Wall Rendering Price Guide

Render is applied to the external walls of many homes and is a practical, affordable and popular alternative to brick-face or cladding.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t last forever and there comes a time when the existing render needs to be removed and replaced.

Whether you’re looking to render a wall for the first time or to replace failing render, explore our updated price guide below where you’ll find:

• Prices for the three most popular finishes; sand/cement, silicone render and monocouche.
• Pros and cons of each.
• Guide price per square metre.
• A breakdown of the wall & house render cost, scaffold prices, the cost to remove old render etc.

As always, our prices are based on quotes given to us by real tradespeople in the UK.

Three Render Options

Whether rendering a wall for the first time or replacing existing render, you have three options to choose from:

Sand and Cement – This is the traditional option; a mix of sand and cement is applied in two layers to the walls and allowed to dry. The render is then painted in the chosen colour. While this is a time-tested, affordable method, the render isn’t flexible and is more likely to crack over time due to weather changes and temperature fluctuations. Also, s/c render isn’t breathable and this can cause issues with vapour permeability and condensation.

Monocouche – As the name suggests, this is a single layer of through-coloured render. The key benefits are quicker installation, good breathability and there’s no need to paint after installation. This is the mid-priced option, cheaper than silicone but more expensive than sand and cement. The downside is that the dry, powdery surface holds onto dirt from rainwater.

Silicone renders – The most modern option and provides excellent breathability and flexibility while also available in a wide range of colours. Customised colours can also be created. They are also very easy to clean but the downside is the price, the cost to render a house in silicone render is high compared to other options.

Rendered house. Image by Weber.

Cost to Render a House

Below you’ll find our price guides for the rendering of both a wall and an entire house in each of the three render finishes.

Project 1 – Re-Render Price Guide For a Semi-Detached House

Here is the cost to re-render a house in either sand/cement, monocouche or silicone render finishes.

Key Points:

• The property is a three-bed house with a gable end at the side.
• None of the prices include the cost of insulation as the walls are already well insulated.
• The cost of scaffolding is included in the price.
• The cost of removing the existing wall render and disposing of it is included in the price.

Sand and Cement Render and Paint Finish

This is the price we were given to render the walls with sand/cement and paint them once dry:

Monocouche Finish

This is the price we were given to re-render the walls with a monocouche through-coloured render:

Silicone Render Finish

This is the price we were given to re-render the walls with a silicone render, this doesn’t require painting either:

Project 2 – Rendering Prices For a Single Wall

The price below is for the removal of failed render to an exposed gable end wall and its replacement with new sand/cement render and a painted finish.

Key Points:

• The cost of scaffolding is again included in the price.
• The cost of removing the existing render is included in the price.
• Two layers of traditional sand/cement render, surface stabiliser and three coats of external masonry paint.
• Waste disposal (i.e skip hire is included).

Project 3 – Cost to Render a Brick House

The house rendering price below is for the installation of render over a brick-walled house.

The key difference is that there’s no old render to remove from the house and dispose of so the project takes less time and costs less.

Key Points:

• This rendering price is for a three-bed semi-detached home with a side gable.
• The cost of scaffolding is again included in the price.
• Insulation isn’t needed as the wall already meets the Building Regulations for thermal efficiency.
• The sand and cement option includes finishing with three layers of masonry paint.
• Waste disposal is included, although there won’t be much waste, perhaps a tiny skip is required.

Sand and Cement Render Over Brick Walls:

Monocouche Render Over Brick Walls:

Silicone Render Over Brick Walls:

House Rendering Cost Breakdown

Here’s a breakdown of the costs to re-render the walls of a large three-bed semi-detached house:

• Scaffolding costs vary, but for a three-sided house with a gable end, the cost will be around £1000.
• Skip hire costs around £275, but it depends on where you live in the UK.
• Labour and materials for s/c, monocouche or silicone – £3500 – £6500
• VAT on labour and materials – £700 – £1300.
• + markup/profits etc

A base price for rendering the walls of a three-bed, semi-detached house is between £5500 – £9000 + markup/profit etc.

This works at between £45 and £70 per square metre base price.

The lower figure is for s/c; the mid-price will be for monocouche while the upper price would be for silicone render.

Extra Rendering Costs to Consider:

When it comes to wall rendering prices, insulation can be problematic for some homes.

To comply with Building Regulations for thermal efficiency, when a wall is re-rendered, the insulation must meet a certain standard. If it doesn’t, it will need to be upgraded.

For most homes built with a cavity, that will mean the void between the two walls should be filled with insulation; this is a fairly inexpensive project.

However, for properties built with only one solid wall, extra insulation will need to be fitted to the inside wall or the outer wall. Either way, insulating a solid wall to the standards set by the Building Regulations is very costly and usually well above £100 per square metre.

The video below shows how much extra work is involved with insulating a solid wall:

Whether your home has a chimney or not and how high the chimney is also affects the price in terms of extra work and more scaffold required.

Most walls will need mesh reinforcement to reduce the chances of the render cracking. How much mesh is needed will depend on the condition of the existing wall.

Obviously, the type of company you use to carry out wall rendering massively affects the price. Small one-man type traders have few overheads like advertising, sales staff, office staff and company directors etc that can really increase the cost of each project they undertake. Expect to pay much more above our base price if you go with a bigger firm. For example, most sales staff earn a 10% commission, so straight away their prices will, on average, be 10% higher.

The number of windows and doors is also a factor as corners require beading and issues sometimes arise when window sills don’t overhang enough etc.

The relocation or adjustment of anything fixed to the wall can add to the cost, waste pipes can be costly to move while satellite dishes. aerials, cables and the like are fairly easy, although occasionally time-consuming to relocate.

Get a Wall or House Rendering Price Today

We hope you found our guide to the cost of wall rendering insightful.

As every project is different, the best way to get an accurate price for rendering is to compare prices from local firms and tradespeople.

Tap the button below to see how we can help you get a great price for your project:

Popular Brands and Further Reading

If you’re not sure which type of render is best for your property, check out these resources:

K-Rend, a well-known and popular manufacturer of coloured rendering products published this guide: 5 reasons why you should choose silicone render.

EWI Store explains the key difference between monocouche and silicone render products here.

This site has a detailed write-up on how long wall render should last.

This forum has a few photos of wall rendering gone wrong and highlights why choosing an experienced tradesperson is so important.

Wall Rendering FAQs