Pebbledash Removal Cost

How Much Does It Cost To Remove Pebbledash?

To remove pebbledash in the UK, you’ll be looking at costs of between £2,100 to £7,800 depending on the size of your property and the condition of your pebbledash rendering.

While the average cost of removing pebbledash is £4,950, your price will differ depending on the exact type of service you choose. The most common process will include both pebbledash render removal, and then an application of a flat render to seal the surface once the initial removal is complete.

In this guide, we’ll be exploring the cost of removing pebbledash, as well as tips and tricks on how to find contractors to carry out the work.

We can also get your quotes from pebbledash removal specialists in your area.

Pebbledash Removal Prices

What is Pebbledash?

Pebbledash rendering is an exterior wall coating commonly seen on late 19^th and early 20^th century properties in the UK that combines a mortar or cement mixture with an aggregate - commonly pebbles or gravel - to create a rough texture. It rose in popularity as a cheap and effective type of house rendering during building booms, providing properties with weather resistance and enhanced external durability.

The popularity has waned somewhat in modern times, leading to many homeowners seeking out ways to remove pebbledash. Although the coating provides practical protection, it doesn’t always carry the aesthetic appeal favoured by contemporary housebuyers. What’s more, if the pebbledash rendering is deteriorating, there may be a bigger structural problem lurking underneath that requires attention.

Additional Pebbledash Removal Costs

When it comes to home renovation projects, including the removal of pebbledash, there are several additional costs that you may not have considered. These should already be covered within your quote, but you should still double check to be on the safe side.

• Scaffolding — Required in order to help reach and carry out the work safely, scaffolding costs typically range from £750–£900 for a semi-detached house and £900–£1,150 for a detached house for a 1-week hire, with prices varying by location and hire period.
• Waste Disposal and Skip Hire — Everything removed needs to be disposed of responsibly, along with any other debris along the way. Depending on skip size, costs can range from around £90 for a mini skip to £400–£800 for a large skip; London prices may be £50–£350 higher.
• Permits — Again relating to skip hire, permits are required if you're storing on public property, costing £10–£70 depending on your location. Failure to obtain a permit can lead to fines up to £1,000.
• Repairing Brickwork — Once the pebbledash is removed, there may be some repointing work required, on average this can cost £20 to £50 per square metre for standard cement mortar.

Labour Cost to Remove Pebbledash & Timescales

Labour costs for render specialists range between £130 to £250 per day, depending on the skill of the labourer. For the removal of pebbledash, you’re likely to see an increased rate of between £150 to £400 per day as it’s a labour-intensive job.

Removing pebbledash is a highly specialised job, and incorrect removal can lead to damage to your substrate which can make your costs rise exponentially, so it’s best to opt for a well-trained trader instead of a cheaper, less-experienced one.

The timescale can span from a few hours if it's just a small area, to days (or potentially weeks), if the property requires a whole wall of pebbledash to be removed. Labour fees and costs will be quoted on an individual basis, depending on the extent of work that requires doing.

The estimates below are for labour only costs regarding full pebbledash removal and re-rendering work, based on different property types. Although please note, labour fees can also vary depending on your location.

Factors That Impact Pebbledash Removal Costs

If you wish to remove pebbledash, it’s important to consider the various factors that can influence the cost.

Location of Property

Labour fees are often higher in areas that include London and the South East when compared to the national average. Then there's the more detailed information about where you live, for example, if you don't have a driveway or off-road parking and you're having a skip delivered - then you will need a permit (available from your local council, costing around £10 to £70).

Condition of Existing Pebbledash

Even for removal, the condition of your pebbledash render will play a part in the price you pay. This is because additional safety measures may need to be considered if there is substantial damage, as this may require extra care to have removed. This is especially relevant if there's any other potential damage to your wall as a result.

Complexity of Removal Process

You can either manually chip off pebbledash or apply a covering solution to create a smooth surface for new render. However, the latter option may seem easier, but it can potentially take longer than you might expect, further increasing labour costs.

Additional Treatments or Repairs

If your brickwork has been badly damaged as a result of pebbledash removal, you will need to have it repaired before any further work can happen. Repairs run in the region of a few hundred pounds, but for more substantial problems, you can easily reach into the thousands.

Ease of Access

If your property overhangs a public pavement or road, or is particularly tall, your prices are likely to increase as the ease of access is reduced. Additional scaffolding hire and the potential for temporary closure of public rights of way can impact your costs, making the job even more expensive.

Building Regulations Related to Removing Pebbledash

While the removal of pebbledash render may be for purely cosmetic reasons, there are structural, fire safety and thermal considerations to bear in mind to ensure you’re adhering to building regulations.

You will need to ensure that your property’s insulation isn’t compromised by the removal of any existing pebbledash rendering. Your rendering specialist will need to consider both the U-value (thermal transmittance) and the reciprocal R-value (minimum thermal resistance) to understand if there is a need for additional insulation as a result of the external change.

In most cases, removing pebbledash render will be permitted, as long as the structural integrity of your home’s outer facade is maintained - but there are, of course, exceptions to the rule.

If your home is classed as a listed building or is located in a conservation area, you will encounter roadblocks to your pebbledash render removal. In these cases, the exterior of your property is likely to be subject to strict guidelines that will prevent you from changing the appearance of the house to conserve its original state.

For those not in conservation areas or with restrictive covenants, the guidelines will ease - but it’s important to bear in mind that if your pebbledash render removal uncovers structural damage to your substrate, repairing this will be subject to building regulations as it concerns the structural elements of your property. If this is the case, you may need a structural survey from your local council before you are given the go-ahead to remove the pebbledash rendering.

In terms of planning permission, The Federation of Master Builders states that planning permission is largely not necessary for the application or removal of external render as most alterations will fall under permitted development. But, as before, for those in conservation areas or dwelling in listed buildings, there will be restrictions.

It’s best to check in with your local planning authority or conservation officer before you start any project concerning the exterior of your property to ensure you are adhering to the guidelines, and not compromising your home’s thermal efficiency or structural integrity.

Types of Exterior Finishes After Pebbledash Removal

Once you have removed your pebbledash render from your home’s exterior, you will need to tidy up the outer appearance - and potentially add back in any insulation that has been lost as a result of the change. Let’s take a look at some of your options.

Structural Assurance

The first factor - and potentially the most important - is to ensure your home’s structural integrity hasn’t been compromised during the removal process. You will want to check that your contractor is assessing the brickwork for any damage, and taking steps to fix anything if that is the case.

As we have already mentioned, building regulations monitor the thermal efficiency of a house, and the removal of pebbledash will negatively impact the thermal rating and will need to be balanced back out. Only once your contractor is satisfied with the structural elements can you move on to the application of new render or other protective coatings.

Re-Rendering

The removal of pebbledash is usually to get a fresh, smooth external wall - and if this is the case, you will want to choose a new render type with these characteristics. Polymer renders are good choices in these situations, being malleable and flexible to allow for less cracking during temperature changes.

These renders are more expensive than traditional cement or sand renders but can yield better results and are likely to need fewer repairs over the coating’s lifespan. You can, of course, opt for a traditional render but you should be aware that your maintenance and upkeep will be more intensive than with polymer renders.

Cladding

Similar to rendering, you can opt to install cladding as another form of external protection for your home. Cladding comes in many different forms - timber, UPVC, aluminium - each with its benefits and drawbacks, and its popularity is growing in the UK after being incredibly popular in the US.

Cladding adds weather resistance to your home’s exterior and can modernise properties, adding a high-end finish. You can benefit from improved insulation and in some cases fire resistance, but each material should be weighed up individually to understand their pros and cons and suitability.

In general, cladding can cost anywhere from £2,800 to £6,000, with prices varying based on property size, material choice, and scaffolding hire duration.

Painting

Another option is to consider painting your house with masonry paint. You will need to ensure you have a flat, uniform base on which to paint - so if your bricks have been damaged in the pebbledash removal process, your labourer will need to rectify this before moving on to paint as any defects in the surface will become more apparent once paint is added.

Prices for masonry paint vary, but you can find 5-litre tubs for around £15, giving you a cost range of between £10 to £25 per m² - which equates to £800 to £2,000 for supply costs only for a two-bed semi-detached house. You will then need to add on equipment costs, such as scaffolding, as well as factoring in your labourer’s day rate.

Alternatives to Removing Pebbledash

By now, we are aware that pebbledash removal is a time-consuming process, causing a lot of mess, and potentially substantial structural issues if your brickwork is impacted during the removal process. Thankfully, there are alternative methods to removing pebbledash if you don’t want to commit to a complete removal - let’s take a look at them.

Repair Existing Pebbledash

Before opting for removal, you can try to repair your existing pebbledash if the issues are minimal.

Fixing pebbledash can be a time-consuming task and achieving a uniform finish that blends seamlessly with the existing surface can be challenging. Although, generally speaking, any superficial repairs are safe to action as they typically don't affect the structural integrity of your home - unless there's already an underlying issue.

However, this may result in an uneven finish with obvious ‘fixes’ being visible. If this doesn’t bother you, and you just want to ensure the efficacy of your pebbledash rendering, then this could be a viable option for you - but be aware that it may not be the most aesthetically pleasing solution.

Patch repairs for pebbledash usually cost in the region of £300 per 5m². Prices will increase relative to the equipment needed - such as scaffolding hire - and should only be seen as a temporary repair, and will require further upkeep.

Render Over Existing Pebbledash

As a short-term fix, it is possible to render over pebbledash if the existing layer isn’t too badly damaged, but this isn’t generally recommended. The best practice method is to remove the existing render in its entirety and re-apply with fresh pebbledash render.

If you do go with the option of rendering a house by creating a new, fresh external coating, then any surface issues will need to be repaired first before the new render is added.

This can add to the cost of your total project, but this solution will still be less labour-intensive than complete removal and can give satisfying results if you simply want a clean canvas. This can cost anywhere from £3,000 to £6,000, depending on the size of your home and the height, and duration of equipment hire such as scaffolding and skips.

Here are different types of render you can choose from:

• Cement render
• Polymer render
• Lime render
• Acrylic render
• Silicone render
• Monocouche render

Cladding Over Existing Pebbledash

Another option is to install cladding over your pebbledash render - this will cost around £3,800, and take between two to three days, which is a far quicker option when compared to pebbledash removal. Depending on your cladding material - timber, UPVC, aluminium - you will encounter different costs, with timber being the cheapest and aluminium being the most expensive option.

Painting Over Existing Pebbledash

Finally, if the surface is in good condition, you can simply opt to paint over your existing pebbledash render to give a clean appearance. While this won’t get rid of the pebbledash texture, it can brighten up a drab colour palette.

Your contractor must fill in any cracks or defects in the original pebbledash before applying a coat of paint as these defects will become more obvious once painted. Masonry paint will be used, and depending on the size of your home, your prices will vary - but you can get 5-litre tubs for around £15.

You will need to add on equipment costs, such as scaffolding, as well as factoring in your labourer’s day rate. This can be a great way of modernising pebbledash rendering without the need for removal and can turn out to be a much more cost-effective option if the structural integrity of the pebbledash is in good condition.

Checklist: Hiring Contractors for Removing Pebbledash

Choosing the right contractor is of the utmost importance when starting any home renovation project - but for something like removing pebbledash, which has the potential to impact your home’s moisture barrier if removed incorrectly - it’s essential that you do your homework before picking the best-fit contractor for you.

• What qualifications are required? Look for relevant certifications and licences in rendering, construction, or hazardous materials handling to ensure professionalism and safety.
• Do I need to check permits or regulations? Find out if skip hire or street permits are needed, and whether the contractor will arrange them or if that falls to you.
• Do they have public liability insurance? Ensure the contractor is insured to cover any accidental damage or injuries during the pebbledash removal process.
• Are they familiar with local building conditions? Local experience can help the contractor handle specific wall types, weather considerations, and disposal regulations effectively.
• How many quotes should I get? MyJobQuote can help compare multiple quotes from different contractors to understand costs and avoid unexpected expenses.
• What should a quote include? Ensure the quote covers the full scope of the project, including things like skip hire, permits, and any other potential costs.
• Can they provide references or reviews? Ask for testimonials or check independent review sites such as MyJobQuote to confirm their reliability and reputation.

These steps will help you to be clued up on your pebbledash removal project, and help lead you to the best contractor for the job.

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