How to Choose a Plasterer in Cornwall: What to Actually Check

Why qualifications matter

Plastering is a skilled trade. That might sound obvious, but in practice almost anyone can buy a hawk and a trowel and call themselves a plasterer. There's no legal requirement for qualifications in the UK — which means the range of what you'll find out there is enormous. We've been called in to sort out work that was done by people who clearly had no idea what they were doing: renders falling off walls, skim plaster full of contamination, the wrong system applied to the wrong substrate.

Qualifications don't guarantee quality — nothing does like seeing the work with your own eyes — but they're a reasonable baseline signal. A qualified tradesman has at minimum gone through a formal assessment process. They know the theory as well as the practice. They've been watched and judged on their work. That's worth something.

How to check insurance

Any legitimate tradesman working on your property needs public liability insurance. The minimum you should accept for a plastering or rendering job is around a million pounds of cover; most reputable sole traders carry more, and larger contractors more than that. The reason matters: if a plasterer damages your property — a tool dropped through a window, a scaffold that shifts and takes out guttering, water getting into a building through poor prep work — public liability insurance is what pays for it. Without it, the cost falls on you.

Ask to see the certificate of insurance before the job starts. A legitimate tradesman will have it to hand and will have no hesitation in showing you. If someone hedges, says it's in the post, or tells you they're covered but can't produce a document, treat that as a serious red flag. Also check the dates — insurance needs to be current for the period when the work is actually happening.

Questions worth asking

Before you commit to anyone, ask these directly:

→Can we see photographs of similar work you've done? — Any decent plasterer will have a portfolio. If they can't show you anything, that tells you something.
→Are you insured, and can you send me your certificate? — The answer should be yes and yes, without hesitation.
→What system are you planning to use, and why? — They should be able to explain their product choice in plain language. If they can't, they might not understand what they're applying.
→How will you prepare the substrate? — Good prep is where most jobs succeed or fail. Someone who rushes past this question probably rushes past it on site too.
→Who does the actual work — you, or a subcontractor? — On smaller jobs this matters. If you're quoting with a sole trader and they send a labourer, the quality can be very different.

Red flags to walk away from

Most of the bad experiences people have with trades come from ignoring warning signs that were there from the start. Here are the ones we'd take seriously:

✕No insurance — full stop. This is non-negotiable.
✕Pressure to decide before you've had time to get other quotes or think it through. A reputable tradesman is busy enough that they don't need to pressure you.
✕A quote that's significantly lower than everyone else's. Either the spec is different (check what system and how many coats) or they're cutting corners somewhere.
✕Won't provide any references or examples of previous work.
✕Asks for a large upfront cash payment before any work starts. A reasonable deposit (10–25%) is normal. Half the job cost before they've even started is a risk.
✕Vague about timescale. Not every job has a precise start date, but a tradesman who can't give you any idea of when they're available is often juggling too many jobs.

Getting and comparing quotes

Get at least three quotes for any significant job. When you compare them, look at what's included — not just the bottom line number. Two quotes at different prices can be for quite different scopes of work. One might include preparation and priming; another might assume the background is perfect and quote only for the render system itself. One might include removal of existing cladding; another might quote on the assumption it's already gone.

Ask each person to break the quote down — materials, labour, prep, any ancillaries like scaffolding if needed. A tradesman who won't provide a breakdown isn't necessarily dodgy, but it makes it much harder to compare properly and to understand what you're agreeing to. A written quote with a breakdown is also your protection if there's a dispute later.

Don't choose on price alone. The cheapest quote is often the most expensive job in the long run — bad rendering is very expensive to strip back and redo, and the disruption is considerable. Choose the person you trust to do it right, who turns up when they say they will, who communicates clearly, and who takes pride in what they're doing.

The bottom line

Choosing a good plasterer isn't complicated, but it does take a bit of effort. Check the qualifications, verify the insurance, ask to see the work, and trust your instincts when you meet them. Someone who's confident, calm, and can explain clearly what they're going to do and why is almost always a better bet than someone who talks fast and pushes you to commit quickly.

Cornwall has a lot of decent trades and, like everywhere, a few to avoid. Do your homework upfront and you'll save yourself a lot of grief.