Plasterer Estimate Template
An estimate is an approximate figure based on the information available, not a fixed price, and plastering throws up more unknowns than most trades. You cannot always tell whether old plaster is blown until you tap it, what is behind cracked render until it comes off, or whether lath and plaster ceilings will hold a skim until you are up a ladder. An estimate lets you give the customer a sensible figure for budgeting while making clear it is subject to a site survey and to what you find once work is opened up.
Price the estimate the way you would a quote, with approximate areas in square metres, a rate per metre, preparation such as scrim tape and PVA, and materials including boarding, bonding or undercoat plaster and finish coats, but mark uncertain items as allowances. A chimney breast that turns out to be damp, or a wall where the old dot and dab has come away from the masonry, can change the figure, and the estimate should say so in plain words. It should also note drying times where the customer is planning decoration, and whether disposal of old plaster and rubble is included.
If the customer wants a firm number they can accept in writing, that is a quote, and you should reissue the document after a proper survey. Download the template in Word or PDF below, or build it online free.
What to include in a plasterer estimate
- Your business details, contact information and insurance note
- Customer name, address and the site address if different
- Estimate number, date and how long the figure is held for
- Wording that the figure is approximate and subject to a site survey
- Approximate areas and rates, with uncertain items shown as allowances
- Preparation and materials as a best assessment: boarding, bonding, finish coats
- What could change the price: blown plaster, damp, hidden damage behind old render
- Waste disposal of old plaster, drying time note, and VAT if registered
Download the template
Or build it online, free
The quote generator produces the same professional document in your browser and saves as a PDF. Use it for estimates too: simply title the document as an estimate and keep the subject-to-survey wording.
Open the quote generatorPlasterer estimate FAQs
What is the difference between a plastering estimate and a quote?
An estimate is an approximate figure based on the information available, and it can change if the job turns out differently, for example if old plaster is blown or render hides damage underneath. A quote is a fixed price for defined work that you are held to once accepted. Always label the document clearly as one or the other.
When should a plasterer give an estimate instead of a quote?
When you have not seen the job properly: pricing from photographs, a description over the phone, or where the true state of the walls is hidden behind wallpaper, old render or failing plaster. Once you have surveyed the site, you can convert the estimate into a firm quote.
Can a plastering estimate change once work has started?
Yes, and the estimate should say so. Opening up a wall can reveal blown plaster, damp or loose dot and dab that needs stripping back further than expected. Agree with the customer how extras will be priced and approved before you carry on, so a changed figure never comes as a surprise.
Should I visit the site before giving a plastering estimate?
Wherever possible, yes. Even a rough estimate is more accurate after you have tapped the walls for hollow patches, checked ceilings for lath and plaster, and measured up. If you have not yet visited, state on the estimate that the figure is subject to a site survey.