13/08/2026
The cheapest drylining quote often ends up the most expensive by handover.
Cutting corners on the install doesn't show on day one. It shows at inspection, at snagging, and in the callbacks months later. Five of the most common:
1. Stud centres stretched beyond spec. Saves a few lengths of metal - but what does it do to board performance, deflection and the fire and acoustic rating you're supposed to be hitting?
2. Perimeter fixings that don't suit the substrate. The perimeter isn't just holding the wall in place. Wrong fixing, wrong centres, and movement and cracking follow.
3. Fire-rated detail treated as optional. A fire-rated board doesn't make a fire-rated system if the junctions, head detail and service pe*******ons around it are wrong.
4. Boards not staggered or fixed to spec. A system can be right on paper and still lose its performance through poor installation - joint positions and fixing centres matter.
5. Acoustic junctions ignored. A wall can be built perfectly and still fail if the junction to the floor, ceiling or facade creates a flanking path around it.
None of these save money. They just move the cost to the end of the job, when it's most expensive to put right.
What would you add to this list? 👇