By the Bouwsector België team, 97 in-house tradespeople · reviewed by Geert Jan Hendrik, director · updated
A corner bead is a long strip that the plasterer fixes to an outside corner so that the corner ends up straight and stays strong. At Bouwsector België a corner bead costs €16.00 per linear metre, excluding VAT.
So you pay per metre of corner, not per m² of wall. How many metres appear on your quote depends on the number of outside corners in the room.
Want crisp corners on your plasterwork? Request your quote
Our own plasterers measure every corner, so you know in advance how many metres of corner bead you need
A plastering corner bead is a narrow strip with a straight, reinforced edge and two wings. The wings disappear into the plaster layer, while the edge sits exactly on the corner. Once the plastering is done you no longer see the bead, only a crisp, straight corner.
A corner bead belongs on an outside corner: a corner that sticks out towards you. Think of the corner of a chimney breast, a window reveal or the edges of an open doorway, such as the opening to a new extension.
Such a corner has two weak points. It is hard to get perfectly straight by hand, and it takes the most knocks from vacuum cleaners, furniture and prams. The bead solves both problems.
If you search for corner beads, you will also come across tile trims, aluminium finishing strips and wooden corner battens. Those are different products that stay visible on the corner. A plastering corner bead sits underneath the finish.
What do corner beads cost?
In our price list, corner beads appear as a separate item, priced per linear metre. That way your quote shows exactly how many metres of corner are in your job, instead of it disappearing into a price per m².
Item
Price
Corner beads, per linear metre
€16.00
Plastering walls, traditional, ready to paint (materials included)
€22.99 per m²
Plastering ceiling, ready to paint (materials included)
€23.99 per m²
Prices exclude VAT. For renovation work on a home over 10 years old this is usually 6% VAT, otherwise 21%. The VAT rate is shown on your quote.
Corner beads come on top of the m² price of the plastering itself. A quote can contain further items besides the m² price, so what plastering costs per m² is not always the whole amount. The other rates are on our prices page.
Plastering calculator: your m² and price
Enter the floor area of your home and see a price indication straight away, without leaving your details first.
You add up the length of every outside corner that will be plastered. Two examples show how quickly it adds up.
Situation
Outside corners
Metres
Corner bead cost
Chimney breast in the living room, 2.60 m high
2 vertical corners
5.20 m
€83.20
Open doorway without a door frame, 2.30 m high and 0.90 m wide, both sides of the wall plastered
4 vertical and 2 top corners
11.00 m
€176.00
The doorway shows why it adds up. On each side of the wall the opening has three corners: left, right and the top. If the wall is plastered on both sides, you count them twice.
These dimensions are an example. During the site survey we measure the real corners, together with the m² of wall and ceiling. If you would like to work out the area of your walls beforehand, use our m² calculator.
Can’t a plasterer get a corner straight without a bead?
They can, and an experienced plasterer can get a corner straight without a bead. But a corner bead is about more than a straight line.
The main difference is what happens to the corner afterwards. An outside corner without reinforcement is the first place where a piece of plaster chips off when something hits it. With a bead underneath, the corner holds up better.
That is why the metres are on the quote in advance and not on the invoice afterwards. You see what a crisp, sturdy corner costs and can weigh it up, instead of it quietly sitting inside a total amount.
Who fits the corner beads and how does it work?
The work is done by one of our 32 plasterers on permanent contracts. Bram is one of them; he has been plastering with us for 7 years. If you want to hire a plasterer for a one-off job, that is possible too.
When you apply, count the outside corners and open doorways that will be plastered, and say whether the wall is plastered on one or both sides. Then the metres of corner bead are already in the free quote you receive within 24 hours. During the site survey we measure walls, ceilings and corners exactly and check the substrate.
On the working day we fit the beads before the plaster goes on. The wall is then finished in one go, with the bead built in. If painting follows, a primer coat goes on once it has dried: priming after plastering is not a step to skip.
With us a corner bead costs €16.00 per linear metre. That comes on top of the m² price of the plastering, which is €22.99 per m² for a wall that is ready to paint. Prices exclude VAT.
Does a corner bead also go on plasterboard?
Yes, an outside corner of plasterboard can also get a corner bead before the wall is finished. How to finish plasterboard walls further, with plaster, a skim coat or renovation fleece, we discuss during the site survey.
Is a plastering corner bead the same as a tile trim?
No. A tile trim or aluminium finishing strip stays visible on the corner of the tiling. A plastering corner bead disappears under the plaster layer, so all you see is a crisp, plastered corner.
Do you also need a corner bead on an inside corner?
A corner bead is meant for outside corners, the corners that stick out towards you and take the knocks. Which corners in your room get a bead, we measure during the site survey and it appears on the quote.
Do you have to buy corner beads yourself?
No. If we do the plastering, our plasterers fit the beads and the metres appear as a separate item on the quote. You do not need to buy anything yourself.
By the Bouwsector België team, 97 in-house tradespeople · reviewed by 
