Written by Mark Reid,
Trades Editor ·Verified 18 August 2026
Edinburgh's housing stock throws up more plastering variety than most cities. You've got New Town tenements with lath and plaster ceilings that need careful patching rather than a full skim, Victorian villas in Morningside with lime-based walls that don't take kindly to modern gypsum products, and newer builds out in Newcraighall or the Western Harbour development where standard skimming and dry lining is the norm. A plasterer working across this patch needs to know the difference between a tenement stairwell job in Marchmont and a new-build extension in Corstorphine, because the materials and prep work aren't the same. Damp is another local factor, particularly in older stone properties near the coast in Leith or Portobello, where salt-laden air can affect how plaster cures and adheres.
The businesses featured here are pulled from public business listings and ranked by their review rating and how many reviews they've built up, with a small boost given to those showing a working website and phone number. We then check each business's homepage to confirm plastering is genuinely their main trade, not a sideline mentioned alongside five other services, which keeps general builders and unrelated tradespeople off this page. Listings that show up as permanently closed get removed as part of that process. Where you spot a Trust Verified badge, that business has gone through our fuller verification, covering trade qualifications and accreditations, public liability insurance, trading history, customer review history and registered company information. Our How We Verify page sets out exactly what that involves. For any business without the badge, those checks haven't been done by us, so it's worth doing them yourself before you commit to anything.
Before hiring, ask to see photos of recent work, ideally jobs similar to yours, whether that's a ceiling skim, a full render on an exterior wall, or dry lining a converted loft. Ask what plaster and finish they'll use and why, since lime plaster and gypsum aren't interchangeable on older properties. Check whether they carry public liability insurance and ask for proof rather than taking it on trust. It's also worth confirming who's responsible for making good afterwards, such as skirting boards or light fittings that get disturbed during the work. Getting two or three quotes is standard practice in Edinburgh, and the spread can be surprisingly wide depending on how busy a plasterer is and what materials they're pricing in, so don't just take the first one that lands in your inbox.
How We Select & Rate The Best Plasterers in Edinburgh
Ranking is driven mainly by review rating and review count from public business listings, with a small lift given to businesses that show a working website and phone number. We check each business's homepage to confirm plastering work is what they primarily offer, which keeps unrelated trades off the page, and we remove any listing that appears permanently closed. Businesses marked Trust Verified have gone further, passing our full verification covering trade qualifications and accreditations, public liability insurance, trading history, customer review history and registered company information. See our How We Verify page for the complete list of checks. Other businesses here haven't been independently verified by us, and being included isn't an endorsement, so do your own checks before hiring.
Recommended and Featured listings are paid placements, so a business's fee affects whether and where it appears. Every other listing is ranked on rating and review count from third-party business listings. How we rank & verify →
Skimming and re-plastering older Edinburgh properties forms much of the workload at McNamara Plastering, alongside ceiling repairs and coving work common in the city's tenement flats. The firm has built a solid reputation locally, reflected in a five star rating from 116 reviews. Jobs range from small patch repairs to full room re-plasters ahead of decoration.
Most calls to One Up Plastering start with cracked ceilings, damp-damaged walls or a room being knocked through and needing a smooth, level finish before decorating. The Edinburgh firm handles skimming and re-plastering across older tenement flats and newer builds alike, and has built up a 5 star record from 74 reviews doing so.
Landlords and letting agents in the EH14 area call on City Crafts for plastering work between tenancies, when walls and ceilings need repairing before new occupants move in. The Edinburgh firm holds a five star rating from 69 reviews, built largely on turnaround times that suit rental schedules rather than one-off domestic jobs.
Skimming ceilings and repairing damaged walls ahead of redecoration is the core work at Paintworks and Plastering, serving Edinburgh properties across the EH9 area. The firm pairs plastering with painting finishes, useful for homeowners wanting one contact for both stages of a room refurbishment. It holds a 4.9 rating from 60 reviews.
Plastering and tiling work is carried out across Edinburgh, covering skimming, rendering and wall or floor tiling for domestic properties. Edinburgh Plastering & Tiling holds a 4.7 rating from 46 reviews, reflecting consistent standards on jobs ranging from small repairs to full room finishes.
Steve Plastering works across Edinburgh, covering skimming, rendering and repair work for domestic properties. The business has built a small but consistent record, holding a five star rating from nine reviews. Enquiries can be made through its website for jobs of varying scale.
A cracked ceiling, a damp-damaged wall or a full room needing skimmed before decorating are the sort of jobs that bring people to William Bain & Sons Ltd. The Edinburgh firm handles plastering and rendering work across the city, with a 4.4 rating from 20 reviews reflecting consistent finish quality on both small repairs and larger projects.
A perfect five-star record from five reviews points to consistent workmanship at K Vincent & Son, a plastering firm operating in Edinburgh. The name suggests a family-run setup, with jobs likely ranging from small repairs to full wall and ceiling finishing. Details can be checked via the company's website before enquiring further.
A 4.3 rating from eleven reviews points to consistent workmanship at Lothian Plaster Ltd, a plastering firm operating in Edinburgh. The feedback suggests reliability across domestic plastering jobs, from wall skimming to ceiling repairs. Those in the EH13 area can expect a straightforward approach without unnecessary upselling.
Transparency notice: Recommended and Featured listings are paid placements, so a business's fee affects whether and where it appears. All other listings are ranked by a combined score drawn from ratings and review counts published on third-party business listings, plus basic completeness signals such as a working website and phone. A Trust Verified badge means we have independently checked that business's documents; businesses without it have not been independently verified by us. How we verify →
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For a standard room, skimming a ceiling typically runs from around £150 to £300, while a full skim of walls and ceiling in a mid-sized room can land between £400 and £800, depending on how much prep work is needed. Rendering an exterior wall costs more, often £40 to £60 per square metre once scaffolding and materials are factored in. Older properties in areas like Stockbridge or the Old Town sometimes cost more if lime plaster or extensive damp remediation is needed first. Prices vary a fair bit between plasterers, so getting two or three quotes before booking is normal and sensible.
How long does plastering a room take?
A single ceiling skim usually takes a day, maybe two if it needs a second coat. A full room, walls and ceiling, typically takes two to three days including drying time between coats. Larger jobs, such as dry lining a loft conversion or rendering a whole gable wall, can stretch to a week or more. Weather matters too, particularly for exterior render, since it needs dry conditions to cure properly, which can cause delays during a wet Edinburgh spell.
Do I need to move furniture and clear the room before a plasterer arrives?
Most plasterers expect the room to be reasonably clear when they turn up, so shift furniture to the centre and cover it with dust sheets, or move it out entirely if you can. Some will help clear a room for an extra charge, but it's worth asking in advance rather than assuming it's included. Take down curtains, blinds and any wall fittings yourself where possible, since plaster dust gets everywhere and settles on soft furnishings quickly.
Is lime plaster necessary for older Edinburgh properties?
Often, yes. Tenements and villas built before the twentieth century, particularly in areas like the New Town or Bruntsfield, were usually built with lime-based plaster and stone walls that need to breathe. Applying modern gypsum plaster over these can trap moisture and cause damp problems down the line. A plasterer familiar with period properties should be able to tell you whether lime plaster or a lime-gypsum hybrid is the right call for your walls, so it's worth raising this before work starts rather than after.
What's the difference between skimming, rendering and dry lining?
Skimming is a thin top coat of plaster applied to existing plasterboard or a base coat, giving a smooth finish ready for paint. Rendering is generally used on exterior walls, a thicker mix applied for weatherproofing and finish. Dry lining involves fixing plasterboard directly to a wall or stud frame and then skimming over it, which is common in extensions and loft conversions where you're building a new internal surface from scratch. Which one you need depends on the state of your existing walls, so it's worth asking a plasterer to look at the job in person rather than guessing over the phone.
How do I choose between plasterers on a list like this?
Start by reading through recent reviews rather than just the star rating, since patterns in feedback (poor timekeeping, mess left behind, cracking after a few months) tell you more than a number does. Ask each plasterer for photos of jobs similar to yours and, ideally, contact details for a previous customer. Confirm they hold public liability insurance and ask to see the certificate. Check whether the quote includes materials, skip hire and making good afterwards, since these can be quoted separately and catch people out. Where a Trust Verified badge appears, that business has been through our fuller checks on qualifications, insurance and trading history, which is worth factoring in if you're choosing between similarly rated options.
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