HOW TO HIRE · TRADES & CONSTRUCTION · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire a dry liner in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
A dry lining in Ireland costs €30–€70 per m², typically around €45. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.
- Search and compare — no account needed
- Nearest to you first
- One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews
THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring a dry liner in five steps
- Are you on the Construction Industry Register Ireland, and what is your number?A number you can look up yourself before you agree a price — finishing Touches — the service also includes finishing touches such as skimming and taping joints.
- Will I get a Certificate of Compliance on Completion, and when?On the day the work is finished and tested, not posted on later — partition Walls — dry lining is utilized to create partition walls, allowing for flexible room layouts.
- How does size of the area to be covered change the price?The extra square metres are where most of the cost sits. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does type of materials used change the price?A large order is cheaper per unit than a small one. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does complexity of the installation change the price?Intricate work needs a steadier hand and more time. — ask before the quote rather than after.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
Construction Industry Register Ireland (CIRI)
CIRI is a VOLUNTARY register today. The Regulation of Providers of Building Works and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022 was signed on 5 July 2022 and S.I. 429/2022 commenced parts of it on 29 August 2022; the Construction Industry Federation was appointed registration body on 16 January 2023. Registration is NOT yet mandatory: the divisions regulations had not been drafted as of a May 2025 Dáil answer, and CIRI itself projects mandatory registration from 2027. So being absent from CIRI breaks no law in 2026 — and being on it is still the only independent check of a builder that exists here.
Search the Construction Industry Register Ireland for the name or the registration number before you agree a price. ciri.ie →
a Certificate of Compliance on Completion
Issued by the assigned certifier and the builder, where the work needed a commencement notice on completion, before the building is occupied. It matters because it is lodged on the statutory register and is what a buyer's solicitor looks for; work done without one surfaces on sale.
Agree before the work starts that you will be handed a certificate of compliance on completion, and keep it with the house papers.
Insurance
Expect public liability and, for anything structural, professional indemnity from whoever designed it. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.
Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.
Trader or private seller
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.
Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.
VAT
VAT at 13.5%, the reduced rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.
Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →
A good answer: A number you can look up yourself before you agree a price — finishing Touches — the service also includes finishing touches such as skimming and taping joints.
A good answer: On the day the work is finished and tested, not posted on later — partition Walls — dry lining is utilized to create partition walls, allowing for flexible room layouts.
A good answer: The extra square metres are where most of the cost sits. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: A large order is cheaper per unit than a small one. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Intricate work needs a steadier hand and more time. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Ceiling Installation — this service includes the installation of dry lining on ceilings, providing a smooth finish and improving acoustics — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a dry liner job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
A good answer: Expect public liability and, for anything structural, professional indemnity from whoever designed it — wall Insulation — dry lining is often used to insulate walls in residential and commercial properties.
Getting the quote right
- Size of the area to be covered — the extra square metres are where most of the cost sits.
- Type of materials used — a large order is cheaper per unit than a small one.
- Complexity of the installation — intricate work needs a steadier hand and more time.
- Condition of existing walls — a job left too long costs more than one done on time.
- In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
- What is NOT included, named
- Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
- The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register
Walk away if
- They are not on the Construction Industry Register Ireland, or the number does not resolve to the name on the quote
- No a Certificate of Compliance on Completion is offered, or you are told you do not need one for work of this kind
- They will not talk about it: size of the area to be covered — the extra square metres are where most of the cost sits
- They will not talk about it: type of materials used — a large order is cheaper per unit than a small one
- They will not talk about it: complexity of the installation — intricate work needs a steadier hand and more time
- A price for the dry liner before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
What a dry liner costs: €30–€70 per m²
The figures are for the job, per m², and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Wall dry lining and Ceiling dry lining each carry their own band. Dry Lining price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
Dry liners near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
- Look firstSize of the area to be covered — the extra square metres are where most of the cost sits — that is what the dry liner is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
- Agree what is being doneType of materials used — a large order is cheaper per unit than a small one — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
- The work itselfComplexity of the installation — intricate work needs a steadier hand and more time — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
- Check it togetherCondition of existing walls — a job left too long costs more than one done on time — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the dry liner is still there.
- What you are handedA Certificate of Compliance on Completion, the invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, access to the site — a long carry from the van is paid for in hours.
- Wall Insulation
- Dry lining is often used to insulate walls in residential and commercial properties.
- Ceiling Installation
- This service includes the installation of dry lining on ceilings, providing a smooth finish and improving acoustics.
- Partition Walls
- Dry lining is utilized to create partition walls, allowing for flexible room layouts.
- Finishing Touches
- The service also includes finishing touches such as skimming and taping joints.
- Wall Dry Lining
- This involves installing plasterboard on internal walls to create a smooth finish suitable for decoration.
- Ceiling Dry Lining
- Similar to wall lining, this process covers ceilings with plasterboard, often used to improve insulation and acoustics.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring a dry liner: questions people ask
The cost of dry lining is influenced by factors such as the size of the area to be covered, the type of materials used, and the complexity of the installation. Additional features like insulation or soundproofing can also increase costs.
The duration of a dry lining job can vary based on the project's scope. Generally, a small room may take a day, while larger spaces or complex installations could take several days to complete.
Emergency or same-day dry lining services may be available, but they can come at a premium cost. It's advisable to check with local contractors for their availability and pricing for urgent requests.
Yes, many contractors offer discounts for booking multiple related jobs, such as dry lining alongside painting or electrical work. It's best to discuss this during your initial consultation.
Search the name or the registration number. If the number does not resolve to the name on the quote, stop there.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and put right if it is not. Say what is wrong in writing first.
MORE GUIDES
More hiring guides in trades & construction
Dry liners near you
Sources — checked October 2026
- Regulation of Providers of Building Works and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022
- S.I. 429/2022 — Commencement Order
- Construction Industry Register Ireland
- Department of Housing — Building Control
- Consumer Rights Act 2022
- Revenue — PLASTERING OF BUILDINGS (Private dwellings/Non-residential immovable goods) — Reduced rate
- Revenue — current VAT rates (effective 1 January 2026)
- Revenue — VAT thresholds: €42,500 for a person supplying services only