How much skimming with painting costs and what drives the price
This is the most labour-intensive option, so it costs more than plain painting: removing the old coating, levelling with filler (sometimes several layers), sanding, priming and two coats. The worse the starting wall, the more filler layers and sanding. Materials (filler, primer, paint) are billed separately, fixings are part of the labour. Rates per stage are in the table below.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Filling holes and damage | 20–35 zł/m² |
| Gypsum skim coating | 55–90 zł/m² |
| Wall levelling after tile removal | 60–90 zł/m² |
| Ceiling levelling | 45–80 zł/m² |
| Priming before painting | 8–14 zł/m² |
| Walls and ceilings, one colour (2 coats) | 30–50 zł/m² |
Indicative prices. Ranges for a typical scope. Fixings included, materials separate. Minimum order 300 zł.
Add photos of the walls to the request or show them at the inspection: the state of the surface immediately shows whether a full skim or local levelling is needed.
Rather hand the job over? More here: wall filling and skimming in Warsaw.
How wall restoration goes: step by step
- Inspection under side light: they assess waves, bumps, cracks and the state of the old coating.
- Removing the unsound: flaking paint and crumbling plaster are scraped off.
- Levelling with filler: they apply skim, in several layers for heavy unevenness.
- Sanding flat and de-dusting: this determines the smoothness under paint.
- Priming the whole area.
- Two coats and a check under side light.
Common skim-and-paint mistakes (and how to avoid them)
- Painting over an uneven wall. Waves and bumps show under side light even beneath good paint.
- One thin skim layer on a bad wall. Heavy unevenness is levelled in several layers.
- Poor sanding. Under-sanded skim leaves ridges the paint reveals.
- Not removing flaking paint. Skim over an unsound base falls off with it.
- Skipping primer on fresh skim. Fresh filler without primer pulls paint patchy.
- Painting over undried skim. Damp skim must dry, otherwise stains appear.
A small hole is something you can fill yourself if you know how to go about it: how to fill a wall crack or hole.
What to prepare before the pro arrives
- Clear the room or move furniture to the centre: it’s a lot of dusty work.
- Take everything off the walls: shelves, pictures, rails.
- Decide on the paint colour.
- Say where the walls are worst (to gauge the skim scope).
- Provide access to water and electricity.
- Roll up rugs or be ready to cover the floor.
- Prepare for dust from sanding (you can screen off openings).
- Confirm the lift and parking.
A case from practice in Warsaw
In a flat in an old tenement in Praga the walls were bumpy and wavy, in places the old paint came off in layers, with cracks by the windows. The owners wanted to “just repaint”, but under side light it was clear: on such a surface any paint would highlight the relief. Tradespeople removed the unsound coating, levelled the walls with two layers of skim, sanded thoroughly, primed and painted two coats. The walls became even and smooth: like a new build. It took several days because of the area and drying. The takeaway: on bad walls it’s not the paint but levelling with filler and sanding that counts; without them, painting only highlights the defects.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from ordinary painting?
Here they first fully level the wall with filler and sand it, then paint. Plain painting doesn’t include this.
When is a full skim needed?
When walls are uneven, bumpy, wavy, with old paint coming off. Even walls don’t need this much work.
How many skim layers are applied?
Depends on the unevenness: from one to several, with sanding between.
Will there be dust from sanding?
Yes, sanding is dusty; where possible they screen off openings and de-dust afterwards.
How long to level and paint the walls?
Depends on area and condition: from one or two days to several on a large area.
Can local levelling do instead?
If the unevenness is localised, yes. At the inspection the painter will say whether a full skim is needed.
Does the tradesperson buy the materials?
Whatever is easier. Tradespeople suggest filler, primer and paint. Materials are separate.
Will the wall really be even?
Yes, with a full skim and sanding the surface comes out smooth for painting.
Will the tradesperson clean up afterwards?
Yes, they remove film, de-dust and take away the waste.
Do tradespeople cover my district?
Tradespeople work across all of Warsaw — Praga, Śródmieście, Mokotów and others. Leave a request.
Who does the work and how
The work is done by painters on the platform. Bad walls are restored step by step: removing the unsound layer, skimming in the needed number of coats, sanding, priming and painting. At the inspection a good painter will honestly say whether a full skim is needed or local levelling is enough, without pushing extra scope. Post a request in the HandyMan24 app: painters will assess the walls and send their offers.
Order in the app
Describe the job, add photos and the address. Tradespeople send their own prices and dates, and you pick one of the offers.
Open the app
