Plasterboard (also called drywall or gypsum board) is the most widely used internal lining material in UK construction. Whether you are drylining a masonry wall, partitioning a room, or boarding out a loft conversion, understanding the different board types and sizes will help you specify correctly and avoid costly errors, particularly around fire safety and moisture resistance, where Building Regulations set clear requirements.
Standard Sizes
Plasterboard is manufactured in standard sheet dimensions. The vast majority of UK residential work uses the following:
| Sheet Size (mm) | Common Use |
|---|---|
| 2,400 × 1,200 | Walls and ceilings (the UK standard) |
| 2,700 × 1,200 | Higher ceilings, reducing joint count |
| 3,000 × 1,200 | Commercial / high-spec residential |
| 1,800 × 900 | Smaller areas, easier manual handling |
The 2,400 × 1,200 mm sheet is by far the most common, it is sized to span three standard timber stud centres (at 600 mm) or two joist spacings, minimising waste. Boards are typically sold per sheet or in packs of 30–60.
Thickness Options
Thickness affects both stiffness (important for ceilings) and fire resistance. Common thicknesses in the UK:
| Thickness | Typical Application |
|---|---|
| 9.5 mm | Lightweight ceilings, curved surfaces |
| 12.5 mm | Standard walls and ceilings (most common) |
| 15 mm | Floors, heavy-duty walls, improved fire resistance |
| 25 mm | Fire compartmentation, acoustic walls (two layers often preferred) |
For ceilings, 12.5 mm is the minimum sensible thickness at 600 mm joist centres; at 400 mm centres 9.5 mm is acceptable. Two layers of 12.5 mm outperform a single 25 mm sheet for both fire and acoustic performance and are easier to handle.
Board Types
Standard Plasterboard
The everyday workhorse, grey gypsum core with cream paper facing. Used for walls and ceilings in dry, conditioned spaces. Available in tapered-edge (for jointing and skimming) and square-edge formats.
Cost: approximately £5–£9 per 2,400 × 1,200 × 12.5 mm sheet (2026).
Moisture-Resistant Plasterboard (MR Board / Green Board)
Contains water-repellent additives in the gypsum core and has a green or blue paper facing. Suitable for bathrooms, kitchens, utility rooms, and other areas with intermittent moisture. It is not waterproof, it still requires tanking, tiles, or waterproof paint over it in wet zones. Building Regs (Approved Document C) effectively require moisture-resistant lining behind tiled shower enclosures and splash zones.1
Cost: approximately £10–£16 per 2,400 × 1,200 × 12.5 mm sheet.
Fire-Rated Plasterboard (Type F / Pink Board)
Contains glass-fibre reinforcement and, in some products, vermiculite or other fire-resistant additives. Rated to provide 30 or 60 minutes of fire resistance depending on thickness and number of layers. Required by Building Regs (Approved Document B) for:
- Ceiling linings beneath loft conversions (30 min minimum)
- Garage ceilings and walls adjoining habitable rooms (30 min)
- Staircase enclosures forming the protected escape route
- Party walls and floors requiring fire compartmentation
The exact specification (single 15 mm, double 12.5 mm, etc.) depends on the application, always check with building control or a registered building control approver.
Cost: approximately £12–£20 per 2,400 × 1,200 × 12.5 mm sheet.
Acoustic Plasterboard
A denser board, typically 12.5 mm or 15 mm, designed to increase the mass of a wall or ceiling and improve airborne sound insulation. Often used in party walls, between rooms, or on ceilings under noisy spaces. Acoustic performance improves significantly when combined with resilient bars (decoupling the board from the structure) and acoustic mineral wool between studs.
A single layer of acoustic board typically adds 3–5 dB improvement over standard board. Building Regs (Approved Document E) requires minimum performance standards for new builds and conversions between dwellings; acoustic board is usually part of the specification meeting these targets.2
Cost: approximately £18–£28 per 2,400 × 1,200 × 15 mm sheet.
Thermal / Insulated Plasterboard (Dot-and-Dab)
A composite board: standard or fire-rated plasterboard bonded to a layer of rigid insulation foam (PIR or EPS). Used for internal wall insulation (dot-and-dab method) or on solid masonry walls. The insulation layer ranges from 20 mm to 90 mm+, with the plasterboard facing typically 12.5 mm.
Cost: £18–£55 per board depending on insulation thickness (higher PIR content costs more).
Impact-Resistant Plasterboard
A very dense, reinforced board used in high-traffic areas, school corridors, care homes, sports facilities, where the wall is likely to take knocks. Less common in domestic work but occasionally specified for hallways or stairwells in rental properties.
Tapered Edge vs Square Edge
Most modern plasterboard sold in the UK has a recessed (tapered) long edge, designed to be filled with joint compound and scrim tape to create a flush, seamless surface before skimming or direct decoration. Square-edge boards are used where the joints will be covered (e.g., behind tiles or panelling) or where skim coat is applied over the entire surface regardless.
For new build or renovation work with a skim-plaster finish, tapered-edge is the correct choice, it reduces the risk of visible joints telegraphing through the finished surface.
Cost Summary (2026 UK)
| Board Type | Thickness | Approx. Cost per Sheet |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 9.5 mm | £4–£7 |
| Standard | 12.5 mm | £5–£9 |
| Standard | 15 mm | £8–£13 |
| Moisture-resistant | 12.5 mm | £10–£16 |
| Fire-rated | 12.5 mm | £12–£203 |
| Fire-rated | 15 mm | £15–£24 |
| Acoustic | 15 mm | £18–£28 |
| Insulated (PIR 40 mm + 12.5 mm board) | 52.5 mm | £22–£38 |
Prices vary by merchant and volume. Trade accounts at builders’ merchants (Buildbase, Jewson, Travis Perkins) typically offer 10–25% below list price compared with DIY sheds.
Practical Tips
Specify the right board for the location. Using standard board in a shower room or leaving fire-rated board out of a garage ceiling are both common, and potentially dangerous, errors.
Check joist and stud centres before ordering. The wrong sheet size relative to your stud spacing wastes material and adds unnecessary joints.
Handle carefully. Plasterboard sheets are heavy (a 2,400 × 1,200 × 12.5 mm standard sheet weighs about 19 kg) and corner damage is common. Order 5–10% extra to account for breakage and cuts.
Combine board types where needed. A party wall may need both fire-rated and acoustic performance, some manufacturers produce combination boards (fire + acoustic), which simplify the specification.
Choosing the right plasterboard from the outset prevents rework and ensures compliance with Building Regs. When in doubt about fire or acoustic requirements, a brief conversation with your local building control officer costs nothing and avoids expensive surprises later.
The rules in this note are those that apply in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own building standards and permitted development rights.
References (3)
Figures in this note were checked against the sources below on 14 September 2026. Superscript numbers in the text point to them. Every source the site cites, by topic.
- 1technicalvery strongMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.RN-NPO8FJThe statutory figures behind a damp diagnosis, and the numbers to quote when a note explains why ground levels or a bridged damp proof course cause rising damp. Paragraph 5.2 requires that in an external wall the damp-proof course should be at least 150mm above the level of the adjoining ground (Diagram 8) unless part of the building protects the wall, and that in an external cavity wall the cavity should be taken down at least 225mm below the level of the lowest damp-proof course, or a damp-proof tray provided (Diagram 9a). For suspended timber ground floors it requires a ventilated air space of at least 75mm from the ground covering to the underside of any wall-plates and at least 150mm to the underside of the suspended timber floor or insulation, with ventilation openings on two opposing external walls of not less than 1,500mm2 per metre run of external wall or 500mm2 per square metre of floor area, whichever is greater; for suspended concrete floors the clear ventilated space is at least 150mm with the same opening sizes. Section 2.39 onwards covers radon, referring to BRE Report BR 211 for protective measures. The 2013 edition was published on 3 September 2013 with changes in effect from 1 October 2013.
- 2technicalvery strongMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.RN-35VE7WTable 0.1a sets separating element performance for dwellings: purpose built walls a minimum 45 dB DnT,w + Ctr, floors and stairs 45 dB airborne and a maximum 62 dB L'nT,w impact; where a dwelling is formed by material change of use the figures relax to 43 dB airborne and 64 dB impact. Table 0.2 sets the laboratory value for new internal walls and floors within a dwelling at a minimum 40 dB Rw. Requirement E2 covers internal walls between a bedroom or a room containing a WC and other rooms, and internal floors, but expressly does not apply to an internal wall containing a door, a wall separating an en suite toilet from its own bedroom, or existing walls and floors in a material change of use. Section 5 gives internal wall types A to D and internal floor types A to C, including timber or metal stud with plasterboard and mineral wool; paragraph 5.14 requires all gaps around internal walls to be filled.
- 3costsupplier figureScrewfix Direct Ltd.RN-4CKMW0A price, true at 2026-09. the retail price Screwfix Direct Ltd publishes for smith locke series 3 fire rated overhead door closer silver, which is the supply figure the cost book records for this item
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Approved Document C, Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture, 2004 edition incorporating 2010 and 2013 amendments, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, accessed 14 September 2026. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
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Approved Document E, Resistance to the passage of sound, 2003 edition incorporating 2004, 2010, 2013 and 2015 amendments, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, accessed 14 September 2026. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
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smith locke series 3 fire rated overhead door closer silver, Screwfix Direct Ltd, accessed 16 September 2026. Priced at 2026-09, so no calibration is needed. screwfix.com
