How to Use the Render Cost Calculator
- Work out your wall area. Enter the length and height of each wall to be rendered, add gable triangles, or pick a typical house type to use average figures.
- Subtract openings. Enter the number of windows and doors. The calculator uses typical sizes you can change.
- Choose the render system: sand and cement, pebbledash, monocouche, silicone thin coat, or external wall insulation (EWI) with a render finish.
- Add scaffolding, or enter a quote if you have one.
- Tick "Remove old render" if the existing render is loose, cracked or hollow over a large area.
- Read the result: wall area, the cost range for each part, and the total.
How Much Does It Cost to Render a House in 2026?
Typical installed prices, including labour:
| Render system | Cost per m² | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sand and cement | £40–£70 | Traditional; needs painting and can crack |
| Pebbledash | £50–£80 | Sand and cement with stones thrown into the top coat |
| Monocouche (e.g. one-coat through-coloured) | £70–£100 | Coloured right through, no painting |
| Silicone thin coat | £80–£120 | Flexible, water-repellent, self-cleaning finish |
| External wall insulation with render | £120–£180 | Insulation boards plus a render system |
Lime render, often used on older solid-walled and listed buildings, typically costs more than sand and cement because it's slower and more skilled to apply.
Extras to budget for
- Scaffolding: about £800–£1,500 for a small house, and £1,500–£3,000 for larger or complex properties
- Removing old render: typically adds £20–£40 per m² if more than about 20% of the existing render is loose
- Beads, mesh, primers and making good around windows, pipes and downpipes
- Skip hire for waste
Typical totals by house type
| Property | Typical wall area | Estimated total |
|---|---|---|
| Terraced house | 60–80 m² | £3,500–£8,000 |
| Semi-detached house | 90–120 m² | £6,000–£12,000 |
| Bungalow | 100–140 m² | £7,000–£14,000 |
| Detached house | 140–200 m² | £10,000–£20,000 |
Worked example: rendering a semi in silicone
A semi-detached house with about 100 m² of wall to render after deducting windows and doors, in silicone thin coat:
- Render: 100 × £80–£120 = £8,000–£12,000
- Scaffolding: £800–£1,500
- Total: about £8,800–£13,500
- If the old render has to come off first, add 100 × £20–£40 = £2,000–£4,000
The same house in sand and cement would be about £4,000–£7,000 for the render, plus scaffolding and painting.
How to Measure Wall Area for Rendering
For each wall: length × height. For gable ends, add the triangle: width × height of the triangle ÷ 2. Then subtract windows and doors.
- A typical window is about 1.2 m² and a door about 2 m².
- Measure the height from the damp-proof course (render should stop above the DPC with a bell cast bead) to the eaves.
- Party walls and walls you can't reach aren't included.
Some renderers don't deduct small windows, because cutting around them takes as long as rendering the area. The calculator lets you choose.
Which Render Is Best?
Sand and cement is the cheapest and most familiar. It's applied in two or three coats to about 20mm, then painted. It's rigid, so it can crack if the building moves, and it needs repainting every several years.
Monocouche is a one-coat render that's coloured all the way through, so it doesn't need painting. It's applied in a single thick coat and scraped to a textured finish. It's quicker to apply than traditional render, and popular on new builds.
Silicone thin coat is a thin, flexible finish applied over a base coat and mesh. It repels water, resists algae and dirt better than most renders, and comes in many colours. It's the most popular choice for modern refurbishments, but costs more.
Pebbledash is a traditional finish common on post-war houses. It's hard-wearing, but it's difficult to repair invisibly and to remove later.
Lime render is breathable and flexible, and the right choice for solid-walled older buildings where cement render can trap moisture and cause damp. Use a specialist.
External wall insulation (EWI) fixes insulation boards to the outside of the wall and finishes them with render. It's the most expensive option but can dramatically improve a solid-walled home's energy efficiency. If your house has cavity walls, filling the cavity is far cheaper: see the Cavity Wall Insulation Calculator.
Materials for DIY Rendering
If you're rendering a small wall yourself, the calculator estimates materials:
- Sand and cement: about 20mm total thickness in two coats, typically a 4:1 or 5:1 sharp/plastering sand to cement mix with a waterproofer or plasticiser. For 100 m² at 5:1, allow roughly 3.5 tonnes of sand and about 25 bags of cement, plus a margin for waste.
- Monocouche: typically around 20–25kg of dry render per m² at 15mm, depending on the product. Check the manufacturer's coverage.
You'll also need beads (bell cast at the base, angle beads on corners, stop beads at edges), mesh over joints between different materials, and a primer for thin coat systems. Rendering large or high walls well is a skilled job; most homeowners hire a renderer.
Planning and Building Regulations
Planning. Rendering an existing house is usually permitted development, so it doesn't normally need planning permission. You'll need permission or consent in a conservation area, on a listed building, in a National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or where an Article 4 direction applies. If in doubt, ask your council or apply for a Lawful Development Certificate.
Building Regulations. Re-rendering can count as renovating a thermal element under Approved Document L. If you renovate more than 50% of a wall or more than 25% of the whole building envelope, you may need to improve the wall's insulation, typically towards a U-value of 0.30 W/m²K for solid walls (or 0.55 for cavity walls by filling the cavity), where this is technically and economically feasible, usually tested as a 15-year payback. Talk to building control before starting a full re-render; it may make sense to add EWI at the same time.
Repairing vs Replacing Render
Not every tired render needs to come off. Tap the wall with a hammer handle: a hollow sound means the render has come away from the wall behind it.
- Hairline cracks in sound render can be filled and the wall repainted with a flexible masonry paint.
- Small hollow or blown patches can be cut out and patched, though patches in sand and cement are hard to match in texture and colour.
- Widespread hollow areas, deep cracks or damp patches usually mean the render should be removed and replaced. Rendering over failing render just hides the problem.
If more than about a fifth of the render is loose, most renderers will recommend stripping the whole elevation. An alternative for sound but ugly render is to apply a thin coat silicone system over it, after the wall has been checked and prepared.
Tips for a Long-Lasting Render
- Fix damp first. Rendering over a damp wall traps moisture.
- Avoid frost and heat. Render between about 5°C and 25–30°C, out of direct hot sun and heavy rain.
- Use the right beads and movement joints to control cracking.
- Use a manufacturer-approved installer for proprietary systems; many warranties depend on it.
- Keep render above the DPC and away from ground level, with a bell cast bead to shed water.
For new walls under the render, the Brick Calculator works out bricks and blocks. Replacing the roof at the same time can share the scaffolding: see the Roof Tile Calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to render a house in the UK?
About £3,500–£8,000 for a terraced house, £6,000–£12,000 for a semi and £10,000–£20,000 for a detached house, depending on the render type and scaffolding.
How much is render per m²?
Roughly £40–£70 per m² for sand and cement, £70–£100 for monocouche and £80–£120 for silicone thin coat, installed.
How much does scaffolding cost for rendering?
Typically £800–£1,500 for a small house and £1,500–£3,000 for a larger or more complex property.
How much does it cost to remove old render?
Usually an extra £20–£40 per m², plus skip hire.
Do I need planning permission to render my house?
Usually not, but you do in conservation areas, on listed buildings and where an Article 4 direction applies. Check with your council.
Which is better, silicone or monocouche render?
Silicone is thinner, more flexible and more resistant to dirt and algae. Monocouche is cheaper and through-coloured. Both avoid painting.
How long does house render last?
Well-applied render can last decades; sand and cement needs repainting every several years, while silicone and monocouche need less maintenance.
Get quotes from approved render installers
Ask which render system they use and whether they're approved by the manufacturer.