Artex Removal Costs UK 2026 — Price to Remove or Cover Textured Ceilings

The Three Ways to Deal with Artex

There are three established approaches to getting rid of a textured Artex finish, and the right one depends on the depth of the texture, the condition of the ceiling, the customer's budget and — critically — whether the coating contains asbestos. Each method carries a different cost base and a different risk profile.

1. Skim Over (Plaster Over the Top)

The cheapest and most common method is to plaster a fresh skim coat of finishing plaster directly over the Artex. Deep patterns are usually knocked back first with a scraper or a bonding coat, then a 2–3mm skim is applied to leave a flat, smooth surface ready for paint. Nothing is removed — the original coating stays in place, fully encapsulated under the new plaster.

This is the go-to method on suspected asbestos Artex because it avoids any abrasive disturbance of the original coating. It's faster, far less mess, and the result is indistinguishable from a brand-new ceiling once decorated.

• Typical single room ceiling (10–15m²): £200–£450 per ceiling
• Per m²: £15–£25/m²
• Pros: cheapest, quickest, keeps any asbestos encapsulated, minimal dust
• Cons: very deep patterns may need knocking back first; lowers the ceiling by a couple of millimetres; relies on the existing coating being sound

2. Overboard then Skim

Where the Artex is in poor condition, cracked, or where the customer wants total certainty that the old coating is sealed away, the ceiling can be overboarded — a fresh layer of plasterboard is screwed up through the Artex into the joists, then skimmed flat. This buries the original coating behind a complete new board surface and gives a dead-flat finish even over very uneven or heavily patterned ceilings.

Overboarding is more expensive than a straight skim because of the extra material and labour, and it drops the ceiling height by 9.5–12.5mm. But it's an excellent low-disturbance option for asbestos-containing Artex, because — like skimming over — it encapsulates rather than removes. Screwing through the coating does create some localised disturbance, so it should still be approached carefully where asbestos is suspected.

• Typical single room ceiling: £350–£700 per ceiling
• Per m²: £25–£40/m²
• Pros: dead-flat result over bad ceilings, fully encapsulates the old coating, hides cracks and sagging
• Cons: dearer, lowers the ceiling, adds weight, needs care locating joists

3. Remove the Artex then Re-skim

The most involved option is to physically remove the Artex and then re-skim the bare ceiling. On modern, asbestos-free Artex this is typically done by softening the coating with a steamer or a proprietary Artex remover, then scraping it off with a wide stripping knife before applying a fresh skim. It's messy, slow and labour-heavy, but it's the only method that genuinely gets rid of the material and keeps the ceiling height unchanged.

Removal costs more than skimming over because of the labour, the mess and the waste disposal. And if the coating contains asbestos, removal moves into a completely different category — covered below.

• Typical single room ceiling (asbestos-free): £400–£800 per ceiling
• Per m²: £30–£50/m²
• Pros: material is fully removed, ceiling height unchanged, no risk of the old coating failing later
• Cons: most expensive (asbestos-free), very messy, slowest, generates waste; not appropriate to dry-scrape if asbestos is suspected

The Asbestos Question — Read This Before You Quote

This is the single most important section of the guide. Artex and other textured coatings applied before the year 2000 may contain white asbestos (chrysotile), which was added as a strengthening fibre. The asbestos content in textured coatings is usually low — typically 1–5% — but it is still asbestos, and disturbing it without proper precautions releases respirable fibres.

You cannot tell whether a coating contains asbestos just by looking at it. The only reliable way to know is to have a sample tested.

• Always recommend a sample test before any abrasive removal on a property where the age of the coating is unknown or pre-dates 2000. A UKAS-accredited lab analysis of a small sample typically costs £50–£100 and turnaround is usually a few days.
• Never dry-sand or dry-scrape suspected asbestos Artex. Dry abrasion is the worst-case scenario for fibre release. If the coating is untested and could be pre-2000, treat it as asbestos until proven otherwise.
• Encapsulating is lower-risk than removing. Skimming over or overboarding leaves the coating intact and sealed, which is generally a far lower-risk approach than sanding or scraping it off. For many homeowners this is the sensible, safe and economical choice.
• Removal of asbestos-containing textured coating has specific HSE rules. Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, work on textured coatings is usually classed as non-licensed work, but it is often notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW) requiring notification, training, controls such as wet-stripping or steam, suitable RPE, controlled waste disposal and, in many cases, medical records. It should only be carried out by a competent contractor who understands and follows these controls.

The responsible message to give customers is simple: if the Artex might be pre-2000, get it tested before anyone touches it. If it's positive, encapsulation (skim over or overboard) avoids the disturbance entirely, and full removal should go to a contractor set up for asbestos work — not a general plasterer dry-scraping a ceiling. None of this is something to cut corners on.

What Drives the Cost of an Artex Job

Two ceilings of the same size can carry very different prices. The main cost drivers are:

• Ceiling area: Most jobs are priced per ceiling for a typical room, but for large or open-plan spaces a per-m² rate is more honest. Measure properly rather than guessing.
• Room access and ceiling height: High ceilings, stairwells and landings need scaffold towers or hop-ups and slow the work down. Tight rooms full of furniture add prep time.
• Condition of the existing coating: Sound, lightly textured Artex skims over easily. Deep fan patterns, flaky coatings or water-damaged areas need knocking back, stabilising or patching first.
• Coving and features: Cutting in around coving, ceiling roses, downlights and loft hatches all add fiddly time.
• Whether asbestos is present: The biggest single variable. A clean skim-over is a day's work; a positive asbestos test that needs specialist removal can multiply the cost.
• Making good and redecorating: Is your price for a skim ready to paint, or are you also mist-coating and decorating? Be explicit in the quote.

Plasterer day rates across the UK in 2026 typically run £180–£300 per day, higher in London and the South East. A standard bedroom ceiling skimmed over the Artex is usually a half-day to a day's work for one plasterer including drying-fan setup and clean-up; a removal-and-re-skim on asbestos-free Artex can run to two days once stripping, waste and re-skimming are accounted for.

Worked Examples

Example 1 — Single bedroom ceiling, skimmed over

A 12m² bedroom ceiling with light stipple Artex, sound condition, no asbestos concern (post-2000 build). Knock back any high points, PVA/bonding as needed, two-coat skim to a flat finish ready for paint. Roughly a day's work for one plasterer including clean-up. Typical price: £250–£400.

Example 2 — Whole-house skim-over

A three-bed semi where the customer wants every ceiling skimmed over — three bedrooms, landing, hallway, lounge and kitchen, say seven ceilings totalling around 75m². Priced per ceiling or at a whole-house rate, this typically lands at £1,800–£3,200 depending on access, coving and condition, and usually takes a two-person team most of a week. Buying the work in one go is better value for the customer than ceiling-by-ceiling.

Example 3 — Pre-2000 ceiling needing a test, then specialist removal

A 1980s ceiling where the customer specifically wants the Artex removed rather than covered. First step: a sample test at £50–£100. It comes back positive for chrysotile. Encapsulation is offered as the lower-risk, lower-cost route — but the customer insists on removal, so the work goes to a contractor set up for notifiable non-licensed asbestos work, using wet-stripping, controlled access, RPE and licensed waste disposal. Specialist removal of a single ceiling commonly runs from a few hundred pounds into the low thousands once the controls, re-skim and waste disposal are included — substantially more than skimming over the same ceiling would have cost.

Skim Over, Overboard or Remove — Which to Recommend

For most homeowners, skimming over is the right answer: it's the cheapest, the fastest, it leaves any asbestos undisturbed and the finished ceiling looks brand new. Recommend overboarding where the existing ceiling is in poor structural condition, sagging or badly cracked, or where the customer wants maximum certainty that the old coating is sealed away. Reserve full removal for cases where the customer specifically needs the material gone and either the coating is confirmed asbestos-free, or — if it isn't — the job is handed to a properly equipped asbestos contractor. Set this out clearly in your quote so the customer understands what they're paying for and why.

Quoting Tips — What to Check Before You Price

• Age of the property and coating: Anything that could be pre-2000 should trigger the asbestos conversation before you quote a removal price.
• Pattern depth: Deep fan and swirl patterns need knocking back before skimming — factor in the extra hour or two per ceiling.
• Ceiling condition: Stains, cracks, sagging or previous patch repairs may push the job from a skim-over toward overboarding.
• Access and height: Stairwells, landings and high ceilings need access equipment and slow the work down.
• Scope of finish: Be explicit whether your price is skim-only, ready-to-paint, or includes mist coat and full redecoration.
• Waste: Removal jobs generate waste — and asbestos waste must go to a licensed facility, which is a cost in itself.

Writing a clear quote that spells out the method, what's included, and how asbestos will be handled sets you apart from operators who just send a number. Knowing which of your marketing channels — leaflets, Google, referrals — actually brings in the paid plastering jobs you win helps you spend your marketing budget where it works. A simple system like Trade2Base lets you tag each enquiry to its source so you can see what's really driving revenue.

Quick Reference: Artex Removal & Cover Prices UK 2026