Rising damp injection cost in Croatia: price per metre in 2026
Does a ground-floor wall have a dark band at the bottom, white salts and crumbling plaster, and paint that doesn't last a year? That is usually rising damp from the ground. The lasting fix is a horizontal barrier inside the wall, and most often it is made by injection. When you search for rising damp injection cost, you get figures from about twenty to over a hundred euros per metre. The gap is big because some quote only the injection, while others include plaster, moisture measurement and painting.
In this guide you'll find approximate prices for 2026 in Croatia: injection per running metre, renovation plaster per m², moisture measurement and other methods. There is also a worked example, a real public request, questions for the contractor and a checklist for a good request.
Rising damp injection cost: approximate ranges
These are approximate prices from publicly listed contractor price lists and portals in Croatia for 2026. They include labour and materials. Some sources don't say whether VAT (PDV) is included, so check that in the quote. The final price comes only after a contractor has inspected the wall.
| Item | How it is charged | Approximate price |
|---|---|---|
| Injection (chemical damp-proof course) | per running metre of wall | usually about €30–60, some price lists €80–130 |
| Cutting the wall and inserting a damp-proof membrane | per running metre of wall | about €150–250 |
| Renovation plaster with labour | per m² of wall | about €18–55 |
| Moisture measurement and assessment | per property | from about €50, with thermal imaging €180–300; included by some contractors |
| Electro-osmotic or electro-physical device | per system | from about €80 to €500 and more |
| Calcium silicate boards (for condensation) | per m² of wall | about €45–65 |
The key thing is that there are two kinds of charge. The barrier is paid per running metre of wall, while plaster and painting are paid per m². That is why a small basement with many walls can cost more than a larger room.
A real public request from Zagreb
On a Croatian job-request portal, a request was posted in March 2026 for injecting two interior walls in a flat, about 8 m long in total. The estimated price for the work was €225–375. That is roughly €28–47 per metre, for the injection only, without new plaster.
What a rising damp treatment includes
Injection is only one step. A full rising damp treatment usually has these items, and each can be listed separately in the quote:
- Inspection and moisture measurement. The contractor measures the moisture in the wall and checks that it really is rising damp. If it is condensation or a leaking pipe, injection won't help.
- Removing the old plaster. Salt-laden plaster is removed, usually a little above the visible tide mark. Floor protection, rubble and removal come with it.
- Drilling and injection. A row of holes is drilled near the bottom of the wall, usually in the mortar joint, and a cream or liquid is injected through them. This creates a horizontal barrier that water can no longer climb through.
- Filling the holes. The holes are closed with mortar.
- Renovation plaster. It lets vapour through, so the wall dries through it. The salts stay in the plaster and don't come to the surface.
- Painting. A breathable paint is used, and only once the wall is dry enough.
If someone gives you a single price "for the treatment", ask which of these items it includes.
Rising damp treatment cost: what it depends on
Treating the same damp in two houses can cost very different amounts. The main factors are:
- Wall thickness. The thicker the wall, the more product and the deeper the holes. Some contractors add a surcharge for every 5 cm over 30 cm of thickness.
- Type of wall. Brick is the simplest. A stone wall or a wall with voids needs more product, and for some walls injection isn't worth it.
- How wet the wall is. Some products only work up to a certain moisture level in the wall. For very wet walls the contractor chooses another product or method.
- Length of the walls. For small jobs some contractors charge a minimum amount or a call-out fee, so the price per metre is higher.
- Height of the damaged plaster. If the damp has climbed high, there are more square metres of plaster to remove and redo.
- Access. Furniture, a kitchen against the wall or services in the wall mean more work.
Injection damp-proofing or another method
Injecting walls against damp is the most common choice because it is the least invasive and works on most brick and stone walls. But it isn't the only solution:
| Method | When it makes sense | What to watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Injection (cream or liquid) | rising damp in a brick or stone wall | doesn't stop water coming in under pressure |
| Cutting the wall and inserting a membrane | older walls, when injection doesn't hold | more expensive and more invasive; load-bearing walls need a structural check |
| External waterproofing and drainage | water from outside, basement below ground level | needs space to dig around the house |
| Renovation plaster without a barrier | mild damp, as a temporary fix | damp keeps coming, the plaster only slows the damage |
| Electro-osmotic device | when drilling is a problem | results depend heavily on the wall and type of damp |
In a basement where water comes in from outside, injection is usually only part of the job. How to tell where the damp comes from is explained in the guide damp basement. Prices per m² for foundation and basement waterproofing are in the guide waterproofing cost per m².
Renovation plaster cost and materials
Renovation plaster with labour costs roughly €18–55 per m². The difference depends on whether removing the old plaster, the number of coats and the finish are included. Ask what exactly the price covers.
Approximate material prices in Croatian shops (2026):
| Material | Pack | Approximate price |
|---|---|---|
| Renovation plaster | 25 kg bag | about €10 |
| Injection cream (for a gun) | about 600 ml | about €40 |
| Professional injection cream | 5 l tub | about €360 + VAT |
| Liquid injection product | 10 l canister | from about €61 + VAT |
You can buy injection cream and apply it with a gun, without a pump and without a tradesperson. Even so, it is worth having someone measure the moisture first and confirm that it is rising damp. If you get the cause wrong, you'll spend money on the wrong job. New plaster and paint will fall off again.
Example: living room on the ground floor of an older house
This is a made-up example, for orientation only. Say two external walls of a living room, 9 m long in total, have rising damp. The wall is brick and the plaster is damaged up to about 1 m. That is about 9 m² of plaster.
| Item | Calculation | Approximate |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture measurement | per property | €50–300 |
| Injection | 9 m × €30–60 | €270–540 |
| Renovation plaster with labour | 9 m² × €18–35 | about €160–315 |
| Total | without painting and rubble removal | roughly €480–1,150 |
On top of that comes painting with breathable paint, possibly rubble removal and moving furniture. Painting prices per m² are in the guide wall painting and skim coating cost per m².
What to watch out for with wall injection
- Confirm the cause first. Rising damp has a horizontal edge and salts, and it doesn't go away in summer. Patches in corners and behind wardrobes are more often condensation. The differences are explained in the guide damp and mould on walls.
- Deal with water from outside. If a gutter pours water down next to the wall, the barrier won't help for long. Check the gutters; prices for new ones are in the guide gutter cost per metre.
- Mind the temperature. Manufacturers of injection products ask for at least +5 °C. Some also require that the temperature doesn't fall below 0 °C for at least 48 hours after application. In winter the work is therefore done in heated rooms or postponed.
- Don't paint a wet wall. Ordinary paint or plaster traps the moisture in the wall, and within a few months it peels again.
- Allow for drying. After injection the wall dries for months. For ordinary walls this is often 3–6 months, and longer for thick stone walls.
- Ask for a written, itemised quote. Metres of injection, square metres of plaster, measurement, rubble and painting separately. That way you can compare two quotes.
Questions for the contractor before you agree
- How did you confirm that it is rising damp? Did you measure the moisture in the wall?
- Which product do you use, and up to what wall thickness and moisture level does it work?
- Is the price per running metre, and does it include drilling and filling the holes?
- Up to what height do you remove the old plaster, and which renovation plaster do you use?
- How long must the wall dry before painting?
- Do you give a guarantee, and do you measure the moisture after the work as well?
- What happens if the wall is still wet at the bottom after a year?
When to call a tradesperson through Gigron
If the plaster crumbles at the bottom of the wall and the paint peels in the same place every year, don't wait. The longer the damp stays in the wall, the more plaster has to be removed. On Gigron you can look for contractors for waterproofing, masonry work and painting and decorating. For Zagreb, see waterproofing in Zagreb and foundation and basement waterproofing in Zagreb.
How to write a good request on Gigron
The clearer you describe the wall, the faster you'll get quotes you can compare. Include:
- where the damp is: ground floor, basement, external or internal wall
- the length of the walls in metres and how high the plaster is damaged
- what the wall is made of, if you know: brick, stone, block
- the wall thickness, if you can measure it at a door or window
- what has already been done and when, e.g. new paint or plaster
- close-up photos of the wall and of the whole room
More tips are in the guide how to write a request to a tradesperson.
Example request (made up): "Rising damp on two external walls of the living room on the ground floor of a 1960s house. The walls are brick, about 9 m in total, and the plaster is falling off up to about 1 m. I need injection and renovation plaster. Please send a quote including VAT, with injection per metre, plaster per m² and moisture measurement listed separately. Slavonski Brod."
Find a tradesperson for wall injection on Gigron
On Gigron you post a request and local tradespeople get back to you with quotes. It's free and you don't have to call ten numbers. Give the metres of wall, the height of the damp and your town, and you'll get clear answers faster.
Download the app:
Frequently asked questions
Can injection be done in winter?
Yes, if the wall and the room are warm enough. Injection products need at least +5 °C, and some also need the temperature to stay above zero for at least 48 hours after application. Interior walls in a heated flat are therefore not a problem. For an unheated basement or work from outside, it is better to wait for spring.
How long does wall injection take?
Drilling and injecting are the quicker part of the job. Drying the wall takes longer, usually several months, and only then comes the paint. According to Croatian portals, the barrier lasts 15–30 years, provided the cause really was rising damp.
Can I inject a wall without a tradesperson?
You can buy injection cream and apply it with a gun, without a pump. The holes have to be drilled at the right spacing and height along the whole length of the wall. If the barrier is broken anywhere, the damp climbs through that gap. It is also worth having someone measure the moisture first and confirm the cause. Removing plaster and applying renovation plaster is often easier to leave to a tradesperson.
In short: rising damp injection cost in Croatia in 2026 is usually about €30–60 per running metre, and €80–130 in some price lists. Renovation plaster with labour costs about €18–55 per m², and moisture measurement from about €50. A full rising damp treatment for a room with 9 m of wall comes to roughly €480–1,150 without painting. Before the work, confirm that it is rising damp and ask for an itemised quote.