The plasterer is the trade in the middle: after them comes the painter, before them the shell construction, and the site management sets their pace. Whoever works with paper here loses on two fronts at once: measurements and variation claims.
Measurements: the truth in square metres
Plaster and drywall are billed by measurement, and between the planned square metres and the built square metres lie bay windows, reveals, shafts, and changes made during construction. Whoever tracks the measurement continuously (per floor, per unit, with photos), instead of reconstructing it from plans at the end, bills the reality that was actually built. The difference regularly runs into four figures per project, and it’s indisputable with documentation, a gift to the client without it.
Variation claims: in writing or given away for free
“Just do this quickly too” is half a sentence on site and a dispute on the final invoice. The rule for every additional job: record it briefly (what, where, who ordered it), attach a photo, turn it into a time-and-materials or variation line item, and bill it promptly, not just at the final invoice. The quote lays the groundwork for this with clean caveats (subfloor, drying times, number of skim coats).
Staying on schedule: deadlines and drying times
The construction schedule shows no mercy: if the base coat isn’t dry when the painter arrives, you’re to blame, even if the site was too cold. Documented conditions (temperature, ventilation, downtime) and a project status the whole team can see take this argument off the table. Time tracking per project also shows where the hours actually go, piece rate or not.
As a subcontractor to a general contractor: the same rules as everyone
Plastering businesses work mostly for general and total contractors. That means: partial invoices tied to stages, keeping an eye on outstanding items, consistent dunning, and the builder’s lien as a last-resort safeguard, with the four-month deadline from the end of your work on the calendar.
Does it pay off?
For plasterers, digitizing pays off almost entirely through two items: complete measurement and variation claims that actually get billed. A mid-sized business that bills just one percent more built performance per project pays for the software for years with that alone. What MeisterOffice looks like for plasterers is shown on the plasterer page; the hourly rate calculator gives you your own rate.