# Drylining

> Drylining across the UK: plasterboard walls and ceilings, dot-and-dab, metal stud partitions, insulated and acoustic boarding, taped and jointed or skimmed ready to decorate.

Drylining provides drylining for homeowners, landlords, builders, developers and commercial fit-out clients across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (250 towns and cities). Customers request a free fixed-price quote using the online form on any page.

## Key facts
- Service: Drylining
- Coverage: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Typical cost: Dot-and-dab drylining usually costs £25 to £45 per square metre supplied, fixed and taped. Metal stud partitions usually cost £45 to £80 per square metre, boarded both sides and finished. A typical stud partition wall with a door is usually £700 to £1,600.
- How to get a quote: online form, replies usually the same day

## Guides
- [How much does drylining cost in the UK? (2026 guide)](https://drylining.org.uk/guides/drylining-cost-uk/): In 2026, dot-and-dab drylining in the UK usually costs £25 to £45 per square metre supplied, fixed and taped, while metal stud partitions boarded both sides and finished usually cost £45 to £80 per square metre. A typical stud partition wall with a door usually costs £700 to £1,600, and an experienced dryliner's day rate is usually £200 to £350.
- [Dot-and-dab or metal stud? Choosing a drylining method](https://drylining.org.uk/guides/dot-and-dab-vs-metal-stud/): Dot-and-dab bonds plasterboard directly to masonry with adhesive dabs, so it is the quickest and cheapest option for sound, reasonably flat brick or block walls and loses only about 25 mm of room. Metal stud uses a lightweight steel frame, costs more and takes more space, but suits uneven walls, new partitions, running services and adding thicker insulation.
- [Types of plasterboard: which board goes where?](https://drylining.org.uk/guides/types-of-plasterboard/): Standard plasterboard suits most dry internal walls and ceilings. Moisture-resistant board is used in bathrooms and kitchens, fire-rated board where walls or ceilings need extra fire resistance, acoustic board where noise matters, impact board in busy areas, and insulated board with a foam backing for cold external walls.
- [How to choose a dryliner: questions to ask and red flags](https://drylining.org.uk/guides/how-to-choose-a-dryliner/): Choose a dryliner by asking which method and board they recommend for each wall and why, what their price includes, how they will handle sockets, heavy fixings and openings, and who does the finishing. A good quote names the board types, framing, insulation and finish. Red flags include no site visit or photos, vague one-line quotes and pressure to pay large sums upfront.
- [Soundproofing walls and ceilings with drylining: what really works](https://drylining.org.uk/guides/soundproofing-walls-with-drylining/): Drylining reduces noise by adding mass with dense acoustic plasterboard, decoupling the new lining from the existing wall using an independent frame or resilient bars, filling the cavity with mineral wool and sealing every gap. An independent stud wall with two layers of acoustic board is usually the most effective option for a noisy party wall, typically costing £60 to £110 per square metre.
- [Insulating solid walls from the inside: drylining, condensation and Part L](https://drylining.org.uk/guides/insulating-solid-walls-with-drylining/): Solid walls are insulated from the inside with insulated plasterboard or a stud frame filled with insulation and a vapour control layer. In England, renovating 25% or more of an external wall normally brings it under building regulations, with a target U-value of 0.30 W/m²K for internal insulation of solid walls where practical. Damp must be fixed first and window reveals and junctions detailed to avoid condensation.
- [Drylining and building regulations: fire, sound and thermal rules explained](https://drylining.org.uk/guides/drylining-building-regulations/): Most like-for-like drylining in an existing home does not need building regulations approval, but approval is usually required when work forms part of a loft conversion, extension or conversion to flats, affects a fire escape route or an integral garage, or renovates 25% or more of an external wall. The relevant parts in England are Part B for fire, Part E for sound and Part L for energy.
- [Drylining a room: how long it takes, what to expect and aftercare](https://drylining.org.uk/guides/drylining-what-to-expect/): Drylining a typical room usually takes two to four days: a day or two for boarding, then one or two days for taping and jointing or skimming, plus drying time before decorating. Taped joints can usually be primed within a day of finishing, while skimmed walls need several days to a week to dry before a mist coat.

## Services
- Dot-and-dab drylining: Plasterboard bonded straight to brick or block walls with dabs of adhesive. A fast, cost-effective way to get flat walls in new builds, extensions and renovations.
- Metal stud partitions: Lightweight steel stud and track walls to divide rooms, form cupboards and create new layouts, with fire-rated and acoustic options.
- Timber stud partitions: Traditional timber-framed internal walls, boarded both sides, often used in homes, loft conversions and where heavy fixings are needed.
- Ceilings and MF ceilings: New plasterboard ceilings, overboarding of cracked or Artexed ceilings, and suspended metal furring ceilings to drop height or hide services.
- Insulated and acoustic drylining: Insulated plasterboard for cold solid walls, and acoustic boards with mineral wool to cut noise between rooms and neighbouring properties.
- Tape and joint or skim finish: Boards finished either with taped and filled joints for a decoration-ready surface, or with a full plaster skim for a traditional smooth finish.

## Areas by region
- [Drylining in London](https://drylining.org.uk/areas/london/): Croydon, Bromley, Barnet, Enfield, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon, Uxbridge, Hounslow, Kingston upon Thames, Richmond, Twickenham, Wimbledon, Sutton, Romford, Ilford, Bexleyheath, Orpington, Greenwich, Lewisham, Islington, Camden, Hackney, Walthamstow, Wembley, Battersea, Fulham, Chelsea
- [Drylining in South East](https://drylining.org.uk/areas/south-east/): Brighton, Hove, Eastbourne, Hastings, Crawley, Worthing, Chichester, Horsham, Bognor Regis, Guildford, Woking, Epsom, Redhill, Reigate, Camberley, Farnham, Staines, Weybridge, Esher, Maidstone, Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells, Ashford, Dartford, Gravesend, Sevenoaks, Margate, Folkestone, Chatham, Rochester, Gillingham, Reading, Slough, Windsor, Maidenhead, Bracknell, Newbury, Wokingham, Oxford, Banbury, Bicester, Abingdon, Henley-on-Thames, Witney, Milton Keynes, High Wycombe, Aylesbury, Amersham, Southampton, Portsmouth, Basingstoke, Winchester, Andover, Farnborough, Fareham, Eastleigh, Havant
- [Drylining in East of England](https://drylining.org.uk/areas/east-of-england/): Cambridge, Peterborough, Ely, Huntingdon, St Neots, Norwich, King's Lynn, Great Yarmouth, Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Lowestoft, Colchester, Chelmsford, Southend-on-Sea, Basildon, Brentwood, Harlow, Braintree, Luton, Bedford, St Albans, Watford, Stevenage, Hemel Hempstead, Hertford, Welwyn Garden City, Bishop's Stortford, Hitchin
- [Drylining in South West](https://drylining.org.uk/areas/south-west/): Bristol, Bath, Taunton, Weston-super-Mare, Yeovil, Exeter, Plymouth, Torquay, Barnstaple, Truro, Falmouth, Newquay, St Austell, Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester, Weymouth, Swindon, Salisbury, Chippenham, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Stroud
- [Drylining in West Midlands](https://drylining.org.uk/areas/west-midlands/): Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford, Lichfield, Tamworth, Burton upon Trent, Worcester, Redditch, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Telford, Warwick, Leamington Spa, Nuneaton, Rugby, Stratford-upon-Avon
- [Drylining in East Midlands](https://drylining.org.uk/areas/east-midlands/): Nottingham, Mansfield, Newark, Derby, Chesterfield, Leicester, Loughborough, Hinckley, Northampton, Kettering, Corby, Wellingborough, Lincoln, Grantham, Boston
- [Drylining in North West](https://drylining.org.uk/areas/north-west/): Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Bolton, Wigan, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Altrincham, Liverpool, Birkenhead, St Helens, Southport, Warrington, Chester, Crewe, Macclesfield, Preston, Blackpool, Blackburn, Burnley, Lancaster, Carlisle, Kendal
- [Drylining in Yorkshire](https://drylining.org.uk/areas/yorkshire/): Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Halifax, Keighley, Dewsbury, Harrogate, York, Scarborough, Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham, Barnsley, Hull, Beverley
- [Drylining in North East](https://drylining.org.uk/areas/north-east/): Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland, Gateshead, South Shields, Durham, Darlington, Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Hartlepool
- [Drylining in Wales](https://drylining.org.uk/areas/wales/): Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Bridgend, Barry, Wrexham, Bangor, Llandudno, Aberystwyth, Carmarthen
- [Drylining in Scotland](https://drylining.org.uk/areas/scotland/): Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Stirling, Perth, Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston, Ayr
- [Drylining in Northern Ireland](https://drylining.org.uk/areas/northern-ireland/): Belfast, Lisburn, Newry, Derry

## Optional
- [Full FAQ and content](https://drylining.org.uk/llms-full.txt)
- [All areas](https://drylining.org.uk/areas/)

## Service pages
- [Dot-and-dab drylining](https://drylining.org.uk/services/dot-and-dab-drylining/): Dot-and-dab drylining bonds plasterboard directly to brick or block walls using dabs of gypsum-based adhesive, giving a flat wall ready for taping or skimming. It suits new builds, extensions and stripped-back renovations where the masonry is sound and dry. In the UK it typically costs £25 to £45 per square metre supplied, fixed and taped.
- [Metal stud partitions](https://drylining.org.uk/services/metal-stud-partitions/): A metal stud partition is a non-loadbearing internal wall built from galvanised steel floor and ceiling track with vertical studs, boarded with plasterboard on both sides. It is used to divide rooms, form en-suites and create new layouts in homes and offices. In the UK it typically costs £45 to £80 per square metre boarded both sides and finished.
- [Timber stud partitions](https://drylining.org.uk/services/timber-stud-partitions/): A timber stud partition is an internal wall built from a softwood frame of head plate, sole plate and vertical studs, boarded with plasterboard on both sides. It is common in houses and loft conversions and where plenty of solid fixing points are needed. In the UK it typically costs £50 to £85 per square metre boarded both sides and finished.
- [Ceilings and MF ceilings](https://drylining.org.uk/services/ceilings-and-mf-ceilings/): Ceiling drylining covers new plasterboard ceilings fixed to joists, overboarding of cracked, sagging or textured ceilings, and MF suspended ceilings built from steel channels hung below the structure. It suits renovations, extensions, conversions and commercial fit-outs. In the UK, boarding a ceiling typically costs £25 to £45 per square metre, with MF ceilings usually £35 to £60 per square metre.
- [Insulated and acoustic drylining](https://drylining.org.uk/services/insulated-and-acoustic-drylining/): Insulated drylining lines cold external walls with insulated plasterboard or a stud frame filled with insulation, while acoustic drylining uses dense acoustic boards, mineral wool and separated frames to reduce noise. It suits older solid-wall homes, flats, HMOs and party walls. In the UK, insulated drylining typically costs £45 to £85 per square metre and acoustic wall upgrades around £60 to £110 per square metre.
- [Tape and joint or skim finish](https://drylining.org.uk/services/tape-and-joint-or-skim-finish/): Tape and joint finishes plasterboard by bedding tape into the joints and feathering jointing compound over them and the screw heads, so the board face itself is decorated. A skim finish covers the whole board with a thin coat of finishing plaster. Tape and joint usually costs around £6 to £12 per square metre in the UK, and a skim around £8 to £15 per square metre.

## Glossary
- [Drylining glossary](https://drylining.org.uk/glossary/)

## Blog
- [Hanging a TV, shelves or kitchen units on plasterboard walls](https://drylining.org.uk/blog/hanging-tv-shelves-kitchen-units-on-plasterboard/): Plasterboard on its own is fine for light items such as pictures, mirrors and small shelves using proper cavity fixings. Heavy or cantilevered loads, such as wall-mounted TVs on arms, wall cupboards, basins and radiators, should be fixed into timber noggins, plywood pattresses or the studs behind the board. The easiest time to plan this is before the boards go up.
- [Drylining a Victorian terrace: walls, lath ceilings and old brick](https://drylining.org.uk/blog/drylining-victorian-terraced-house/): In a Victorian terrace, drylining is usually best on new partitions, overboarding sound lath and plaster ceilings, and lining badly damaged or uneven internal walls. On solid external walls it needs care, because modern boards can trap moisture in old brick. Fix any damp first, keep lime plaster where it is sound, and use a framed or breathable approach where moisture is a concern.
- [10 common drylining mistakes and how to spot them](https://drylining.org.uk/blog/common-drylining-mistakes/): The most common drylining mistakes are too few adhesive dabs, missing continuous seals around edges and sockets, screws fixed too far apart or too deep, joints that are not taped, wrong boards in wet or fire-rated areas, and boarding over damp walls. Most can be spotted before decorating by tapping walls, checking joints in raking light and asking what boards and fixings were used.
- [Drylining a garage conversion: fire, insulation and damp](https://drylining.org.uk/blog/drylining-a-garage-conversion/): Converting a garage into a habitable room needs building regulations approval, and drylining does much of the work. Walls and ceilings are usually insulated and boarded with a framed or insulated board lining, the floor and wall bases are damp-proofed, and fire separation is checked where the garage meets the house or rooms above. Plan the lining with your building control body before work starts.
- [Plasterboard in bathrooms and showers: boards, tiles and weight limits](https://drylining.org.uk/blog/plasterboard-in-bathrooms-and-showers/): Moisture-resistant plasterboard suits general bathroom walls and ceilings, but for showers and wet rooms that will be tiled, a cement or tile backer board or a fully tanked system is the safer choice. Tile industry guidance generally limits tile plus adhesive on unskimmed plasterboard to about 32 kg per square metre, and on gypsum plaster to about 20 kg per square metre, so heavy porcelain or stone needs a stronger background.
- [Cracks and nail pops in plasterboard: causes and proper fixes](https://drylining.org.uk/blog/cracks-and-nail-pops-in-plasterboard/): Hairline cracks and small popped screws in the first year are usually caused by new timber drying, the building settling and heating drying everything out. Long straight cracks along board joints, cracks that keep returning or boards that move usually point to missing tape, too few fixings or movement in the structure. Most can be fixed by refixing, retaping and refilling the joint properly.
- [Drylining for landlords: HMOs, flat conversions and quick turnarounds](https://drylining.org.uk/blog/drylining-for-landlords-and-hmos/): For landlords, drylining is the quickest way to create new rooms, upgrade fire separation and reduce noise between lets. HMOs usually need fire-resisting walls and ceilings, typically 30 minutes, around escape routes and between rooms, and converting a house to flats brings in building regulations for fire and sound. Planning the specification with the council and building control first avoids costly rework.
- [Splitting a room with a stud wall: what to check before you build](https://drylining.org.uk/blog/splitting-a-room-with-a-stud-wall/): Before building a stud wall to split a room, check that each new room will have a window for light and ventilation, a safe escape route if it is a bedroom, heating, sockets and lighting, and enough floor space. Decide on the door position, wall thickness and sound insulation early. A simple non-structural partition in a house often needs no approval, but fire escape or ventilation changes can bring in building regulations.
- [Drylining in offices and commercial fit-outs: a client's guide](https://drylining.org.uk/blog/drylining-offices-and-commercial-fit-outs/): In offices, shops and other commercial spaces, drylining is used to build metal stud partitions for meeting rooms, offices and stores, form bulkheads and MF ceilings, and upgrade fire and acoustic separation. A good fit-out starts with a clear specification for fire rating, sound performance and head detail, landlord approval where you lease the space, and a programme that keeps the business running.
- [Drylining in winter: cold, damp and drying times explained](https://drylining.org.uk/blog/drylining-in-winter/): Drylining can be done all year, but in winter boards, jointing compounds and plaster skims need a dry, frost-free and reasonably warm building to perform properly. Most manufacturers advise against applying jointing materials or plaster in near-freezing conditions, and drying times can double in cold, damp weather. Keep boards dry, get the building weathertight first and use gentle background heat with ventilation, not fierce direct heat.