Cost guides › Rendering
United Kingdom
How much does it cost to render a house?
Rendering 120 m² of wall, about the outside of a three-bed semi, in silicone thin-coat render typically costs £11,500 including VAT, with most quotes between £8,950 and £14,900. That includes scaffolding for around four weeks, covering windows, brushing down and priming, beads at corners and reveals, a meshed basecoat and a coloured silicone finish. Traditional sand and cement render finished with masonry paint is about £8,950; a premium silicone system with full mesh, stainless beads and an insurance-backed guarantee is around £12,400. Pick monocouche or acrylic in the calculator to compare.
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mid-range, typicalCost by region
| Location | Basic | Mid-range | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | £9,600 | £12,200 | £13,100 |
| Scotland | £9,100 | £11,600 | £12,500 |
| South East | £8,950 | £11,500 | £12,400 |
| East | £8,850 | £11,400 | £12,200 |
| North West | £8,850 | £11,400 | £12,200 |
| South West | £8,800 | £11,300 | £12,100 |
| West Midlands | £8,800 | £11,300 | £12,100 |
| East Midlands | £8,700 | £11,200 | £12,100 |
| North East | £8,700 | £11,200 | £12,000 |
| Wales | £8,750 | £11,200 | £12,100 |
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| Yorkshire and The Humber | £8,650 | £11,100 | £12,000 |
What's included
Mid-range
- Scaffolding erected around the rendered walls, about four weeks' hire and taken down
- Covering windows, doors and the ground, brushing down and priming the wall
- Corner, stop and bellcast beads at corners, reveals and above the damp-proof course
- Meshed basecoat over the wall
- Coloured silicone thin-coat render finish
- Clearing up and removing waste
What affects the cost
Type of render
Sand and cement is the cheapest to apply but needs painting and repainting every few years and can crack. Monocouche and acrylic are through-coloured. Silicone thin-coat costs the most but is flexible, water-repellent and stays cleaner for longer.
Hacking off old render
If the existing render is cracked, hollow or blown, it has to be hacked off back to the brick and taken away in skips before new render goes on. That adds labour and waste costs per square metre.
Condition of the wall
Spalled bricks, cracks and failed pointing have to be repaired first. Our mid price assumes a sound wall; add crack repairs or extensive repairs in the calculator if yours needs them.
Scaffolding and height
Scaffolding is a big fixed cost on every render job. A bungalow is cheaper to scaffold, a three-storey house or a scaffold over a conservatory, extension or the pavement costs more.
Detailing
Lots of windows, bay windows, pipes, satellite dishes and meter boxes mean more beads, cutting and time than a plain gable wall of the same area.
Weather
Render cannot go on in frost or heavy rain, and thin-coat finishes need dry days to cure. Winter jobs can run over and add scaffold hire weeks.
How to save
- Combine rendering with roof, fascia or window work so you only pay for scaffolding once.
- Keep sound existing render and overcoat it with a thin-coat system instead of hacking it all off, if the renderer confirms it is well bonded.
- Book between late spring and early autumn to avoid weather delays and extra scaffold weeks.
- Compare quotes on the same system, with scaffold, beads, removal and waste listed separately.
Grants, tax and rules
Building regulations
Under the Building Regulations for England and Wales, adding a new render layer or replacing the render on more than 50% of a wall counts as renovating a thermal element: the whole wall must then be improved to current insulation standards where that is technically, functionally and economically feasible. Painting is a decorative finish and does not trigger this. Ask your renderer or building control before you start.
VAT
Our figures include 20% VAT.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to render a house in the UK?
For 120 m² of wall, about a three-bed semi, silicone thin-coat render with scaffolding costs around £11,500 including VAT, with most quotes between £8,950 and £14,900. Sand and cement with masonry paint is cheaper at about £8,950.
What is the best render for a house?
Silicone thin-coat is the most popular choice for new work because it is flexible, water-repellent and self-coloured. Monocouche is a good one-coat alternative on sound blockwork. Sand and cement suits period houses and budget jobs but needs painting.
How long does rendering a house take?
A three-bed semi usually takes one to two weeks of rendering once the scaffold is up, plus drying time between coats. Allow three to four weeks of scaffold hire in total.
Do I need planning permission to render my house?
It depends on the house and where it is. In a conservation area, on a listed building or where the render would change the look of the street, check with your local planning authority first. Building regulations can also apply, see above.
Can you render over old render?
Yes, if the old render is sound and well bonded. The renderer taps it to find hollow areas, cuts those out and patches them, then applies a meshed basecoat and the new finish. Loose or blown render has to come off.
How this estimate is calculated
Work hours: 149.7 · Labour: £5,082 · Materials: £4,492
Sources: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, tables 14 and 15; Regione Toscana, Prezzario dei Lavori 2026 (CC BY 4.0); ECB exchange rates; market check: 120 m2 silicone thin-coat incl. scaffold, VAT basis mostly unstated (treated as consumer prices): Checkatrade house rendering cost (06/2026), Checkatrade silicone render (02/2025), Kent Plasterers (07/2026), BestBuilders (2026), BookaBuilderUK (2026), MyBuilder (08/2026).
Last reviewed 26 September 2026 · How we calculate costs · Editorial policy