Renovating a ceiling: the four options compared (2026)
Re-plaster, plasterboard, timber slats or a stretch ceiling? What each option costs per m², how long the job takes, how much dust you accept and what the VAT rate does — so you choose on the basis of your ceiling, not out of habit.
The short answer
For an old ceiling with cracks, stains or a dated finish there are four realistic routes: re-plastering (or filling and painting), a new plasterboard ceiling, timber slats or panels, and a stretch ceiling. Per square metre they sit closer together than most people think; the difference is in the time on site, the dust, the access to what is above and the lifespan.
Rule of thumb: if the substrate is sound and flat, repainting or filling is cheapest. If the ceiling is cracked, uneven, full of pipes, or you want to add lighting and acoustics, a stretch ceiling wins on total cost and time. Plasterboard sits in between; slats are a style choice.
Option 1: re-plastering, filling and painting
Small cracks, a yellowed paint layer or a slightly uneven ceiling: filling, sanding and two coats of paint will do, or a new plaster skim for larger damage. Indicatively €10 to €20 per m² for painting and €25 to €45 per m² for re-plastering, excl. VAT — at 6% VAT in a dwelling older than ten years.
Downsides: the room must be emptied and covered, fine dust gets everywhere, drying times dictate the schedule and a structural crack usually comes back. Pipes or an uneven concrete slab stay visible.
Option 2: a new plasterboard ceiling
A suspended plasterboard ceiling on a metal frame hides pipes and unevenness and allows spots. Indicatively €35 to €70 per m² including filling and painting, excl. VAT. It is a fixed construction: four to seven working days with drying times, and later access to the services only by demolition.
The result is classic and solid, but the joints remain the weak point — in large spans and with temperature swings, hairline cracks in the seams after a few years are common.
Option 3: timber slats or panels
Slats add warmth and character and are relatively quick to fit: indicatively €40 to €90 per m² excl. VAT depending on timber and finish. They do need a frame, leave less freedom for lighting and require maintenance. If you already have a dated slatted ceiling, it is often smarter to hang a stretch ceiling underneath it than to tear it down.
Option 4: a stretch ceiling
A PVC or polyester membrane is tensioned into a slim profile along the walls, a few centimetres below the existing ceiling. Everything above it — cracks, slats, pipes, an uneven concrete slab — disappears behind one seamless plane. Installed in one day, without dust, without drying time and with the furniture still in the room.
- Price: roughly €70 to €200 per m² excl. VAT, installed; a plain matte white ceiling sits at the bottom, backlit or printed at the top.
- Built-in lighting, acoustic absorption, a starry sky or a print all live in the same system.
- Access: PVC is removable and can be fitted with an invisible inspection hatch.
- Lifespan: decades without repainting; washable; unaffected by humidity in bathrooms and kitchens.
- VAT: 6% on materials and installation in a dwelling older than ten years, built-in spots included.
Comparison at a glance
- Cost per m² (excl. VAT, indicative): painting €10–20 · re-plastering €25–45 · plasterboard €35–70 · slats €40–90 · stretch ceiling €70–200.
- Time on site for a 30 m² living room: painting 1–2 days · re-plastering 3–5 days · plasterboard 4–7 days · slats 2–3 days · stretch ceiling 1 day.
- Dust and drying time: plaster and plasterboard a lot · slats little · stretch ceiling none.
- Hides pipes and unevenness: plaster no · plasterboard yes · slats yes · stretch ceiling yes.
- Access afterwards: plaster and plasterboard no · slats limited · stretch ceiling yes (PVC).
- Lighting and acoustics built in: plasterboard partly · stretch ceiling fully.
- Grants: no finish is eligible anywhere in Belgium; only the insulation above it. VAT: 6% for every option if a contractor supplies and installs in a dwelling older than ten years.
Which option for which ceiling?
Sound, flat ceiling with a tired paint layer: paint. Cracks in an old plaster ceiling: find the cause first, then fill — or, if they keep coming back, span over it. Slats you are tired of: span over them instead of demolishing. Pipes, uneven concrete or a renovation with new lighting and acoustics: stretch ceiling. Plasterboard still makes sense where a heavy appliance has to hang from the ceiling or where you deliberately want a classic, fixed construction.
If you are insulating in the same phase, choose the finish only after the insulation; the grant attaches to the insulation, not to the ceiling. For a fixed price, a STRETCH installer from your region measures the room free of charge.
Finishing a ceiling after insulationGrants and VAT in BelgiumFind an installer
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