June 30, 2026 · 4 min read
How long a plaster project actually takes
Most rooms take one to three weeks on site, plus two to four weeks of lead time before we start. Here is where that time goes.
Preparation takes longer than application
On most walls, getting the substrate right is the majority of the schedule. The finish itself often goes on in a few days.
That ratio surprises people, and it is the honest reason a small damaged room can take longer than a large sound one.
Cure time is not negotiable
Lime needs real time between coats, and humidity and temperature set that pace rather than us. Lime will not cure below about 40 degrees, so a lime job scheduled into a cold Boise winter runs to the long end of its window.
Rushing coats on lime is the most common reason a lime wall fails early, and the failure does not appear until the year after the invoice. We will not compress it to hit a date.
By material
Microcement is fastest on site because each coat is thin and cures quickly, though it demands the most preparation. Roman clay sits in the middle. Lime is slowest, because it cures when it cures.
Living in the house
For a single room, most people stay in the house without much disruption. We protect adjacent areas and clean up daily. For a kitchen or the only bathroom, we plan the sequence around you before we start.
In short
One to three weeks on site is realistic. Anyone promising a lime finish in three days is either using something other than lime or storing up a problem.
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