What a plasterer checks on a site visit before quoting

A quote visit gives the plasterer what photos can't: the real size of the surfaces, the state of the old plaster, and the conditions on site. Measure every wall and ceiling, tap and look for hollow or crumbling areas, check for damp and cracks, decide whether a skim will do or the wall needs hacking off and replastering, and note access, furniture, flooring to protect and where waste will go. Then write a quote that says what is included, how long the work takes and how long the plaster needs to dry before painting.

Measure each wall and ceiling separately and note openings, reveals around windows and doors, beads at corners, and features such as arches or coving. Ceiling work is slower and more tiring than wall work, and stairwells need towers or platforms: note them separately so the quote reflects the real effort.

A skim coat over sound plaster is quicker and cleaner. Where the old plaster is loose, damaged or uneven, it has to come off and the wall is replastered, which means more mess, more waste and longer drying. Explain the difference to the client on site, with the areas marked, so the price makes sense to them.

List the rooms and surfaces, the preparation (removal, boarding, beads, PVA or bonding), the finish, protection and cleaning, and waste removal. Give the number of days on site and say clearly that fresh plaster needs to dry before it is painted, so the client plans the decorator for later. State what isn't included: moving radiators, electrical work, repairing damp causes, painting.

Plaster dries more slowly in a cold, damp house and too quickly in summer heat or next to a radiator turned up high, which can cause cracking. Note on the visit whether the room can be heated and ventilated, and whether other wet trades, such as a new screed, are planned in the same space around the same time.

Take photos of each wall and ceiling with the problem areas visible, and keep them with your measurements. They help when you write the quote at the end of the day and settle any question later about what was there before you started.

On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page. Create a "Quote visit" service and open short slots in the areas and at the times that fit around your jobs, for example at the start or end of the day. Clients pick a slot and book with their name, email and phone, and can describe the rooms and the work in the optional note, which you read in your new-booking email; ask them in the description to include the address and a few photos by email. When the quote is accepted, book the plastering days yourself from your calendar.

Durations and prices are examples: set your own. If you must move a visit, reschedule it from your bookings list and tell the client yourself, since Book doesn't email clients about changes. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract.