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Handyman

Shelving and picture hanging

Putting up shelves, mirrors and pictures so they stay up.
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Whether this needs a licence in Ireland

Ireland

No licence required

Taken from the statute below; not yet reviewed by a lawyer

Irelandwww.cru.ieChecked

Shelving and picture hanging: what the job involves

Putting up shelves, floating shelves, mirrors, pictures, curtain poles and blinds with fixings suited to the wall and the weight, so they stay up and stay level. The wall — plasterboard, block, brick or old lath and plaster — decides the fixing.

Also asked for as: put up shelves · shelf fitting · mirror hanging · curtain pole fitting · blind fitting

How the job is usually done

  1. Agree positions and heights, and what each shelf or item must hold
  2. Identify the wall type and scan for cables and pipes
  3. Mark out level positions with a laser or spirit level
  4. Drill and fix with plugs or fixings suited to the wall and the load
  5. Fit the shelves, mirrors, poles or blinds and check they are level and secure
  6. Fill any spare holes and clean up the dust

Shelving and picture hanging: what is included

Usually included

  • Fixing the agreed items with suitable plugs and screws
  • Levelling and checking each item
  • Cleaning up the dust

Usually not included — agree it separately

  • The shelves, mirrors or blinds themselves, unless agreed
  • Cutting shelves to size from raw timber, unless agreed
  • Repainting around the fixings
  • Wiring for lit mirrors or shelf lighting — electrical work

Materials and who supplies them

  • Shelves, brackets, mirrors, poles and blinds — usually yours
  • Wall plugs, heavy-duty plasterboard fixings and screws — the handyman’s
  • Drill, detector, laser and level — the handyman’s

How long it takes

An hour or two for most jobs; floating shelves, heavy mirrors, many items or difficult walls take longer.

Shelving and picture hanging: the rules in Ireland

What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.

  • Textured ceiling and wall coatings such as Artex commonly contained asbestos until the late 1980s; in a building built or refurbished before 2000 they should not be drilled, sanded or scraped until tested.

    Applies to: the handyman, and the homeowner who commissions the work

    Health and Safety Authority — asbestos regulations · hsa.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

What shelving and picture hanging costs, and why

What jobs on Talqero came to

Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.

What affects the price

  • Number of items
  • Wall type and the weight being hung
  • Floating shelves, which need precise fixing
  • Blinds and curtain poles in deep or tiled window reveals
  • Supplying the shelves or fixings

Paperwork to ask for at the end

  • A note of what each shelf is fixed into and roughly what it can hold

Safety

  • Do not drill directly above, below or beside sockets and switches, where cables usually run
  • Heavy mirrors over beds and sofas need secure fixings rated well above their weight
  • Fit blind cords with a cleat or tensioner out of children’s reach
  • Bookshelves and tall units should be fixed to the wall if children are in the house

Shelving and picture hanging: before you hire

Questions to ask a tradesperson

  • What fixings will you use on my walls?
  • How much weight will the shelves hold?
  • Do you bring fixings and a detector?
  • Will you fill and tidy any old holes?

What you can do yourself

Hanging a picture on a hook or a light shelf on block wall is easy DIY with a detector; heavy mirrors, floating shelves and anything on plasterboard or tiles is worth a handyman.

What to put in your task

  • What do you want put up?
  • How many items?
  • What are the walls made of?
  • Will anything carry heavy weight, such as books or a large mirror?
  • Do you have the shelves and fittings already?

Photos that help

  • The wall where each item will go
  • The shelves, mirror or blinds to be fitted
  • The window reveal, for blinds and curtain poles

Shelving and picture hanging by county

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Questions about shelving and picture hanging

Does shelving and picture hanging need a licence in Ireland?

No licence is required for this work in Ireland (source: www.cru.ie). Ask instead for references and photographs of similar jobs.

How much can a shelf on plasterboard hold?

It depends on the fixing. Shelves screwed into the studs, or fixed with heavy-duty cavity fixings, hold far more than plastic plugs in plasterboard. Tell the handyman what will go on the shelf so they choose the right fixing.

Can you put up floating shelves on any wall?

Most solid walls take them well. On plasterboard they need fixing into studs or a pattress, and the load is lower. Old lath and plaster walls can be difficult.

Can you drill into tiles?

Yes, with a tile bit and care to avoid cracking. Drilling through the grout is easier but not always where the fixing is needed.

Often booked with shelving and picture hanging