House Cladding Cost

Want to know how much it costs for external house cladding?

In this guide we look at house cladding prices of different materials such as timber, upvc and composite, their pros and cons and the cost of hiring a tradesman to fit exterior wall cladding.

On average, you're looking at an overall cost of around £3,800 to install cladding for houses.

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How Much Does Cladding Cost?

How much is the cost of external cladding? well average prices can range from £2,800 to £6,000. This includes material and labour costs.

The specific type of external cladding, quality of work, and size of the installation will all affect the price. Labour costs, and the qualification of the tradesman, will also majorly affect the final expense.

Storeys

Single-Storey

A single-storey (Also known as a single floor) property is the simplest and cheapest style of external cladding. Starting prices for a single-storey external cladding begins around £2,800 and go up as far as £5,000, dependant on the size of the property.

For a single-storey single bedroom bungalow, the material alone will costs around £1,500 and if you decide to use high quality premium cladding it will likely increase to around £5,000.

Two-Storey

A Two-storey (Also known as a double-storey) property is a more expensive and more complicated form of external cladding. Starting prices for external cladding on a double-storey property are around £4,000 and go up as far as £6,000, dependant on the size of the property.

For a two bedroom double-storey house, the material alone will costs around £3,000 and if you use a higher quality premium quality cladding, it will increase to around £6,000

Quality Type

An important factor on the final cost of external cladding is the chosen quality of the materials chosen. There are three standard forms of quality to choose from basic, medium, and premium. Each one adds advantages and disadvantages to the choice of your cladding.

Basic

The basic form of quality standard for external cladding is the most cost effective and quickest construction choice. Basic quality is usually comprised of cheaper costing simple materials.

The main disadvantage of this style is the lack of freedom of choice involved in the customisation of the design and the shorter lifespan. The main advantage of choosing basic quality is that the cost price begins at around £20 per m².

Medium

The Medium form of quality standard for external cladding is still a cost effective and long lasting choice. This form can often cost approximately £50 per m².

The main advantage of this style is the increased level of choice involved in the customisation of the design. Featuring a higher quality material than its basic counterpart, this type of cladding will have a longer lasting lifespan.

Premium

A wide range of materials and a practically limitless level of customisation options are the main features of premium quality cladding. As a result, if a higher quality finish is required, this choice of quality level is a must for those not on a fixed budget.

A premium external cladding costs will begin at around £60 per m² and increase up to £100 per m², depending on the specific materials and brand chosen for the build.

House Cladding Prices

Labour Costs and Timescales

Costs of Hiring Tradesmen

When hiring a tradesman for any type of building work you need to consider what specific jobs actually need doing, as not all tradesmen can handle the same types of work. Installing external cladding can often be performed by multiple different trades.

The most obvious place to start is an External cladding specialist; however, this will depend on your overall budget as a specialist will normally have a higher cost price associated with hiring them. Below is a list of various tradesmen you may require and the jobs they will be able to undertake.

Cladding Specialist

These contractors are hired for the specific installation of external cladding. Using a specialist such as a cladding specialist, who is experienced in external cladding, is often the best option when you want a high quality, long lasting installation.

A cladding specialist's price for labour, usually range from £150 to £200 per day, depending on the complexity of the job, the skills they have, and the experience they bring to the job.

General Builder

A general builder is often used to lead an entire installation project. They can hire and control subcontractors such as labourers in order to complete the work. If on a strict budget a general builder is often the best choice due to the robust nature of their experience and labour price which can be offered.

A general builder will usually cost around £100 to £150 per day to hire, depending on the level of job required, the skills they possess, and the amount of experience.

Carpenter

These tradesmen are hired if you decide to use wooden cladding for your installation. They will often be able to undertake the entire job themselves without the need for further tradesmen, although this will depend on the skills of the Carpenter chosen.

A Carpenter will usually cost you around £125 per day. This will depend on the skills and experience of the tradesman.

Labourers

The most inexpensive form of tradesman, a labourer, should not be over looked when costing the job. Usually a specialist will provide their own personal labourer; however, even so you should be mindful of the costs to hire them. The day rate of a simple labourer will usually be £50 to £60 per day.

They are used for all the heavy lifting work, moving materials, and jobs, which do not require a specific skill.

Timescales

One of the most important factors when considering any building work is obviously timescale. No one wants a job that drags on indefinitely with no idea of when it will be completed. Also the longer a project takes to complete, the greater the final price.

External cladding is no exception. Second to this is the price of labour. However, timescale has a direct effect on the cost of labour, as the longer a job takes, the longer you will be required to pay your selected tradesman.

There are multiple factors, which can affect the timescale. The most obvious being the complexity of the chosen external cladding installation, the size of the property, and the final quality of the work.

Choosing to install cladding over two storeys will take longer than a single-storey, at around 1 weeks compared to 2-4 days.

A large single-storey cladding installation will take longer than a small single-storey, at around 2 days for a small compared to 4+ days for the large.

However, these factors will also depend on the level of complexity in the plan, the skills the tradesman possess, and the amount tradesmen needed to be hired for the project.

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Supply Only Costs

The cost of external cladding supplies will vary depending on your choices. Beyond the main construction method, the differing styles of cladding materials will also majorly affect the price.

Building Materials

Timber

Timber is by far the cheapest option for external cladding. Depending on the size of the building and design of cladding chosen, the number of boards needed varies. On average around 600 boards will be required for a single-storey small property installation.

These timber boards will vary in cost depending on the chosen timber, however the price will start at around £20 per m², meaning they cost just under £5 per board.

UPVC

UPVC cladding is the standard choice when it comes to the style of cladding used on modern houses, especially in wetter weather climates. UPVC comes in a multitude of colours, lengths, and even shapes. The cheapest option for UPVC cladding comes in white and is the most common type used.

This choice of cladding is usually around £20 to £50 per m², and most commonly sold in packs of 25m², 50m², 75m², and 100m². A standard single-storey small property will take on average around 600 to 1000 UPVC boards, depending on the complexity of the properties external construction.

Aluminium

Aluminium cladding is the premium choice when it comes to the style of cladding used on modern houses. Aluminium comes in a multitude of finishes, lengths, and even shapes. The cheapest option for aluminium cladding comes in white or silver, with white being the most common type used on modern houses.

This choice of cladding usually costs around £50 to £100 per m² and is available in whatever customised amount is required. Much like UPVC cladding, the standard single-storey small property will take on average around 600 to 1000 aluminium boards, depending on the complexity of the properties external construction.

Additional Costs

Materials and labour are not the only external cladding costs to consider when planning a cladding installation. Most construction projects can have additional expenses. These expenses will usually happen as additional jobs come to light during the planning phases of the construction.

For example once cladding has been installed it is often a great time to consider new guttering and drainage. The most common form of drainage is the use of a guttering and downpipes, also known as a drainpipe system.

For a guttering kit to fit a single-storey property, costs begin around £250. Either the general builder or even the homeowner can usually fit these, as they are often simply screwed into place at the edges of the roof.

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What is Cladding?

Being a layer of material fixed to the external walls of a house, in order to help protect the building from rain and other weather conditions, cladding is a common method of weatherproofing a property.

The main reason for installing cladding to the exterior of a property is to resist water and the weather.

However there are other benefits to installation. By installing a layer/skin to the exterior of a building you can increase the insulation, fire resistance, and aesthetically appeal of the property, along with helping reduce the exposure to vandalism, cleaning requirements, and pollution.

Cladding comes in a variety of materials. Traditionally cladding was made from wooden planks fixed to the exterior forming a layered skin with the appearance commonly associated with the modern day shed.

More recently UPVC and aluminium have become a widely available and popular choice for materials.

These new materials can often come in a variety of different finishes and colours, and rather than overlapping then are often designed to fit together similar to tongue and groove flooring.

In America cladding is an extremely popular option for a house exterior. Although not as common in the UK cladding has been slowly increasing in popularity in recent years due to the cost effective nature when compared to other weatherproofing options such as rending a property.

Cost Factors of External Cladding

The cost of labour takes the largest chunk out of your building budget. However, the other expenses, such as materials, will take up the other main portion of costs. Materials can often easily surpass the price of labour, if only good quality materials are chosen for the project.

The final look of a cladding installation can often be very customisable, with a choice of materials, colour, and even shape of the final finish having multiple options.

The planning of your cladding carefully and correctly will determine many of these factors; however, it is always best to keep a budget in mind before beginning preparations and buying any of the materials.

The size of the building to be clad will obviously have a major effect on the final price. A double-storey small property will usually cost almost twice as much as a single-storey; however this is not always the case.

A double-storey standard sized two bedroom property cladding project will usually begins at £3,800, and the single-storey matching equivalent would begin at around £2,800.

The desired quality of the cladding installation will also factors into the final cost of the project. For a single-storey standard sized UK bungalow completed to a basic standard of quality will begin at around £2,800. However, for the equivalent medium and premium quality builds it would increase the price to £3,500 and £4,500 respectively.

Also a major, often overlooked, cost factor to consider before the project is started is waste disposal. Waste disposal, both during and after a construction project, should always be accounted for in the budgeting stage. Waste disposal will usually consist of hiring a skip.

A skip is a large metal container used like a bin, for the disposal of building waste. Skip hire begins at around £150 for a single skip hired for a week. Included in the price of the hire, is usually the cost of collection and disposal of the waste.

How to Fit External Cladding

Budgeting

The first step as with all construction project, no matter the size, is going to be planning a budget. This is a vital step, as there is no point starting a project you cannot afford to complete it. Factors such as materials, labour, and additional expenses need to be calculated at this stage.

Planning

In the planning stages, you will need to decide what the final outcome of the installation is to be, the style of cladding you are going to install, and the types of tradesmen you will have to hire.

This plan will allow you to see an approximate cost for the materials, the tradesmen required, and the permissions needed in the construction. This in turn will allow you to stay within your planned budget or update it if necessary.

Quotes

Quotes are arguably the most import phase of any construction project, as not all tradesmen charge the same rates for the same job. It is always best to get at least three quotes from three different companies, in order to ensure you are getting the very best for your money.

If you are unsure of the tradesmen you will require, this is a great time to ask question to the companies quoting. Use the quotations to research how the build will take place and help you to decide if you require different tradesmen than you originally planned.

Measuring

Now the actual work begins. Firstly, the areas to be clad will need to be measured. This is extremely important and care should be taken to ensure accuracy. These measurements will then be used to help decide on the amount of cladding needed, the lengths of the cladding and the final aesthetic of the project.

Fitting the Cladding supports

With the walls now measured and the cladding purchased, it is time to fix the supports to the surface which is to be clad. This step can vary depending on the style of cladding chosen. However most will involve fixing long vertical batons (often timber) to the surfaces, to create an air-gap between the final cladding and the walls.

These batons should start around 15mm - 20mm from the ground, should be no more than 600mm apart, and should create a minimum of a 38mm cavity between the cladding and the wall.

Installing the Cladding Boards

Once the supports have been fixed into place the next step is to attach the first cladding board to them. This will begin at the lowest point, making sure of at least a 20mm gap between the board and the ground.

Once the first/lowest level of boarding has been fixed to the supports the second level should be clipped into the first and then attached to the supports following the same process as the first. This is then repeated until the entire surface has been covered as required.

Finishing and Fascias

Finally once the cladding boards have all been fixed to the supports you will often require fascia boards to be screwed into place. This fascia will cover the last cladding boards fixing groove and create a top barrier sealing the edges of the cladding.

Also a corner trim can now be added to cover any corner joints, window edges, or door frames as required. Both finishes can be simply drilled and screwed into place directly into the supporting batons.

Can I Install External Cladding Myself?

DIY is not always an option. A basic external cladding installation can in fact be performed the "do it yourself" route. However, this is by no means a simple undertaking and will require extensive planning to complete.

Measuring needs to be near perfect, specialist equipment such as scaffolding may be required for second-stories, and even choosing the correct cladding is really important; so unless you are the type of person that just has to do it yourself, it will more than likely be a cheaper option to simply hire a qualified and skilled tradesman.

Hiring a tradesman to install external cladding does not mean you cannot attempt various tasks yourself. For example you are still able to measure the sections, and then compare your measurements with the ones taken by the builders.

You could even discuss with the tradesmen you have hired if you are able to assist them and try installing various sections alongside their guidance, leaving the difficult installation parts to them.

Alternatives to External Cladding

If you do not like the aesthetics of cladding then there are alternatives to using external cladding to protect your building from the weather; these can be as simple as using specialist paints to provide a minimum protection or even a full render to provide maximum protection from the elements.

It is always best to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of each method before deciding on the process.

However, budget will usually be one of the deciding factors as rendering or cladding an entire property is rarely a cheap process to undertake, and there are cheaper options available on the market for those on a fixed budget.

House Painting Cost

Painting your home without providing a good stable base protection, such as render or cladding, will not afford the same levels of weather protection as if performed with render or cladding.

Wooden cladding can, if not treated correctly, be a pain to maintain in wetter climates.

Paint is by far the cheapest option for external weatherproof coverings of properties. Prices for specialist external house paint costs around £10 - £15 per m².

House Rendering Cost

Rendering is at a similar price point when compared to high quality cladding. Costing around £25 - £50 per m², it is the most popular form of weatherproofing used in the UK.

The reason for its popularity is the lack of upkeep and need for maintenance, beyond a basic cleaning once a year; whereas cladding will often require multiple cleanings per year (often once a season) in order to keep in looking fresh.

The disadvantage to rendering a building is the time it takes to complete the project (up to 2 weeks) and the mess which the process can create. The final aesthetics of render are also quite bland when compared to the options of finishes available for cladding.

Benefits of External Cladding

As mentioned in previous sections, external cladding is mainly applied to increase the weather resistance of the property, reducing the cost and difficulty of maintenance which is required.

The outer layer of a house, if built of brick, is actually quite porous and without a covering or skin layer will end up absorbing moisture from the air and rains, resulting in damp penetrating the building with ease.

Cladding is simply a good solution to reducing the amount of moisture that is absorbed into the block work from the elements.

Also cladding has various additional benefits, such as an increase to the insulation levels of the property. This in turn can be a good way of not just saving money but decreasing the environmental impact of your home.

Not only do you have the advantages of saving money and time on maintenance, saving money on heating, and reducing the ageing process of your home; external cladding helps reduce the risk of damp penetrating your walls.

Damp and mould are a big concern when owning a home. Not only can they be unsightly and off putting to look at, they form a substantial health hazard. Once damp and mould has infected a property they can be a costly nightmare to get rid of, and therefore prevention is often a lot simpler than a cure.

Cladding as a result forms the first barrier against such invasions. With a good quality, well-maintained cladding layer, water and moisture cannot permeate the exterior of the home, stopping damp from ever entering your walls themselves.

Cost of Removing External Cladding

The removal of external cladding should be considered before it is ever installed, as you may one day wish to remove it.

Whether you no longer like the aesthetics of the cladding, or you decide you want to render your exterior walls, there are a number of reasons to remove external cladding.

In addition, if you have old dilapidated cladding already on your property you may wish to replace it with a newer, nicer looking installation, as this may be reducing your overall property value.

A single-storey external cladding installation can usually be torn down by a confident person; however, it may be too complex for someone inexperienced. Regardless of size and type of cladding installed it will require a few basic elements, such as a skip or waste removal, labour, and basic cleaning supplies.

Skip hire will usually cost around £200 for a single skip, hired for a week, with pick up and disposal. A single skip may not be large enough for all the waste created by removing a full cladding installation.

Usually when removing a full building cladding installation you will be best served in hiring a tradesman such as a general builder. They can usually provide all the tools needed and even dispose of the waste produced.

An average builder will be able to complete the removal project of a standard two-storied house, fully clad, within a 4 to 7 day period. This means it would cost you an average of £2,000, including the skip hire costs and labour.

Hiring an External Cladding Fitter Checklist

• Depending on the tradesman hired, these can be in the form of CSCS certification, City and Guild levels, or even college gained qualifications such as HNC’s.
• The most important consideration when hiring any tradesman is the insurance. Make sure they possess, at the least, third party liability, which covers building work. At best, you want to find a tradesman, which has personal injury, property damage, and work guarantee cover.
• Evidence of previous work is also a good consideration when hiring any tradesman. If they have references from previous clients, photos, or a portfolio of their work, it will prove they are proud of the level of skill they can provide.
• Does the tradesman offer any form of guarantee for the work they are going to undertake? Most will offer in some form or another to make sure you are happy with the job before they finish. However, it can be worth looking for a tradesman which offers a five year guarantee or greater. Then if any problems arise in the future, due to any faults in the building process, you are covered and they will fix their mistakes at no expense to you.

FAQs

Sources

https://hoa.org.uk/advice/guides-for-homeowners/i-am-improving/do-i-need-planning-permission/
https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/external-cladding.451045/
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1951059
https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/1641-exterior-cladding/
https://www.envirobuild.com/collections/composite-cladding-pioneer
https://www.eurocell.co.uk/homeowners/fascias-and-soffits/cladding
https://www.plasticbuildingsupplies.com/upvc-shiplap-cladding
https://www.wickes.co.uk/Products/Building-Materials/Cladding/c/1000182