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Carpentry and joinery

Skirting and architrave

Replacing or fitting skirting boards, architrave and coving.
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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

Skirting and architrave: what the job involves

Fitting new skirting boards, architrave round doors and coving at the ceiling, with tight mitred or scribed corners that hide uneven walls. It is often done with new floors or doors, or after plastering, and the finish depends almost entirely on the quality of the joints.

Also asked for as: skirting boards fitted · replace skirting · coving installation · carpenter skirting · period skirting

How the job is usually done

  1. Measure each room and agree the profile, height and material to match the house.
  2. Carefully remove old skirting and architrave without pulling off plaster.
  3. Cut lengths with scribed internal corners and mitred external corners, allowing for uneven walls and floors.
  4. Fix with adhesive and pins or screws into the wall, keeping the top line straight.
  5. Fit architrave round door linings with even margins and tight mitres.
  6. Fill nail holes, caulk gaps and sand ready for painting.

Skirting and architrave: what is included

Usually included

  • Removing and disposing of old skirting and architrave, if agreed
  • Cutting and fixing new skirting and architrave
  • Filling and caulking ready for paint

Usually not included — agree it separately

  • Painting the new skirting and architrave
  • Plaster repairs behind old skirting
  • Moving radiator pipes or cables that run behind the skirting

Materials and who supplies them

  • Primed MDF, pine or hardwood in the chosen profile
  • Adhesive, pins, screws, filler and decorators’ caulk
  • Often supplied by the carpenter; matching period profiles may need ordering

How long it takes

About a day for a couple of rooms; longer for tall period skirting, many corners or uneven walls.

When to book

Fit skirting after plastering has dried and after hard floors are laid, so it sits on the finished floor.

Skirting and architrave: 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.

  • Building work on a home is charged at the reduced VAT rate of 13.5%, but where the materials come to more than two-thirds of the price, the goods rate applies to the whole job; ask how a supply-and-fit quote is charged.

    Applies to: the contractor

    Revenue · revenue.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

What skirting and architrave 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

  • Total length and the number of corners and door openings
  • Profile, height and material
  • Uneven walls and floors that need scribing
  • Matching an existing period profile
  • Painting included or not
  • VAT: building work on a home is charged at the reduced rate of 13.5% by a VAT-registered business — unless the materials come to more than two-thirds of the price, when Revenue’s two-thirds rule applies the goods rate to the whole job. Ask whether a quote includes VAT.

Paperwork to ask for at the end

  • An itemised invoice

Safety

  • Heating pipes and cables often run behind or just above skirting; they should be found before anything is nailed or screwed.
  • Old skirting in pre-2000 houses can be covered in lead paint; it should not be sanded dry.

Skirting and architrave: before you hire

Questions to ask a tradesperson

  • Will you scribe the internal corners?
  • Is the material primed, and will you fill and caulk?
  • Does the price include taking away the old skirting?

What you can do yourself

Fitting plain skirting in a room with straight walls is a reasonable DIY job with a mitre saw; tall period profiles and crooked walls are better left to a carpenter.

What to put in your task

  • How many rooms?
  • What needs fitting?
  • What style?
  • Should painting be included?

Photos that help

  • Each room, showing the full run of skirting
  • A close-up of the current profile, with a tape for height
  • Door openings with their architrave

Skirting and architrave by county

Choose your county for skirting and architrave close to home.

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Questions about skirting and architrave

Does skirting and architrave 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.

Should skirting go on before or after the floor?

For wood, laminate and tiles, skirting usually goes on after the floor so it covers the expansion gap. For carpet, it goes on first and the carpet is tucked under it.

Can you match my original skirting?

Often yes. Many period profiles are still made, and a joinery shop can run a matching profile from a sample if not.

Why are there gaps under my old skirting?

Floors in older houses are rarely level. Good fitting scribes the bottom of the board to follow the floor, or the gap is filled and finished.

Often booked with skirting and architrave

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