Silicone Render Cost

Silicone render is amongst the easiest external property coatings to apply, needing just one coat and requiring little-to-no maintenance owing to its hydrophobic properties. But, these advantages come at a price - silicone render is a premium product, making it one of the more expensive options on the market.

Despite the increased cost, silicone render is growing in popularity in the UK due to its durability, flexibility and crack resistance when compared to cement render. Available in a range of finishes, if applied correctly, silicone render can last for 30 years without intervention.

To find out more about the cost of silicone render, including labour costs, supply costs and hidden fees, keep reading.

We can also get your quotes from silicone render contractors in your area.

How Much is Silicone Rendering?

Silicone render costs between £45 and £55 per m² for supply costs only, or £9,000 to £11,000 to render a 200m² semi-detached house. A 300m² detached house typically costs £13,500 to £16,500.

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The bigger your house, the higher your render price - and geographical considerations also play a part in raising or lowering your supply and labour costs, with cities commanding higher fees than towns. It’s important to bear this in mind when collecting quotes from tradesmen as you are likely to see a bigger spread in costs if you live in London.

Silicone Rendering Prices

These costs include both materials and labour.

The prices below cover materials and labour for the render itself. They do not include scaffolding, which is typically hired for a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks and can add £5,900 or more to your total project cost — see the scaffolding section below for a full breakdown.

Scaffolding

Most silicone render jobs require scaffolding for safe access to exterior walls, using a full wrap scaffold with continuous lifts similar to that used for exterior painting.

Scaffolding for a silicone render job typically costs £5,900 to £8,600 for a semi-detached house, and £7,500 to £11,500 for a detached property. These figures cover the standard 6 to 8-week minimum hire term that most scaffolding firms require, even though the render application itself usually only takes a few days.

Because of this minimum hire term, scaffolding can add significantly to your overall project cost. It's worth checking exactly what hire period is included in any quote, and whether your contractor can negotiate a shorter or shared hire term if scaffolding is already up for other work.

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Supply Cost of Silicone Render

Silicone render cost per m² is between £45 to £55, with a 25kg supply costing £80, which covers roughly 9–10m². To lay this correctly, your contractor will need the following supplies:

As contractors can take advantage of bulk buying discounts, it’s a good idea to ask if they can include supplies in their quote so that you can benefit from those savings, instead of buying items individually at their full price.

Additional Silicone Rendering Costs

Waste Disposal and Skip Hire

If you’re having your property’s old rendering removed, you will need a skip. Mini skips are around £90, while the largest skips can cost closer to £800.

Large skips are most suited to rendering projects, especially if your house is detached, or has rendering applied to all sides of the property. A 20-yard skip will cost between £300 to £600, with a 40-yard costing between £400 to £800.

Costs in London are expected to be between £50 to £350 higher than in other locations, such as the North of the UK, due to increased demand.

If you plan to leave your skip on the roadside, you'll need a permit from your local council, which can range from £10 to £70 depending on your location. You can face fines of £1,000 if you don't get a permit before having your skip delivered.

Substrate Repair Costs

If the wall underneath your old render has cracks, damp patches, or crumbling brickwork, this will need repairing before silicone render can go on. Small patch repairs typically cost £100 to £350, while more extensive substrate damage can cost more depending on the extent of the work.

External Wall Insulation

Some homeowners choose to add external wall insulation at the same time as rendering, particularly if they're removing render down to the brickwork anyway. This adds to the overall cost but can improve your home's energy efficiency. Speak to your contractor about whether this is worth combining with your render project.

Labour Cost of Silicone Rendering & Timescales

Silicone render application is not something to attempt as a DIY project - you need to hire rendering specialists to ensure the job is completed to a high standard to avoid the coating failing due to improper application, which will only end up costing you more in the long run to fix.

Rendering specialists cost in the region of £130 to £250 per day, with fees rising in line with the contractor’s skill level. However, with this added cost, you can glean discounts in other areas of your project, such as with supply costs.

Tradesmen have greater buying power in the construction industry, meaning they can take advantage of bulk buy prices - cheaper than what you can get when buying items individually in-store. This can also mean that some of the project management is taken care of as you don’t have to collect the items yourself.

Factors That Impact Silicone Render Costs

There are several factors that can affect the total cost of your silicone rendering:

• Location — Costs for the same job can vary depending on where you live. For example, silicone render costs will be higher in London than in the North of the UK, due to demand and supply prices.
• Property Size — The total surface area of your external walls is the biggest driver of material cost, as silicone render is priced per square metre. The larger the property size, the more render, base coat, and fibreglass mesh will be required.
• Ease of Access — If your property is particularly tall or overhangs, additional scaffolding will be needed, and silicone render costs will rise.
• Condition of Substrate — Your substrate may have become damaged during the removal of old rendering, especially pebbledash, as the rough detachment style can negatively impact the masonry. Restoring any such defects can range from £100 to £350 for small patch repairs.
• Existing Surface Condition — Surface preparation is required before the silicone render system can be applied, and the state of your existing walls will affect how much preparation is needed. Uneven surfaces or cracks can increase the overall silicone render cost.
• Application Method — Silicone render can be applied by hand or machine, with machine application typically faster and better suited to larger properties. The rendering process chosen will directly affect your overall costs.

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Types of Silicone Rendering Finishes

Depending on your choice of silicone render finish, your application price may vary - the more ornate and detailed the application, the higher the labour charges and therefore your overall project cost.

Smooth Finish

• Best for: Contemporary and modern properties.

Silicone rendering often features a smooth, sleek finish, giving properties a contemporary look and feel.

Textured Finish

• Best for: Traditional and period properties.

A textured silicone render finish is available in a range of grain sizes, which will affect the final look. Finer grains produce a subtler texture, while coarser grains give a more pronounced effect.

Thin Coat Render

• Best for: Lightweight render systems on newer builds.

Thin coat render is applied at a finer thickness than standard silicone render. It is available in a wide range of colours and offers good flexibility and low maintenance.

Colour Options

There are several silicone render colours to choose from, ranging from neutrals to more bold shades. Standard colours are the most affordable option, while bespoke coloured render will increase your material cost. When choosing your silicone render colour, you need to be aware of any restrictive covenants in your area.

Alternative Types of Silicone Rendering

You may not have your mind completely made up on what sort of external coating you want on your property - and in this section, we’ll walk you through a few of the alternatives to silicone rendering for you to consider.

Render Over Existing Render

A common choice to keep costs down is to simply render over the existing render. This is only possible where the original rendering is in good condition and shows no sign of failure.

If you apply new silicone rendering without assessing the existing structure, you risk having both layers falling off, leading to health and safety issues and added repair costs. If you have minor issues such as cracks, your contractor will repair these before starting work, with small patch repairs usually costing £100 to £350.

This method is more time-efficient than full removal and can help trim down labour charges and hire charges for additional equipment. Render applications start at £3,000 for small properties and rise to £6,000 and above for larger homes.

Cement render costs £30 to £50 per m² fully installed, while lime render costs £60 to £100 per m². Polymer render sits in a similar range to cement, at around £30 per m².

Clad Over Existing Render

If your underlying rendering is in good condition, you can install cladding over your rendering. Cladding installation costs around £3,800 and takes two to three days, making it more time-efficient than removal - especially true if you have pebbledash rendering, which commands long labour periods due to removal difficulty.

Your cladding material - timber, UPVC or aluminium - will give you lower or higher costs, with timber being cheapest and aluminium most expensive.

Paint Over Existing Render

You can paint over your existing render if your contractor deems full removal unnecessary. Your contractor will examine the original rendering for damages or structural decay and fix minor problems.

Any dents or missing spots will become obvious once masonry paint is applied, so this repair step mustn't be skipped. Painting works better for some surfaces than others, and won't cover unwanted textures like pebbledash.

Masonry paint costs £10 to £25 per m² - equating to £800 to £2,000 supply costs for a two-bed semi-detached house. You'll need to add equipment costs and labour rates.

Different Types of Render

Here are some other types of render you may be interested in:

• Cement render — £30 to £50 per m²
• Polymer render — around £30 per m²
• Lime render — £60 to £100 per m²
• Acrylic render — around £30 per m²

Removing Existing Rendering: Considerations and Costs

Unless your current rendering is in good condition, the chances are you will need it to be removed before you can apply your new silicone rendering. If there is substantial damage to the original layer - large cracks, loss of surface area, and signs of structural damage - then your contractor will advise that a full removal and re-application is the way forward.

Most commonly seen in the rendering market is the removal of pebbledash render as it is considered an antiquated style. This can cost anywhere between £2,100 to £7,800 and upwards, depending on your house size.

Starting with a blank canvas is the best practice, although it is the more expensive option when faced with the choice between simply rendering over the existing render or embarking on the labour-intensive task of removing it. Your contractor will need to pay special attention to the condition of your substrate, as any damages or defects will need to be taken care of before they can install your silicone render.

If you’re in any doubt, speak to your contractor about what’s best in your circumstances, with your budget in mind.

Building Regulations and Planning Permission Silicone Rendering

Building Regulations

While you may consider the addition of silicone render as an aesthetic change to your property, there are building regulations to bear in mind.

Alterations to a property’s exterior can have impacts on:

• Fire safety.
• Structural stability.
• Insulation.

This is especially true if you are planning on removing existing render and replacing it with silicone render, as it may impact your home’s insulation. Your rendering specialist will need to consider both the U-value (thermal transmittance) and the reciprocal R-value (minimum thermal resistance) to calculate the need for additional insulation as a result of the change.

Planning Permission

Silicone render application is likely to fall under permitted development, so planning permission may not be required. However, before you start work on renovating your property’s exterior, you should check with your local planning authority or conservation officer to make sure you adhere to any relevant guidelines in your area.

Checklist: Finding a Local Silicone Renderer

Choosing your contractor is arguably the most important part of your silicone render project - let’s take a look at the key considerations when hiring a renderer.

• Are they a member of a recognised trade body? The Rendering Association (TRA) and the Federation of Plastering and Drywall Contractors (FPDC) both represent specialist renderers across the UK.
• Do they have insurance? Look for public liability insurance, as this will protect you if anything goes wrong.
• Are they experienced with silicone render? While there are no set qualifications needed for silicone rendering, ensure the tradesperson you are hiring has adequate experience.
• Will they provide an itemised quote? Ask for a price breakdown, so you know exactly what is included and whether there are any additional costs.
• Is waste disposal included? If any existing silicone render is being removed, confirm whether skip hire or waste disposal is included in the total cost.
• Do they have examples of their silicone render work? Ask to see before and after photos of previous silicone rendering projects, or check their MyJobQuote profile for examples of their work.
• Do they have positive reviews? Check their MyJobQuote profile to read feedback from previous customers.

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