Lath and Plaster Ceiling Repair Cost in London: 2026 Guide
Updated 12 June 2026|7 min read
Repairing a lath and plaster ceiling in London costs from £80–£120 for a small patch repair to several hundred pounds for re-boarding and skimming a section, and £700–£1,500 or more to replace a full ceiling. The right approach depends on how much of the original plaster has failed and whether you overboard or fully remove it. Period-property ceilings need careful handling. This guide breaks down the costs by job and explains your options, so you can budget before booking a free survey.
How much does lath and plaster ceiling repair cost in London?
Costs depend on the extent of the damage. A small patch repair, where a section of plaster has come away from the laths, starts at £80–£120. Re-boarding and skimming a larger failed section runs into the low hundreds depending on area. Replacing a full ceiling, taking the old lath and plaster down and re-boarding and skimming the whole room, typically costs £700–£1,500 or more for a larger or higher room.
The key decision is whether to overboard the existing ceiling with plasterboard or strip it out completely, and we cover that below. London adds 25–40% over national rates, reflecting higher plasterer day rates, the mess and waste disposal of removing old lath and plaster, and access for higher period ceilings.
The table below shows typical costs by job, excluding VAT which we itemise separately in any written quote.
Ceiling job
Typical London cost (2026)
Small patch repair
£80 – £120
Re-board and skim a section
£200 – £450
Overboard and skim a whole ceiling
£500 – £900
Full removal, re-board and skim
£700 – £1,500+
Large or high period room
£1,200 – £2,000+
Why lath and plaster ceilings fail
Lath and plaster is how ceilings were built in London homes before plasterboard, thin timber laths nailed across the joists with wet plaster pushed through the gaps to form keys, or nibs, that grip the laths from above. Over a century or more, those keys break down.
The classic signs are a ceiling that bows or sags, cracks that follow the line of the laths, and a hollow sound when tapped. Often a leak from above, a bathroom, a roof or a burst pipe, accelerates the failure by soaking and weakening the plaster and rusting the nails. Vibration from traffic and decades of paint layers add to the strain.
A sagging lath and plaster ceiling should not be ignored, because failed sections can come down suddenly and heavily. If yours is bowing or you can see daylight-thin cracks spreading, get it surveyed, and if a leak caused it, the leak must be fixed first or any repair will fail again.
Patch repair: when a small fix is enough
Where only a small area has failed and the rest of the ceiling is sound and well-keyed, a patch repair at £80–£120 is the economical answer. The loose plaster is cut back to firm edges, the laths are checked and re-secured, and the patch is re-plastered to match the surrounding surface, then feathered in and decorated.
Patch repairs work well for localised cracks, a small section that has dropped, or damage around a light fitting or old leak, provided the wider ceiling is genuinely stable. The skill is in tying the new plaster into the old without the repair telegraphing through later.
We will only recommend a patch repair where the rest of the ceiling is sound, because patching a ceiling that is failing more widely is a false economy, you will be back fixing the next section within months. At the survey we tap and inspect the whole ceiling before advising.
Overboarding vs full removal
When a ceiling has failed across much of its area, you have two choices, and the right one depends on the ceiling's condition and any features worth saving.
Overboarding fixes new plasterboard through the old lath and plaster into the joists above, then skims it to a fresh finish. It is cleaner, quicker, cheaper and far less disruptive, because the old ceiling stays in place, and it avoids the enormous dust and waste of stripping out. It is the right choice for plain ceilings where the laths and joists are still sound enough to take the fixings.
Full removal strips the old lath and plaster back to the joists and re-boards from scratch. It is messier and more expensive but necessary where the ceiling is very heavy and sagging, where the joists need inspecting after a leak, or where you want to remove all the old material. Overboarding typically saves a few hundred pounds over full removal on a single room.
Protecting period features
Many London lath and plaster ceilings carry decorative cornicing, ceiling roses and mouldings that are original to the property and add real value. These need careful handling, not a wholesale rip-out.
Where original cornice or a ceiling rose is sound, we work around it, repairing the flat ceiling while preserving the period detail. Overboarding has to be done thoughtfully here, because adding board thickness can bury or clash with existing mouldings, so the detailing is planned at the survey.
Where decorative plaster is damaged but worth saving, it can often be repaired or recast rather than lost. We treat period ceilings as the heritage feature they are, because losing original cornicing and roses diminishes a period home, both in character and resale value. If your ceiling has features worth keeping, tell us at the survey and we will plan the repair around them.
Fix the leak first
If your lath and plaster ceiling failed because of water, and a great many do, then repairing the ceiling without fixing the source is wasted money. Plaster over a live leak and you will be repairing the same ceiling again within months, plus you risk hidden rot in the joists.
Water damage from a bathroom above, a roof defect, a failed gutter or a burst pipe soaks the plaster, dissolves its grip on the laths and rusts the fixings. So the first job is always to trace and stop the leak, then let the structure dry, and only then repair the ceiling.
This is where our leak detection and repair work joins up with the plastering, you get the cause fixed and the ceiling restored as one coordinated project, rather than paying a plasterer to cover a problem that comes straight back. We always check for and address the source before repairing.
Get a fixed quote for your ceiling
Ceiling repair pricing depends on how much has failed, whether you overboard or remove, the height and size of the room, any period features and whether a leak is involved, none of which can be judged from a photo. So an accurate quote needs a survey, where we tap and inspect the whole ceiling and check for any water source.
Your written quote will set out whether we are patching, overboarding or fully replacing, how any period features are protected, the finish included and VAT shown separately. If a leak caused the damage, we price tracing and fixing it as part of the job.
Book a free survey with London Refurbishments & Leak Repairs and we will assess your lath and plaster ceiling, advise on patch versus overboard versus replacement, and give you a clear fixed written quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to repair a lath and plaster ceiling in London?
Repairing a lath and plaster ceiling in London costs from £80–£120 for a small patch to £700–£1,500 or more to fully replace a ceiling in 2026. Re-boarding and skimming a section runs £200–£450, and overboarding a whole ceiling £500–£900. Large or high period rooms cost more. Figures exclude VAT.
Should I overboard or remove a lath and plaster ceiling?
Overboarding, fixing new plasterboard over the old ceiling and skimming it, is cheaper, cleaner and less disruptive, and suits plain ceilings where the laths and joists are still sound. Full removal is needed where the ceiling is heavily sagging, the joists need inspecting after a leak, or original features make overboarding impractical.
Is a sagging lath and plaster ceiling dangerous?
It can be. When the plaster keys gripping the laths break down, failed sections can come down suddenly and heavily. A bowing ceiling, cracks following the lath lines or a hollow sound when tapped are warning signs. Have it surveyed promptly, and if a leak caused it, fix the leak before any repair.
Can you repair a ceiling without losing the original cornice?
Yes. Where original cornicing or a ceiling rose is sound, we repair the flat ceiling while preserving the period detail, planning any overboarding so it does not bury the mouldings. Damaged decorative plaster can often be repaired or recast rather than lost. Tell us about any features at the survey so we plan the repair around them.
Why does my ceiling keep cracking after repair?
Repeated cracking usually means either the wider ceiling is failing and a patch was never going to hold, or an unfixed leak is still soaking the plaster. Patching a ceiling that is failing across its area, or plastering over a live leak, is a false economy. We inspect the whole ceiling and check for water before advising on a lasting repair.
