Help - advice needed tonight on quote for plastering!

[MissMysticFalls]

Really hope the lovely mumsnetters can help me here. We are having the asbestos removed in our house (now) which involves removing every ceiling in all the rooms (4 medium, 1 large, 1 small) and strip artex from most of the walls, so we need to line up a plasterer to come in and reboard and plaster those six ceilings, and plaster all but one of the rooms (1 large, 3 medium and 1 small). We've been quoted £7300 plus VAT for the work - plus extra if we want coving added.

Does this sound reasonable? We can't get another person to quote until late next week when the asbestos has been removed, whereas the people who quoted so far could actually start the week next week if we can confirm we're happy with the quote tomorrow. They've already knocked off a bit for us and are very well recommended on checkatrade and have worked with the asbestos removers before.

What do you think? Is it about right? or should we risk having to stay in rented accommodation if we leave it a week to get someone else to quote, who may be no cheaper and not guaranteed to be able to be free to start asap.

Thank you so much.

[LEMmingaround]

whereabouts are you?

Is that price for the asbestos removal as well ? if so, then its reasonable.

My DP charges £250 to plaster a ceiling of medium size, so thats a guide. I think probably another £150 to reboard.

Checkatrade is one of those things where the builders pay a sum of money to be on their books, they are always trying to sell themselves to us, one of their selling points is that they remove all negative reviews! The best recommendation is word of mouth. We don't advertise and my DP is always busy.

[ladybirdandsnails]

Was it totally necessary to remove the asbestos? I have normally paid about £200 - 400 a room but ceilings can be more. Will depend where you are too

[MissMysticFalls]

Sorry - should have also said that in the largest room (16 x 13 ft) at least two walls may need plasterboarding and it includes that.

[LEMmingaround]

oh and £200 per wall. So ball park thats £1200 per room. we don't charge vat, but that would put a furhter 20% if we did. So yeah, thats a reasonable quote.

[MissMysticFalls]

Hello, yes it was necessary and they're already in the middle of removing it so no going back now! We're in the South East.

DP thinks we should go for it, I feel that we should wait until the asbestos removal has been done and get someone else to quote for it too even if it means risking having to stay in our tiny rented place for longer.

[MissMysticFalls]

LEMingaround and ladybird thank you - I'm completely clueless here as a first time buyer.

[mandy214]

I think that sounds quite expensive. In the last 6 months, we've had quite a bit of plastering done.

Lounge 15' x 14ft - ceiling, 4 walls (including chimney breast and large bay window so quite finicky). I think that was £500 all in (but no boarding done although he did have to secure the boarding that was there).

Bedroom ceiling (about 12' x 12') - think we paid £200 (as part of other decorating works)

Dining room (also 12' x 12') - £250 I think again as part of decorating.

Have also had hall, stairs and landing done in the last week that was £800 so I think £7300 plus VAT is really steep.

[LEMmingaround]

We are in the south east too, so i would say go for it (everythings bloody expensive here!) - i think thats a fair price and we would have been about the same.

[LEMmingaround]

gosh mandy that was cheap!

[mandy214]

I don't think it is!! Admittedly not in the SE, but in a "naice" part of the country with a premium by virtue of the postcode! My sister and I (she is in SW London is a very nice area) often compare DIY quotes and they're often pretty comparable. I think tradesmen factor in a premium for position - if they know that the OP is in rented accommodation, needs it doing asap, they know you don't have time to shop around and quote accordingly. Its a supply and demand thing. If you have the time to say "well I've got 2 other people coming to quote" so I'll get back to you in a week or so, you'll probably see a different cheaper quote.

And my prices were only for plastering, not for boarding etc and without VAT.

[ilovemydoggy]

I think that sounds expensive, I've just had all my living rooms plastered, ceiling and up the stairs walls and it was £660. We have a 20ft long room. Where abouts In south east, I'm in North Kent maybe able to recommend some other people.

[mandy214]

Sorry Lemming just noticed that you said your DH is a plasterer - whoops . Shouldn't have implied everyone quotes according to position. Sorry!

[LEMmingaround]

My dp does not vary the quote depending on circumstances. The price is the price. He may be a bit cheaper if doing lots of work in the same place, (so can do one wall while the other one drying iyswim) we don't add VAT though.

[LEMmingaround]

lol its ok mandy - maybe others might do just that. I think the norm is to get three quotes, don't always go for the cheapest though. Id offer DP's services (he is a carpenter by trade but does do plastering too) but he is up to his eyes so couldn't fit it in.

[ladybirdandsnails]

I pay more like Mandy. Have renovated 2 houses - plaster board is not expensive. Asbestos removal however can cost thousands

[MissMysticFalls]

We're in West Sussex, ilovemydoggy but thanks for the offer.

I've just remembered that the plasterers who quoted were ones I was going to ask to quote based on my online research and then the asbestos removers said they could recommend someone good - and it turned out to be them. So it's sort of word of mouth too.

Normally I would go for more than one quotation for something this big, but in this case, I'm worried about logistics. We've had these guys lined up to come in to see the property once we completed to quote for the work for quite a while in advance. I didn't have any doubts about them until the price came in and I guess I didn't know what to expect. I'm concerned that we won't find anyone good and at a good price who is able to start asap after the asbestos company has finished. It's also quite a complicated job - plasterboarding needed on the walls of the largest room (16 x 13ft) and possibly elsewhere too.

We can't get anyone else in to quote until next Thursday when the asbestos removers are done and then who knows how long we'd have to wait for someone to do a job this size. My friend's husband is a plasterer (too far from us to do it) and he's booked up months in advance - all the good ones are eh LEMming . Meanwhile paying double mortgage/rent and insurance while we wait until we can move in...

[ladybirdandsnails]

How long is the asbestos removal going to take? Will it be a big delay? I would get a second opinion via your friend if a rough idea of going rates in your area

[MissMysticFalls]

ladybird I've just done that - I thought they were away but by fluke had just come home - and he said it sounds reasonable. The relief!

But...next time I move I'm relocating away from the South East everything is so much more expensive, it drives me mad.

Bless you all for chipping in so quickly. Have a good night.

[ladybirdandsnails]

Great news