How much does plastering cost in Wollongong?
Wollongong plasterers charge $54–$130 an hour, typically $83, or $27–$70 per square metre for fixing and setting new plasterboard, with the sheets supplied on top. For the jobs people usually ring about, patching a small hole costs $160–$300, re-skimming a room's walls $650–$2,700 and putting a new ceiling in one room $865–$3,250. Freestanding homes are more common here than across the state: separate houses are 71.3% of dwellings against 65.6% in NSW, and three-bedroom homes make up 41.6% of the total (ABS 2021 Census).
Comparing cities, or after the Australia-wide picture? See the national guide: Plastering cost in Australia.
Detailed Pricing — Plastering Cost in Wollongong 2026
| Service | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plastering (hourly rate) | $54/hr | $83 | $130 |
| Plasterboard / Gyprock, labour (per sqm) | $27/sqm | $44 | $70 |
| Patch repair (small hole) | $160per job | $250 | $300 |
| Crack repair (per crack, filled and set ready for paint) | $86per job | $185 | $325 |
| Single room re-skim (walls) | $650total | $1,300 | $2,700 |
| Ceiling replacement (single room, 12–16 m²: strip-out, new plasterboard, set ready for paint) | $865total | $2,050 | $3,250 |
| Cornice installation (per linear metre) | $11/lm | $16 | $54 |
| Water damage repair | $325per job | $755 | $1,625 |
| Skim coat (per sqm) | $16/sqm | $30 | $54 |
| New stud wall (non-load-bearing, framed, plasterboard both sides, set ready for paint; per m² of wall face) | $65/sqm | $105 | $160 |
| Acoustic / soundproof plasterboard (per sqm) | $38/sqm | $59 | $92 |
| Full day plastering | $380per day | $595 | $920 |
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Get Wollongong quotes →Prices include GST. Based on Wollongong metro area, October 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.
Wollongong plastering: a new ceiling with cornices, a plasterer for the day, and small repairs
A new ceiling and cornices in Wollongong
Replacing the ceiling of a single room is $865–$3,250 in our Wollongong table. Cornices are $11–$54 a metre, so a 4 by 4 metre room, about 16 metres of cornice, comes to $256 at the typical price.
A Wollongong plasterer for the day
A full day of plastering is $380–$920 in our Wollongong table, and the hourly rate $54–$130. At the typical figures a full day ($595) comes in under eight separate hours ($664).
Patches, cracks and a skim coat in Wollongong
For repairs our Wollongong table has a small patch at $160–$300, crack repair at $86–$325 per crack and a skim coat at $16–$54 a square metre; skimming one 12 square metre wall comes to $360 at the typical price.
These answers use the prices in the table on this page.
What Affects Plastering Costs in Wollongong
The $5,000 licence line
In NSW a contractor licence is needed to carry out or contract for building or trade work valued above $5,000 for labour and materials combined, GST included. Plastering is named in the rules: even a small plastering subcontract inside a renovation worth more than that needs a dry plastering contractor licence (NSW Government). A single ceiling or one room of walls normally falls under that line, but plastering most of a house goes well over it.
Wet late summer and slow drying
Wollongong's wettest months are February and March, at 156.4 mm and 160.4 mm on average, with January also wet at 130.3 mm (BOM averages). Humid air slows each coat of compound, and a leaking roof or window during those months can leave a stain spreading across a ceiling. Fixing the damage afterwards runs $325–$1,625. July is the driest month, at 63.4 mm, a good time for a large setting job.
Units, semis and shared walls
Flats make up 14.8% of Wollongong dwellings and semis and townhouses another 12.9% (ABS 2021 Census). For a party wall, sound-rated board costs $38–$92 per square metre and cuts the noise from next door; standard board is $27–$70. In a strata building, ask the strata manager before anyone cuts into a common wall or ceiling.
Why ceilings cost more
Ceiling sheets go up overhead, need propping while the adhesive grabs and show every flaw when light runs across them. Replacing one room's ceiling, strip-out included, is typically $2,050, more than the typical $1,300 for re-skimming the walls of a room. Ask whether the old ceiling is to be taken away or sheeted over.
Pricing a whole house
Three-bedroom homes are more common here than across NSW (41.6% against 34.7%), and 33.7% have four or more bedrooms (ABS 2021 Census). For a full re-sheet, plasterers measure board area: at the typical $44 a square metre, every 100 m² of wall and ceiling is about $4,400 in labour. Cornice is extra, at $11–$54 a metre.
Hourly rate or a day on site
"How much do plasterers charge per hour" is a common search here, and the answer is $54–$130. Hourly suits a quick visit; for a list of fixes, a booked day costs $380–$920. Each filled crack costs $86–$325, and skimming tired walls runs $16–$54 per square metre.
How to Save Money on Plastering Cost in Wollongong
Plastering Cost in Wollongong by Room Size
Say a Wollongong unit bedroom has a 15 square metre ceiling that is sheeted over rather than replaced. At $27–$70 a square metre that is $405–$1,050, with the single-room replacement row of $865–$3,250 covering the strip-out as well. Which of the two a quote prices should be written beside the figure.
What moves a room that size in Wollongong: a party wall in a semi or unit that takes sound-rated board at $38–$92 a square metre, a strata manager to ask before a common wall or ceiling is opened, and a wet February or March that stains ceilings and brings plaster repair at $325–$1,625. Larger homes add rooms of this size.
Plastering Cost in Wollongong: What the Quote Should Include
Flats, semis and townhouses are part of the Wollongong housing mix, and a wet late summer can stain ceilings, so a plastering quote there should say what happens to the old ceiling and who looks after shared walls. Each line should read against the rows on this page.
- Whether the old ceiling is taken away or sheeted over, since the single-room replacement row of $865–$3,250 includes the strip-out.
- A stain after a summer storm traced to the roof or gutter and the cavity dried out, with plaster repair at $325–$1,625 listed apart from a new sheet.
- In a strata building, agreement from the strata manager before a common wall or ceiling is opened, noted on the quote.
- For a party wall in a semi, townhouse or unit, sound-rated board at $38–$92 a square metre, with the area written down.
- Board, compound and cornice shown line by line as in or out of the price, with offcut removal named.
- Sheeting labour at $27–$70 a square metre applied to a stated area for each room, so the whole-house total can be rebuilt from its parts.
- A list of small fixes priced either by the hour at $54–$130 an hour or as a booked day at $380–$920 a day, with each crack counted at $86–$325.
- Tired walls skimmed by area at $16–$54 a square metre, with cornice measured separately at $11–$54 a metre.
- Dates, payment stages, GST and the workmanship warranty in writing, with the licence number and insurance details.
Frequently Asked Questions — Plastering Cost in Wollongong
Our Methodology
These are independent estimates from public cost guides, marketplaces and industry rate data, and no tradesperson can influence them, so always get a few quotes. Last reviewed October 2026. Read our full methodology →