Render is a coating applied to the walls of buildings to improve their durability and aesthetics.
There have been a few trends in render over the years, including pebble-dash, monocouche, silicone, acrylic, lime, and stucco.
The render on many older homes is starting to suffer, and older forms of render like pebbledash are no longer considered trendy.
Period homes are sometimes covered in a damaged and unattractive render, and removing it exposes gorgeous period brickwork.
This is article will review how much it costs to remove render in the UK, factors that affect the cost and other common questions surrounding removing render.
Average Cost Of Removing Pebbledash and Render
The average cost of removing render and pebbledash depends on the size of the house. Older pebbledash and render is easier to remove. Some newer renders are almost impossible to safely remove, so the contractors will refuse the job. In this case, consider painting with textured external paint.
The cost of re-rendering mostly depends on the quality of the new render applied.
Classic flat renders are among the cheapest options. Lime render, acrylic, silicone, and monocouche are more expensive, costing up to £75/m2 plus the cost of removing the render.
Repointing and restoring brickwork is generally more expensive than rerendering, however.
Restoring old bricks and repointing is a specialist job that costs around £50 to £100 per metre squared, which is more than the cost of rendering.
| Project Type | Remove Render and Re-Render | Remove Render and Restore and Repoint Bricks |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Per m² | £75 - £120 / m² | £90 - £150 / m² |
| 2 Bed Terraced | £3,500 - £6,500 | £5,500 - £8,500 |
| 3 Bed Semi-Detached | £5,500 - £7,500 | £7,500 - £10,000 |
| 4 Bed Detached | £7,000 - £9,000 | £8,500 - £12,000 |
All in, you’re probably looking at more than £5,000 and less than £10,000 to remove older render or pebbledash and re-render using a decent modern mix. You can certainly pay more in London and the South East, however.
Factors Affecting The Cost of Removing Render or Pebbledash
There are many factors affecting the cost of removing render and restoring, repointing or re-rendering a home. They include:
Property Size
It goes without saying that larger properties are more expensive to de-render and re-render.
While any home can be rendered or pebble-dashed, this is more common with older period homes and Victorian or Georgian homes, including many town and city terraces.
Removing pebbledash and re-rendering or restoring brickwork will cost between £3,500 and £8,500 for a 2-bed terraced home. The upper range includes restoring the original brickwork, which is usually more costly than re-rendering.
Choice of Render
De-rendering homes inevitably causes some wear and damage to the original brickwork. This will either need to be re-rendered or restored and repointed.
Sometimes, other repairs will be needed prior to re-rendering or restoring, which will come at an additional cost.
The choice of render affects the cost of this, with basic smooth renders sitting at the bottom of the range and expensive modern lime, silicone or acrylic renders sitting at the top of the range.
Restoring and Repointing the Brick
If you want to expose the brick wall, which is a popular option as old brick is quite attractive, it’ll need to be restored and repointed.
This is a specialist job that generally costs more than re-rendering. Sometimes, bricks will need to be replaced as part of the restoration process, costing around £5 to £15 per brick.
Scaffolding
Scaffolding costs around £100 to £150 per day. Render removal or brick restoration companies will include scaffolding in their quote.
Access
Removing render over flat roofs, from third-storeys, or from chimney breasts, etc., is more difficult. If your property is difficult to access, you can expect the cost to go up.
Moreover, it can be tricky to de-render just your part of the wall without affecting a neighbour’s.
Location
Prices in London and the South East and Home Counties are generally highest. Specialist restorers in London may charge a premium for removing pebbledash and restoring old brick.
Painting
Not all render requires painting, as some are pre-coloured. The cost of painting the render will be included. High-quality or coloured paints cost more.
What is Render?
Render includes pretty much any cement-based mixture applied to the walls of houses, including:
- Pebbledash, which combines render with small pebbles and stones. Very popular in the post-war period, but not so much now. Among the cheapest options at £20 to £45/m².
- Smooth/flat render, which involves a smooth render mix coated with thick external paint. Among the cheapest options at £20 to £45/m².
- Stucco, which is very similar to smooth lime render. More expensive at £40 to £60/m².
- Lime render, similar finish to cement render, but with a smoother and more breathable finish. More expensive at £35 to £60/m².
- Acrylic, which contains fibres to prevent cracking, also available in multiple colours. More expensive at £40 to £60/m².
- Monocouche, a thick, durable render available in multiple colours. Most expensive option at £40 to £75/m².
- Silicone render, durable and strongly pigmented modern render. More expensive option. Most expensive option at £40 to £75/m².
Some of these forms of render are quite modern, like silicone and acrylic.
If the render itself is high-quality, removing it might not be worthwhile. Instead, it could be repaired, repainted or re-rendered with a different colour or texture.
Why Remove Render From Houses?
The vast majority of people who want to remove render from their property want to remove pebbledash or older cement renders. These often wear and become cracked and unsightly.
Plus, original brickwork has come back in trend, too, especially for period homes that were retrospectively rendered.
There is another crucial reason why people want to remove render, though: damp.
Older unbreathable cement renders have a reputation for sealing a house and preventing the bricks from breathing. Moisture often gets caught in the gaps between the render and the bricks, causing intrusive damp issues.
Properties coated in older renders are often damp, sometimes to the point of developing serious mould issues.
If you’re experiencing damp issues, check the rendering on your home as soon as possible.
Heritage House, a period home restoration gives their candid opinion: “Cement render on old houses is a complete no no. Cement render on an old house needs stripping off. NEVER render an old house… Phew…. think I’ve made that fairly clear to all readers now.”
Modern renders shouldn’t suffer from the same issues. Removing modern renders can also be extremely tricky due to how well they bond with the brick.
In short, most render removal jobs involve either pebbledash or older cement renders.
Not All Homes Are Suitable for Render Removal
It’s important to consider that not all homes are suitable for removing the render.
For example, some post-war homes were built using breezeblocks that were rendered on the outside and plastered on the inside. You wouldn’t want to remove render to expose breezeblocks!
Firstly, you’ll need to work out what’s underneath the render to consider removing it.
If you’re unsure whether brick lies beneath your rendered walls, you’ll need to confirm from your property deeds or other information (e.g. asking neighbours).
It’s also difficult to estimate the condition of the brickwork before you remove the render. Often, the walls will need to be immediately repaired and repainted.
Alternatively, the wall can be covered with a flat render. Removing render and leaving the brickwork as it is is not an option.
How to Choose a Render Removal Company
The task of removing render varies in complexity. Some jobs are simple when the pebbledash or render is poorly applied and falls off without too much difficulty.
Other times, the pebbledash or render is firmly bonded to the wall and is tough to get off without causing damage.
This is why choosing a reputable company is paramount. There are three possible contractors or specialists that provide rendering removal services:
- Wall render companies, which also include many general building companies, which will probably be helpful if you want to remove render and re-render walls.
- Plasterers with wall rendering experience.
- Specialist brick restorers or repointers.
Always check if the contractor has skills in removing render.
While many building specialists and brickworkers can render a house, removing render is not always straightforward. If the render is poorly removed, you risk serious damage to your brickwork.
If you live in a period home, consider searching for restoration companies. They will have specific knowledge in restoring and repairing old walls.
Get Prices on Removing Render Near You
We’ve done our best to give you a good idea of what you can expect to pay to remove render.
However, our guides are not a substitute for a fixed quote specifically for you.
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