matters. I now book work for nov 07 and have many satisfied customers, despite the rates I charge

Sure, 20 years worth gives you a very valued opinion; just don’t belittle other people’s opinions!

Forgive me if you think I was in any way condescending to you in any way - but I live in the real world. Nobody gets several quotes - except maybe you, most people don't have that sort of spare time.

What’s it got to do with spare time, how long does it take to make a few phone calls to make sure you get a decent job done at a reasonable price! I always get as many quotes as possible for whatever I'm doing, either in my private or professional work & I’ve never have any shortage of willing subs. If they don’t want to quote or show me their work it’s their loss as they don’t get a look in; it’s called being competitive! As I said, you don’t have the faintest idea what I do but I only get work based on quality, specification & a competitive quote so I think it’s you who are not living in the real world. Unfortunately most ‘punters’ don’t know any different so what’s wrong with trying to educate them a little.

[/quote]

 

[makitaman]

There' s still no reply as to how many plasterers have customers asking to examine their work.................................

 

[brist]

No customer has ever asked me to show photos etc of my work.

 

[diyisfree]

I usually take an 8x4 sheet of board and half a bag of multi to all the jobs i price.

I then give them a price and get my paddle mixer out while they talk about the price. I knock up a bit of multi and plaster the 8x4.

They look in amazement and say Oh that looks lovely I then get a bag of nails out and fasten the 8x4 to the wall.

I leave telling them that i will plaster the rest of the sheets at home then bring them later in the week and nail them to the wall also.

 

[finch]

if someone wants a recommend im always proud to give the number of a previous client and let the potential new client call them and visit.
a good rapport with customers means they are always happy to do this.
its better for people to SEE with their own eyes and not just go on words. this ALWAYS seals the deal