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

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

Render - External

per m² · supply & lay

£77 – £248 / m²

What is it

External render is a weather-resistant decorative coating system applied to external wall substrates in one or more reinforced or finished layers.

Rate guide

Standard two-coat sand-and-cement render with painted finish£77 – £110/m²

Through-coloured monocouche render£83 – £121/m²

Silicone thin-coat render system on prepared masonry£94 – £138/m²

Traditional lime render, three-coat finish£127 – £193/m²

Insulated render system with 100mm EPS insulation£171 – £248/m²

Labour output

Large clear elevations with mechanical mixing35–50 m²/day

Typical housing elevations with regular openings25–35 m²/day

Broken façades with returns, beads and detailing14–22 m²/day

Restricted access or small isolated work areas8–15 m²/day

Key rate adjusters

Substrate preparation

Cleaning, hacking off, dubbing out and applying bonding treatments typically adds £8–£30/m².

Reinforcement

Full-surface mesh reinforcement and additional stress patches can increase the rate by £10–£20/m².

Openings and details

Frequent windows, reveals, corners, movement joints and stop beads commonly add 15–30% through reduced productivity.

Access provision

Independent scaffolding, loading bays and protective sheeting can add £15–£40/m² of rendered elevation.

Finish selection

Premium silicone, textured or specialist coloured finishes generally add £8–£25/m² against a standard painted finish.

Project scale

Small or phased packages below about 250m² may attract a 15–35% uplift for mobilisation, minimum orders and repeated setup.

Quantity surveyor insights

Waste and buildability: Allow 7–12% material waste for bagged and thin-coat systems, rising where colour batches, narrow piers and numerous openings prevent efficient use; rationalised beads, uninterrupted lifts and consistent substrates materially improve output.
Scope and procurement: Confirm responsibility for scaffold, substrate repairs, movement joints, sealants, mesh, beads, sample panels and final decoration before tendering, as these are frequent scope gaps; procure complete proprietary systems through an approved installer where warranty and colour consistency are required.

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