Cost to Install Skirting Boards in London: 2026 Price Guide
The cost to install skirting boards in London runs from about £18 to £55 per linear metre supply and fit, depending on whether you choose MDF, softwood or a hardwood period profile. A single bedroom (12 to 15 metres) typically costs £250 to £450 fitted. A full 3 to 4 bed house comes to £1,800 to £3,500. Removing old skirting, making good the plaster underneath, and painting on site are usually priced separately and can add 20 to 40 percent to the total.
Contents
- Skirting board cost per metre in London
- What actually changes the price
- Per room and whole house totals
- MDF vs timber vs painted hardwood
- Day rate vs supply and fit quotes
- Skirting before or after flooring?
- How long the job actually takes
- Areas we cover in London
- FAQ
Skirting board cost per metre in London
Most London jobs are priced per linear metre, supply and fit, because that's how skirting boards are sold and how a handyman measures the job on a survey visit. The number moves mostly with material and profile, not with which postcode you're in, though period properties in Kensington, Chelsea and Notting Hill often push buyers toward taller, more detailed profiles that cost more per metre than a flat-fronted modern board.
| Skirting type | Price per linear metre (supply and fit) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MDF, primed, pencil round or chamfered | £18 to £28 | Most common choice across London flats and rentals |
| Softwood pine, unfinished | £20 to £32 | Needs painting on site, adds to labour time |
| Hardwood or period profile (ogee, Victorian, oak) | £30 to £55 | Common in Edwardian and Victorian terraces in Clapham, Battersea and Wimbledon |
| Tall skirting, 150mm to 220mm | £25 to £48 | Popular in reception rooms in Belgravia and Mayfair conversions |
| Removal and disposal of existing skirting | £4 to £8 extra per metre | More if plaster behind it is damaged on removal |
| Painting (if not pre-primed or pre-finished) | £6 to £12 extra per metre | Sometimes quoted as a day rate instead, see below |
These ranges are typical for London in 2026. Confirm the exact figure with whoever surveys the job, because wall condition and access change the price on the day.
What actually changes the price
Five things move the cost to install skirting boards more than anything else on the quote.
Wall straightness. Victorian and Edwardian houses in Highgate, Dulwich and Barnes rarely have straight walls. Scribing skirting to an uneven wall takes longer than nailing a flat board to a plasterboard stud wall in a new build in Canary Wharf, and that time gets priced in.
Corners. Mitred external corners are quick. Scribed internal corners on old coving take longer, especially where the skirting has to match an existing profile that's no longer sold new.
What's coming off first. If old skirting has to be prised away from a wall with lath and plaster behind it, expect some cracking. Making that good is a plastering job, not a skirting job, and it's usually quoted as an add-on. See our plastering services in London page if patching is likely before you commit to a fixed skirting price.
Access and furniture. A room that has to be cleared, or a staircase with no lift in a Marylebone mansion block, adds time that a ground floor Fulham terrace won't.
Paint finish. Pre-primed MDF straight from the merchant still needs a top coat once fitted and filled. Fully pre-finished lengths cost more to buy but save a painting visit.
Per room and whole house totals
| Job | Typical total (supply and fit) |
|---|---|
| Single bedroom, 12 to 15m | £250 to £450 |
| Living room or reception room, 18 to 22m | £380 to £650 |
| Hallway and stairs, 20 to 30m | £450 to £850 |
| Whole 2-bed flat | £900 to £1,600 |
| Whole 3 to 4 bed house | £1,800 to £3,500 |
A one-bed flat refurb in South Kensington or Richmond sits at the lower end of the flat range if the walls are already reasonably straight. A period 4-bed in Wimbledon or Putney with tall skirting and scribed corners throughout sits at the top of the house range, sometimes above it if every room also needs plaster making good.
MDF vs timber vs painted hardwood
MDF is the default for most London jobs because it's cheaper, comes pre-primed, and doesn't move with humidity the way solid timber does. It's a poor choice in bathrooms and anywhere water can pool against the base, moisture-resistant MDF exists but costs more and still isn't fully waterproof. Softwood costs slightly more than MDF and needs painting unless bought pre-finished, but it takes knocks better in hallways and family homes. Hardwood, usually oak, is what period properties in Chelsea, Knightsbridge and Holland Park tend to ask for when matching existing Victorian profiles, and it costs roughly double MDF per metre, sometimes more once you factor in the extra labour of working solid wood.
Day rate vs supply and fit quotes
Some jobs are priced as a day rate instead of per metre, particularly small single-room jobs or ones bundled with other handyman work. A London handyman day rate typically runs £180 to £280, with materials charged separately at trade or retail price. A single room usually takes half a day to a full day including painting time. If skirting is one of several small tasks on a visit, bundling it with other jobs often works out cheaper than booking a specialist for skirting alone, our small jobs and odd job handyman service covers exactly that kind of mixed list.
For larger jobs, ask for supply and fit per metre rather than a day rate, it's easier to compare against other quotes and harder for the final bill to creep.
Skirting before or after flooring?
Skirting generally goes in after the floor is down but before carpet is fitted, so the skirting sits on top of a hard floor (laminate, engineered wood, tile) with a small gap left for carpet fitters to tuck the edge under later. If you're having carpet laid, tell your skirting fitter before the job starts, the gap left at floor level needs to match what the carpet fitter expects, usually around 10 to 15mm, and it varies by underlay thickness so confirm with the flooring company first.
How long the job actually takes
A single average bedroom takes 2 to 4 hours for an experienced fitter, including cutting, fixing, filling and caulking, but not paint drying time. A full room including two coats of paint with drying time between coats is often a full day even though the physical fitting is quick. A whole 3-bed house is typically 2 to 4 working days. Add a day if every room also needs old skirting removed and plaster patched first.
The most expensive mistake: fitting skirting to a wall that hasn't been checked for straightness first. Cheap flat-pack skirting nailed straight onto a bowed Victorian wall leaves visible gaps that no amount of caulk hides well. The fix is either replacing the boards with scribed ones, which means paying for the job twice, or accepting a poor finish in a room you've just spent money on. Always ask the fitter to check the wall with a straight edge before cutting anything, and budget for scribing on any pre-1930s property in London.
Areas we cover in London
We fit skirting boards across Chelsea, Kensington and Wimbledon, plus Knightsbridge, Mayfair, Belgravia, Notting Hill, Holland Park, Fulham, Hampstead, Richmond, Marylebone, St John's Wood, Battersea, Clapham, Putney, Islington, Highgate, Primrose Hill, Barnes, Dulwich, Canary Wharf, Kew and South Kensington. Property age varies a lot across those areas, from Victorian terraces in Clapham and Battersea to new build flats in Canary Wharf, which is why we always survey before quoting rather than pricing blind over the phone. See our main skirting board fitting in London page for booking and full coverage details, or our property maintenance in London service if skirting is one part of a bigger list of jobs on a property you manage.
FAQ
How much does it cost to fit skirting boards in London?
Supply and fit typically costs £18 to £28 per metre for MDF, £20 to £32 for softwood, and £30 to £55 for hardwood or period profiles. A single bedroom usually comes to £250 to £450, and a full 3 to 4 bed house runs £1,800 to £3,500. Removal of old skirting and painting are usually quoted as extras.
Is it cheaper to buy skirting boards already painted?
Pre-finished boards cost more to buy upfront, often 15 to 25 percent more than bare MDF, but they remove the need for a separate painting visit, which can cost £6 to £12 per metre in labour. For small jobs the labour saving often outweighs the higher material cost. For large jobs with a lot of cutting, some touch-up painting is usually needed anyway.
Do you fit skirting before or after flooring?
Skirting is normally fitted after hard flooring (laminate, wood, tile) is laid but before carpet goes down. A small gap is left at floor level so carpet fitters can tuck the carpet edge underneath afterwards. If carpet is planned, tell your fitter in advance so the correct gap is left.
Can I fit skirting boards myself?
It's possible for a confident DIYer with a mitre saw and a straight wall, but most London properties have walls that aren't straight, which makes scribing and corner-matching difficult without experience. Poorly fitted skirting with visible gaps is hard to correct without replacing the boards, so most people book a handyman for anything beyond a very simple modern room.
What is the standard height for skirting boards?
Modern new builds typically use 70mm to 95mm skirting. Period properties often use 120mm to 150mm, and some Victorian and Georgian reception rooms in areas like Belgravia and Kensington use 150mm to 220mm to match original proportions. There's no single legal standard, it's a design choice matched to the room and property age.
How long does it take to fit skirting in one room?
Physical fitting for an average bedroom takes 2 to 4 hours. Add drying time if the boards need painting on site, which often makes it a full day job even though the fitting itself is quick. A full house typically takes 2 to 4 working days depending on size and wall condition.
MDF or timber, which is cheaper long term?
MDF is cheaper to buy and doesn't warp with humidity, but it's vulnerable to water damage and isn't suitable for bathrooms without a moisture-resistant grade. Timber costs more upfront and can move slightly with seasonal humidity, but it holds up to knocks better and can be sanded and repainted many times without replacement, which matters in busy family hallways.
Does removing old skirting damage the wall?
Often, yes, particularly in older properties with lath and plaster walls where skirting was nailed directly into the plaster. Cracking or small areas of missing plaster behind old boards is common and is priced separately as a plastering job rather than included in a skirting quote. Ask your fitter to check before work starts so you're not surprised by an add-on invoice afterwards.