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Cladding - External – cost per m² – UK 2026 Rate Guide

Budget rate for supply & lay · typical budget rate before your adjustments

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Cladding - External
per m² · supply & lay
£209 – £935 / m²
What is it

External cladding is the complete non-loadbearing façade finish, including support rails, insulation, membranes, cavity barriers, trims, fixings and installation.

Rate guide
Standard insulated fibre-cement rainscreen£264 – £374/m²
Insulated profiled metal cladding£209 – £314/m²
Aluminium cassette rainscreen£352 – £528/m²
Brick-slip cladding system£330 – £495/m²
Natural stone rainscreen£605 – £935/m²
Labour output
Large, repetitive open elevations18–28 m²/day
Typical elevation with regular openings12–18 m²/day
Articulated façade with frequent trims7–12 m²/day
Restricted access or heavily broken-up work4–8 m²/day
Key rate adjusters
Façade geometry
Frequent corners, reveals, openings and panel cuts can increase the rate by 10–25%, typically £25–£75/m².
Access strategy
Mast climbers, scaffolding alterations or high-level logistics can add £20–£60/m² depending on building height and elevation continuity.
Support system
Heavy-duty brackets, deep cavities or poor substrate tolerances can add £30–£90/m² for enhanced rails, brackets and setting out.
Fire performance
Non-combustible insulation, tested cavity barriers and complex fire-stopping interfaces commonly add £15–£45/m².
Material specification
Bespoke colours, anodised finishes, large-format panels or natural materials can increase supply costs by £20–£150/m².
Programme constraints
Accelerated sequencing, winter working and fragmented releases can increase installation costs by 8–20%.
Quantity surveyor insights
  • Waste and buildability: Allow around 5–8% waste for repetitive panel layouts, rising to 10–15% where façades have irregular grids, angled cuts or numerous openings; early panel optimisation can materially reduce both waste and fixing time.
  • Scope and procurement: Clearly allocate responsibility for backing-wall tolerances, secondary steelwork, membranes, cavity barriers, perimeter interfaces and access, as these are common scope gaps. Early specialist design engagement and package procurement can also protect lead times for tested systems, bespoke finishes and replacement panels.

Estimate Anything AI answer · indicative budget rates · updated 31 August 2026

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