A Guide to Rendering Costs

There is no clear-cut single answer to the question how much does rendering cost? When considering costs for rendering your home there are many factors to bear in mind. It is also advised not to cut corners and attempt a DIY job; rendering is a skill that is best left to the professionals. A poorly executed rendering job can simply lead to further costs as cracks, bubbles and mould can appear.

NOTE: All costings in this article are based on a national average to give general guidance but will vary according to location, company, season and individual properties. Prices also correct as of July 2022

Render Costs

The render itself will be a large chunk of your budget and this can vary according to 

• The size and difficulty of the property
• The method used to render
• The type and brand of render you choose

The following grid  gives you a rough guide to the varying costs for the type of brand according to property size :

(Prices correct as of July 2022)

The price can also vary depending on the brand you opt for. For a full guide to some of the popular render brands take a look here >

As a rough guide, this is the price range you would be looking at for some the following brands:

• K-Rend: £30-£70 per m²
• Parex: £20-£60 per m²
• Weber: £25-£65 per m²

Labour Costs

Again, there is no one-size-fits-all price when it comes to labour costs. Labour costs can be affected by:

• Preparation work
• Size of the property
• Waste disposal
• Scaffold hire
• Method of rendering
• Location
• Time of year

Preparation work could be as simple as cleaning and priming brickwork. However, it could also be as time-consuming and challenging as removing existing render first. Render removal can take from 1-3 days with additional costs of skip (factor in around £200) and scaffold hire (allow between £500-£800) and waste removal, on top of the £150-£400 daily rate of a tradesman. There will of course be additional rendering supplies needed such as render mesh or accelerator, depending on the job.

Labourers costs will of course vary depending on your location; in London expect to pay more. The time of year can also impact cost; labourers will be highly in demand over the warmer summer months so may charge a premium. On average you would be looking at an average of £200 per day per tradesman but this will vary according to the part of the country you are in and how your contractor carries out the work. 

Man Vs Machine

When companies are pricing up a job, as well as considering the size of the property, they will also decide on how best to execute the job. For a larger house, machine applied render may be preferable however if it’s a small area or a repair job, hand applied render may be all you need. 

Applying render manually will of course be cheaper in the tools needed for the job, trowels, hawks, scrapers and spatulas will cost all-in under £100 whereas a rendering machine can cost between £3000-£20,000 to purchase depending on size and machine type. Companies will have to account for their method of application within their quote. Whilst factoring the use of a machine, its parts and maintenance could seem more expensive, the upside can be that labour costs are significantly reduced since the process may be able to be achieved by one person and a lot more quickly, particularly if you opt for a one-coat monocouche render. There is of course the option of hiring a machine too which could cost as little as £220 per week (excluding hoses/compressor etc) for a small machine like the Euromair DropPro 8P. For more on the pros and cons of buying vs hiring head here >