Plastering Contract (UK)
This Plastering Contract (the “Contract”) is entered into on [Contract Date] between:
[Client Name], of [Client Address], [Client City], [Client Postcode] (hereinafter referred to as the “Client”); and
[Plasterer Name], of [Plasterer Address], [Plasterer City], [Plasterer Postcode] (hereinafter referred to as the “Plasterer”).
The Client and the Plasterer are referred to collectively as the “Parties”.
1. SCOPE OF WORKS
1.1 The Plasterer agrees to carry out the following works (the “Works”) at [Property Address], which is [Property Type]. The Works comprise [Work Type].
1.2 The Works to be performed are as follows: [Work Description].
1.3 The Plasterer shall carry out all Works in a good and workmanlike manner, using materials of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose, in accordance with section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and section 13 of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982.
1.4 All Works shall comply with the requirements of the Building Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/2214), in particular Approved Document E (Resistance to the Passage of Sound) and Approved Document B (Fire Safety) where applicable to drylining or partition works.
1.5 All plastering and rendering works shall be carried out in accordance with the relevant British Standards, including BS EN 13914-2:2016 (Design, Preparation and Application of Internal Plastering) and, for drylining works, BS 8212:1995 (Code of Practice for Drylining). Where external rendering is included, the Plasterer shall also comply with BS EN 13914-1:2016 (External Rendering).
1.6 Where any part of the Works involves drylining or internal wall insulation forming part of an energy efficiency improvement to a domestic property, the Plasterer shall ensure that all products and installation methods comply with PAS 2030:2019 (Specification for the Installation of Energy Efficiency Measures in Existing Dwellings) and, where applicable, PAS 2035:2019, which sets the overarching framework for retrofit of energy efficiency measures.
1.7 Where the property is or forms part of a higher-risk building as defined in the Building Safety Act 2022 (broadly, a residential building in England that is at least 18 metres tall or has at least 7 storeys), the Plasterer shall comply with all applicable requirements of that Act and the secondary legislation made under it, and shall not use or specify any product that would give rise to a building safety risk.
2. STANDARD OF FINISH
2.1 All plastered surfaces shall be finished to the following standard: [Finish Standard].
2.2 The Plasterer shall ensure that all surfaces are clean, free from hollows, cracks, and blemishes before the Client carries out decorating works. Minor hairline shrinkage cracks that may appear during the drying process are not covered by this warranty unless they result from defective workmanship.
2.3 The Plasterer shall allow adequate drying time for all plastered surfaces before recommending that the Client applies paint or other decorative finishes, and shall advise the Client accordingly on completion.
3. MATERIALS
3.1 [Materials Provider].
3.2 All materials used in the Works shall be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and suitable for the substrate and environmental conditions at the property. The Plasterer shall not use any material that does not comply with the relevant British Standards or that would give rise to a building safety risk.
3.3 The Plasterer shall remove all waste materials and debris from the property upon practical completion of the Works and shall leave all affected areas in a clean and tidy condition.
4. CONTRACT PRICE AND PAYMENT
4.1 The Client shall pay the Plasterer the sum of £[Contract Price] (the “Contract Price”) for the Works. [Vat Status].
4.2 Payment shall be made in accordance with the following terms: [Payment Terms].
4.3 If the Client fails to make any payment on the due date, the Plasterer may charge interest on the overdue amount at the rate of 8% per annum above the Bank of England base rate pursuant to the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, and may (after giving 7 days’ written notice) suspend the Works.
4.4 Where the scope of the Works is varied by agreement, the Parties shall agree the price for the variation in writing before the variation is carried out. The Plasterer shall not carry out any additional works that are not within the agreed scope without the prior written consent of the Client.
5. PROGRAMME AND COMPLETION
5.1 The Plasterer shall commence the Works on or about [Start Date] and shall use reasonable endeavours to complete the Works by [Completion Date].
5.2 Time shall not be of the essence unless agreed in writing. The Plasterer shall notify the Client promptly of any anticipated delay and its cause.
5.3 The Client shall ensure that the Plasterer has safe and adequate access to all areas of the property where the Works are to be carried out and that all necessary preparatory works (such as clearing furniture and protecting flooring) have been completed before the agreed start date.
5.4 Delays caused by the Client, adverse weather conditions affecting the curing of materials, supply chain disruption, or the discovery of unforeseen site conditions (such as the presence of asbestos, damp, or structural movement) shall entitle the Plasterer to a reasonable extension of the programme and, where additional costs are reasonably incurred, to additional payment.
6. HEALTH AND SAFETY
6.1 The Plasterer shall comply with all applicable health and safety legislation, including the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) where applicable.
6.2 The Plasterer shall carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment before commencing the Works and shall take all reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of persons on or near the site. Where the Works involve working at height, the Plasterer shall comply with the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and shall use appropriate access equipment.
6.3 Before commencing any cutting, drilling, or chasing of existing walls or ceilings, the Plasterer shall check for concealed services (including electrical cables, gas pipes, and water pipes) using appropriate detection equipment.
6.4 The Client shall notify the Plasterer in writing before the Works commence of any known hazards at the property, including but not limited to the presence of asbestos, lead paint, structural instability, or concealed services. Where asbestos is discovered during the Works, the Plasterer shall immediately cease work in the affected area and notify the Client.
7. DEFECTS LIABILITY
7.1 The Plasterer warrants that the Works will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of [Defects Period] following practical completion.
7.2 During the defects liability period, the Plasterer shall, at its own cost, remedy any defect arising from faulty workmanship or materials promptly and within a reasonable time of receiving written notification from the Client.
7.3 This warranty does not extend to minor shrinkage cracking that occurs as a natural consequence of the drying process, to defects caused by the Client’s own actions or omissions, to fair wear and tear, or to damage caused by dampness, structural movement, or subsidence.
7.4 In accordance with the Limitation Act 1980, the Client may bring a claim in contract within 6 years of the breach (or 12 years if this Contract is executed as a deed).
8. LIABILITY AND EXCLUSIONS
8.1 The Plasterer shall be liable to the Client for any loss or damage to the property directly caused by the Plasterer’s negligence or breach of this Contract.
8.2 The Plasterer shall not be liable for any indirect or consequential losses, including loss of use, business interruption, or loss of rental income.
8.3 Nothing in this Contract shall limit or exclude the liability of either Party for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other matter that cannot be excluded under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 or the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
8.4 Subject to clause 10.3, the Plasterer’s total liability to the Client under this Contract shall not exceed the Contract Price.
9. GENERAL PROVISIONS
9.1 A person who is not a party to this Contract shall have no right to enforce any of its terms under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.
9.2 This Contract constitutes the entire agreement between the Parties relating to the Works and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings.
9.3 No amendment or variation of this Contract shall be effective unless made in writing and signed by both Parties.
9.4 In the event of any dispute arising under this Contract, the Parties shall first attempt to resolve the matter by good faith negotiation within 14 days. If the dispute cannot be resolved by negotiation, either Party may refer the matter to mediation or, where the Plasterer is a member of a trade body with an ADR scheme, seek to use that scheme.
9.5 This Contract and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. The Parties irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Plastering Contract as of the date first written above.
THE CLIENT
Full name: [Client Name]
Address: [Client Address], [Client City], [Client Postcode]
THE PLASTERER
Full name / Company name: [Plasterer Name]
Address: [Plasterer Address], [Plasterer City], [Plasterer Postcode]
Client
________________
Signature
Date: ________________
Plasterer
________________
Signature
Date: ________________
What Is a Plastering Contract (UK)?
A Plastering Contract in the United Kingdom sets the services to be provided, the fees, the timetable, and each side's responsibilities for the engagement, and is governed by the Employment Rights Act 1996.
Plastering and drylining are skilled trades that encompass a wide range of work, from simple skim coating of existing walls and ceilings to the full installation of plasterboard partition walls, drylining systems, external rendering, and specialist heritage lime plasterwork. Each type of work is governed by specific British and European Standards, including BS EN 13914-2:2016 for internal plastering, BS 8212:1995 for drylining, and BS EN 13914-1:2016 for external rendering. A plastering contract should identify the applicable standards and make compliance with them an express contractual obligation.
Under section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, where a trader provides a service to a consumer, there is an implied term that the service will be performed with reasonable care and skill. Section 52 further provides that where a price is not determined at the time the contract is made, the consumer must pay a reasonable price. These statutory rights cannot be excluded or restricted by contract. For plastering work, compliance with the relevant British Standards is strong evidence of compliance with the duty to exercise reasonable care and skill.
The Building Regulations 2010 are relevant to a significant range of plastering and drylining works. Drylining work that involves the installation of partition walls, the upgrading of fire compartmentation, or the improvement of acoustic performance must comply with the relevant Approved Documents. For energy efficiency improvements involving internal wall insulation, PAS 2030:2019 sets out the mandatory installation standard required under government-funded schemes such as the Energy Company Obligation (ECO).
The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced important new obligations for those working on higher-risk buildings in England — broadly, residential buildings of at least 18 metres in height or at least 7 storeys. Plasterers working on such buildings must confirm that their work does not compromise fire compartmentation and must use only products that comply with the applicable Construction Products Regulations. The Act's requirements form part of a wider effort to confirm that building work is safe and that strong records are maintained throughout the life of the building.
The legal framework governing the Plastering Contract (UK) in United Kingdom draws on several key statutes and regulatory bodies. Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, the Employment Tribunal adjudicates workplace disputes. Section 94 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 provides the right not to be unfairly dismissed. The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) provides early conciliation under Section 18A of the Employment Tribunals Act 1996. The UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 govern personal data handling. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) administers PAYE and National Insurance contributions under the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003. Parties executing a Plastering Contract (UK) in United Kingdom should confirm the document reflects current law, including any amendments enacted since the original drafting date. The Employment Rights Act 1996 sets the foundational requirements.
When Do You Need a Plastering Contract (UK)?
A written Plastering Contract should be put in place before any plastering, drylining, or rendering work commences, regardless of the scale of the project. There are several situations in which having a formal plastering contract is particularly important.
For major replastering projects — such as replastering all the walls and ceilings of a house following a renovation or after remediation of damp — a written contract is essential to set out the scope of work, the standard of finish, the contract price, and the programme. Without a written contract, disputes frequently arise about whether particular rooms or areas were included, what standard of finish was agreed, and whether the contract price includes the cost of materials.
For drylining and internal wall insulation work carried out as part of a government-funded energy efficiency scheme, a written contract is a practical necessity. Installers must be certified to PAS 2030:2019 and must comply with the documentation requirements of the scheme. The contract should reference the applicable certification and scheme requirements.
For external rendering, particularly on older or listed properties, a written contract is important to establish the agreed specification for the render mix (for example, traditional lime render rather than modern sand and cement render, which can trap moisture in older buildings). The contract should also address the need for Listed Building Consent where applicable.
A written plastering contract is also important when subcontractors are engaged on a larger construction project. The main contractor will typically require that the plastering subcontract includes provisions relating to the programme, coordination with other trades, and compliance with the main contract requirements including CDM 2015.
Finally, for any plastering work involving work at height — such as ceiling plastering or the application of render to the upper floors of a building — a written contract should address the plasterer's obligations under the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and confirm that appropriate access equipment is used.
What to Include in Your Plastering Contract (UK)
A well-drafted Plastering Contract for use in England and Wales should include several key provisions to protect both the client and the plasterer.
The scope of works clause is the most important element of any plastering contract. It should clearly describe every element of work to be carried out, including the specific rooms or areas to be plastered, the type of work (skim coating, drylining, rendering), the materials to be used, and any preparatory work such as the removal of existing plaster or the application of a bonding coat. Vague descriptions such as ‘replaster throughout’ frequently give rise to disputes about what was included.
The standard of finish clause should specify the required finish with reference to the applicable British Standard. For internal plastering, this is BS EN 13914-2:2016. For drylining, BS 8212:1995 sets out five levels of finish, from Level 1 (suitable for tiling) to Level 5 (suitable for gloss or specialist finishes). Specifying the required level of finish avoids disputes about whether the completed work meets the contractual standard.
The contract price and payment terms clause should state the agreed price, whether it is inclusive or exclusive of VAT, and the agreed payment structure. For plastering work of any significant value, a stage payment structure is common, with a deposit payable on signing and the balance due on practical completion. The contract should also address variations to the scope of work and the mechanism for agreeing the price of variations.
The materials clause should specify who is responsible for supplying plastering materials and should confirm that all materials will comply with the relevant British Standards. Where the plasterer is supplying materials, the clause should confirm that the cost of materials is included in the contract price.
The defects liability clause should specify the period after practical completion during which the plasterer will return to remedy any defects in the work at no cost to the client. The clause should also make clear that minor shrinkage cracking arising from the natural drying process is not covered unless it results from defective workmanship.
The health and safety clause should address the plasterer's obligations under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Work at Height Regulations 2005, and CDM 2015, and should require the client to disclose any known hazards at the property (including asbestos) before works commence.
Additional compliance elements for a Plastering Contract (UK) used in United Kingdom include: Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, the Employment Tribunal adjudicates workplace disputes. Section 94 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 provides the right not to be unfairly dismissed. The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) provides early conciliation under Section 18A of the Employment Tribunals Act 1996. The UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 govern personal data handling. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) administers PAYE and National Insurance contributions under the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003. Forms-legal.com provides this template as a starting point for United Kingdom-compliant documentation.
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howpublished = {\url{https://forms-legal.com/uk/employment/contractor-agreements/plastering-contract-uk}},
note = {Free legal document template. Based on Employment Rights Act 1996}
}Also available for these jurisdictions:
Frequently Asked Questions
Plastering contracts in England and Wales are primarily governed by the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, which implies terms that services must be performed with reasonable care and skill and that materials supplied must be of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose. Where the client is a consumer, these obligations are restated and enhanced by the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (sections 49–53), which also gives the consumer a right to require the service to be repeated or, where that is not possible, to receive a price reduction. The Building Regulations 2010 set minimum standards for structural integrity, fire safety (Approved Document B), and sound insulation (Approved Document E) that are relevant to drylining and partition works. For energy efficiency works including internal wall insulation, PAS 2030:2019 sets the installation standard required under government-funded energy efficiency schemes. The Building Safety Act 2022 imposes additional obligations in relation to higher-risk buildings (residential buildings of at least 18 metres or 7 storeys in England).
Several British and European Standards are relevant to plastering and drylining work in England and Wales. BS EN 13914-2:2016 (Design, Preparation and Application of External Rendering and Internal Plastering — Part 2: Design Considerations and Essential Principles for Internal Plastering) is the primary standard for wet plastering. BS EN 13914-1:2016 applies to external rendering. For drylining work, BS 8212:1995 (Code of Practice for Drylining) remains the relevant British Standard, setting out best practice for the installation of plasterboard and associated finishes. Where plasterboard products are used, they must meet the requirements of BS EN 520:2004 (plus its amendments) or BS EN 15283 for gypsum-based boards. Adherence to these standards is strong evidence of compliance with the implied term to carry out work with reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
PAS 2030:2019 is a Publicly Available Specification published by BSI (British Standards Institution) that specifies the requirements for the installation of energy efficiency measures in existing domestic buildings in England, Scotland, and Wales. It applies directly to plastering and drylining work when those works involve the installation of internal wall insulation (IWI) as part of an energy efficiency improvement — for example, where a plasterer installs insulated drylining boards (such as thermal laminate boards) to improve the thermal performance of a property. Compliance with PAS 2030 is a mandatory requirement for work funded under government energy efficiency schemes such as the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and the Great British Insulation Scheme. An installer must be certified by an approved certification body (such as CHAS, BBA, or an UKAS-accredited body) to install IWI measures under these schemes. PAS 2035:2019 provides the overarching framework and requires that a Retrofit Coordinator oversees any whole-house retrofit project.
The Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA 2022) introduced a new regulatory regime for higher-risk buildings in England, broadly defined as residential buildings that are at least 18 metres tall or have at least 7 storeys. For plasterers working on such buildings, the BSA 2022 and the secondary legislation made under it (particularly the Higher-Risk Buildings (Procedures) (England) Regulations 2023) require that any building work must be notified to and approved by the Building Safety Regulator (administered by the HSE) rather than local authority building control. The BSA 2022 also introduced the Building Safety Regulator's guidance on the ‘golden thread’ of information, which requires that records of all building work (including the specification and installation of internal finishes and fire compartmentation) are maintained throughout the life of the building. Plasterers working on higher-risk buildings must confirm that their work does not compromise fire compartmentation and must use only products that comply with the Construction Products Regulations.
A client may withhold the final payment (or a portion of it) if there is a genuine defect in the plastering work that constitutes a breach of contract — for example, if the finish is not to the standard agreed in the contract or does not comply with the relevant British Standard. Under English contract law, the client must establish that there is a genuine breach and can only withhold the reasonable cost of remedying that defect, not an amount disproportionate to the nature of the defect. Minor hairline cracks that appear during the drying process are a normal feature of new plasterwork and do not constitute a defect unless they are caused by faulty workmanship (such as the application of plaster that is too thick or too thin). If the client is a consumer, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives them a right to a price reduction if the plasterer fails to repeat the service or if repetition is impossible. A well-drafted plastering contract should include a defects liability clause that sets out the parties’ respective rights and obligations clearly.
A written plastering contract is not a legal requirement in England and Wales — a verbal contract can be legally binding. However, a written contract is strongly recommended for any plastering work of significant value or complexity, as it provides clear evidence of the agreed price, scope of work, standard of finish, and defects liability period. Without a written contract, disputes about the agreed scope of work and the standard required are much harder to resolve, and the parties may find themselves relying entirely on implied terms under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982. For domestic clients who are consumers, the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 require a trader to provide certain pre-contract information in writing, and a written contract is the most straightforward way to comply with this obligation.
This template is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change over time. Consult a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation.Full disclaimer
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