Plastering & making good · Derry/Londonderry
Plastering & making good in Derry/Londonderry
Plastering & making good for homes in BT47, BT48, designed by a structural engineer.
- Itemised written quote
- Beam sized by a structural engineer
- Covering Derry/Londonderry and nearby
- Free survey visit
- Engineer's calculations arranged
- Building control handled
- Fixed written price once scope is agreed
- England, Wales, mainland Scotland & NI
Plastering & making good in Derry/Londonderry: how it works
If you live in Derry/Londonderry, plastering & making good can usually be planned and priced after a single survey visit. We also cover the surrounding towns and villages in Derry City and Strabane. We cover BT47 and BT48, and we fix the price in writing once the layout and scope are agreed.
Structural work leaves a trail behind it: a steel beam to hide, ragged wall ends, a strip of missing floor, cracked ceiling where props stood and holes where needles passed through. However good the steel, this is the part you look at every day, so it deserves the same care as the structure.
Worth knowing before you start
- Fresh plaster has to dry before it is painted. A thin skim over board in a warm, ventilated room often dries within a few days to a week, while backing coats and deeper repairs take longer. Painting too soon can cause peeling and patchy colour.
- Hairline cracks sometimes appear along board joints or where new plaster meets old, as the building settles onto the steel and the plaster dries out. They are normal in the first months and are usually filled at the next redecoration.
- When a wall is removed, a strip of floor goes with it. On suspended timber floors the gap is joisted and boarded, and on solid floors it is filled and screeded. Either way, the infill must sit level so new flooring does not show a ridge.
- Metal angle beads on every outside corner of the boxing give crisp, straight lines and protect the edges from knocks. They are set true to the ceiling and walls, so a slightly out-of-level beam does not show once skimmed.
- Plastering itself is wet rather than dusty, but cutting back old plaster and sanding filler is not. Work areas are sheeted off, floors protected and dust extraction used when cutting, so the mess stays in the room being worked on.
What happens, step by step
Look and measure
We check the wall, the span you want and what the wall is carrying, and photograph anything the engineer needs to see.
Design and price
Calculations come back from the engineer and we confirm your fixed written price, line by line.
Building control
A full plans application or building notice goes to Derry City and Strabane District Council under the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 before work begins.
Fit, inspect, finish
The work is propped and the steel installed and packed tight. After inspection the opening is boxed, plastered and left clean.
How much should I budget in Derry/Londonderry?
As a guide, budget £260–£1,030 including VAT for plastering and making good in Derry/Londonderry, based on published UK cost guides adjusted for prices in Northern Ireland (-14%).
| Job | Typical guide range | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| Plastering and making good | £260–£1,030 | Boxing the beam, bead and skim, reveals, floor infill where the wall stood and tidy-up |
| Load-bearing wall removal with steel beam | £1,700–£4,300 | Typical internal wall up to about 4 m: calculations, building control, propping, steel, padstones, fitting, fire protection and making good |
| Chimney breast removal (ground floor) | £1,300–£2,600 | Ground-floor breast removed, steel to support the breast above, building control and making good |
| Kitchen-diner knock-through | £2,150–£5,150 | Internal structural wall between kitchen and dining room, steel beam, approvals and making good (kitchen fitting extra) |
Figures include our approximate regional adjustment for prices in Northern Ireland (-14%) and are rounded. How these figures are worked out.
Approvals in Derry/Londonderry
Building control in Derry/Londonderry is run by Derry City and Strabane District Council. Beams and new openings are controlled work under the Northern Ireland regulations, so we apply before anything is removed and the steel is inspected before it is covered.
The Party Wall etc. Act does not extend to Northern Ireland. Shared walls are dealt with under your title and the general law, so we recommend agreeing access and the work with your neighbour before it starts.
Plastering & making good in Derry/Londonderry: your questions
Do you also work near Derry/Londonderry?
Yes. We also cover nearby towns including Strabane and Limavady.
Can you work on older or listed homes in Derry/Londonderry?
Yes. Older homes often have lime mortar, timber lintels or shallow footings, which the engineer allows for. Listed buildings need listed building consent for internal structural changes as well as building regulations approval, and that must be in place first.
Can you repair a lath and plaster ceiling?
Yes. Small areas can be patched with lath and lime-based plaster, or with board cut in and skimmed to match. Where large areas have sagged or pulled away from the laths, overboarding or replacing the ceiling is often the sounder repair. We assess the condition at the survey and price the right approach.
Do I need building control approval for plastering?
Not for plastering on its own. However, where it covers new structural steel, building control usually needs to inspect the beam and its fire protection before it is boxed in and skimmed. That is why, on structural jobs, the making good is timed around the building control visit.
What happens to the floor where the wall was removed?
The gap left by the wall is filled to match the floor on either side. Suspended timber floors get new joists and boards, solid floors are filled and screeded, and the infill is levelled so carpet, laminate or tiles can run straight across the room without a visible ridge.
Can I stay at home while the work is done in Derry/Londonderry?
Usually, yes. The work area is screened and floors are protected. The rooms either side of the opening are out of action for a few days, and there is some noise and dust while the masonry comes out.