At a Glance
Cornice and ceiling rose installation in Australia typically costs $150–$1,500 per job, using Sydney metro as the baseline. Perth and Adelaide can run 10–15% higher due to trade rates. The price depends on the cornice profile (simple cove through to ornate decorative), the number of rooms, whether old cornice needs removing first, and whether you are going for a modern square-set finish instead.
What's Included
A standard cornice installation covers:
- Supply of cornice (plaster or polystyrene, in the specified profile)
- Cutting mitres at corners and joins
- Fixing to the wall-ceiling junction with adhesive and nails or screws
- Filling, sanding, and finishing all joins and mitres to a paint-ready surface per AS/NZS 2589 Gypsum Linings
Ceiling roses are a separate scope item, typically priced per piece including supply and install. Painting is not included in the cornice installation. Cornice should be painted after installation because the filling and sanding of joins damages any pre-applied finish.
If old cornice needs removing first, budget extra. Pulling off old cornice often damages the wall-ceiling junction, which needs repairing before the new cornice goes on.
What Affects the Cost
- Profile type. Simple cove cornice (the standard curved profile found in most Australian homes) is the cheapest to supply and install. Ornate and decorative profiles (Victorian, Art Deco, large chunky profiles) cost significantly more per metre. Custom-run profiles for heritage matching are at the premium end.
- Number of rooms. More rooms means more linear metres and better per-metre pricing. A single room is a small-job premium.
- Ceiling height. Standard 2.4m ceilings are easy to work at from a step ladder. Heights above 2.7m need taller access, and very high or raked ceilings require scaffolding.
- Removing old cornice. Taking off existing cornice and repairing the wall-ceiling join adds time and cost. The join underneath is rarely clean, so preparation work is needed before new cornice can be installed.
- Square-set conversion. Converting from cornice to a square-set finish (clean right angle, no cornice) costs more than installing cornice. Square-set requires a Level 5 plaster finish at the junction, which is more labour-intensive.
- Heritage matching. If you need to match an existing profile in one room to cornice in adjacent rooms, and the profile is no longer manufactured, it must be custom-run from a mould. This is specialist work at a premium price.
Standard cove cornice installed in a single room with no removal of old cornice sits toward $150. Ornate decorative cornice across multiple rooms, with old cornice removed, heritage profile matching, and high ceilings pushes toward $1,500.
City and Regional Price Comparison
Prices vary across Australia based on labour rates and the prevalence of heritage properties requiring specialist cornice work.
At the city level, Sydney is the baseline at $150–$1,500 per job. Melbourne tracks close to Sydney, with strong demand driven by period home renovations across the inner suburbs. Brisbane sits slightly lower, with simpler profiles being the norm. Perth and Adelaide typically run 10–15% above eastern capitals.
Within any city, the split is between modern homes (where standard cove cornice or square-set is the norm) and period homes (where ornate profiles, heritage matching, and ceiling roses drive costs up). Inner-city suburbs with Victorian, Edwardian, and Federation housing stock consistently sit at the higher end. Newer suburbs with plasterboard construction and standard profiles are more predictable and cost-effective.
How We Calculate
Estimates are based on surveyed trade rates for plasterers, adjusted for each state and typical project scope. All prices include GST. Figures cover standard residential cornice installation. Heritage restoration with custom-moulded profiles may exceed these ranges.