ATO benchmarks for plasterers
Plasterers earn by the job or by the square metre, installing and finishing plasterboard walls and ceilings, with board, compounds, cornice, subcontractors and vehicle costs as their main outgoings.
General information
Total expenses as a share of turnover
Low and high end of each published range
| Turnover range | Financial year | Low end | High end |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 to $300,000 | 2023-24 | 35% | 55% |
| $50,000 to $300,000 | 2022-23 | 36% | 57% |
| $300,001 to $1,000,000 | 2023-24 | 68% | 82% |
| $300,001 to $1,000,000 | 2022-23 | 71% | 84% |
| More than $1,000,000 | 2023-24 | 84% | 93% |
| More than $1,000,000 | 2022-23 | 85% | 93% |
Australian Taxation Office, Small Business Benchmarks, key ratios for 2023-24 and 2022-23 (data.gov.au), licensed under CC BY 2.5 AU. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
What sits behind these figures in the books
- The main day-to-day expenses are plasterboard, cornice, compounds and fixings, subcontract fixers and setters, vehicle running costs, scaffold or lift hire and public liability insurance.
- Trade account invoices for board and compounds are entered as they arrive and matched to the monthly statement, so no delivery is missed or recorded twice.
- Plasterboard lifters, sanders and other tools are recorded as equipment rather than running costs, and personal spending is kept off the business card, so total expenses show only the trade's costs.
Sources
- Small Business Benchmarks, 2023-24 Benchmarks (key ratios)
Australian Taxation Office. 2023-24 financial year, released 16 March 2026. Checked 15 October 2026.
Based on Australian Taxation Office data, Small Business Benchmarks, 2023-24 Benchmarks, licensed under CC BY 2.5 AU Licence: CC BY 2.5 AU.
- Small Business Benchmarks, 2022-23 Benchmarks (key ratios)
Australian Taxation Office. 2022-23 financial year, released 17 March 2025. Checked 15 October 2026.
Based on Australian Taxation Office data, Small Business Benchmarks, 2022-23 Benchmarks, licensed under CC BY 2.5 AU Licence: CC BY 2.5 AU.
Get your books in order
Cost of sales and total expenses are only as reliable as the books behind them. Tell us how your business runs and we will suggest a bookkeeping plan that fits.