How much does rendering cost per square metre? [2024]

Are you looking for a cost-effective way to give your home's exterior a new lease on life?

There are many practical and aesthetic benefits to rendering your home. It can help to modernise old brick façades while helping to preserve and protect them from the elements. Render can also add value to your home by giving your exterior a finish that boosts its kerb appeal.

For a ballpark idea, expect rendering to cost anywhere from $30 per square metre to $80 per square metre, depending on the type of render you choose and the size of your project. 

This article will help you to understand:

• The cost of rendering cost per square metre
• How much does it cost to render a house?
• Does rendering add value to your home?
• What are the different types of render?
• Does my renderer need to be licensed?
• Questions to ask your renderer
• Getting quotes for your rendering job

How much does rendering cost?

The cost of rendering is largely determined by:

• The size of your job
• The type of render used
• How much detail is required
• If you require scaffolding

Renderers charge by the square metre, so depending on your location, you could be charged anywhere from:

• $30 to $50 per square metre for traditional cement render
• Up to $80 per square metre for an acrylic or polymer based render

If several layers of render are needed, you could save on the cost of acrylic render by skimming it over the surface of a cement render.

Some renderers may offer discounted rates, but if a quote seems too good to be true, it most probably is.

How much does it cost to render a house?

The average residential home has about 400 square metres of exterior wall area. At different rendering rates, the total cost of rendering could be around:

• $12,000 at $30 per m2
• $20,000 at $50 per m2
• $32,000 at $80 per m2

Another cost to factor into your render project is the cost of scaffolding hire. Hiring the scaffolding yourself could help save you on the final cost, though most renderers will include this in their final quote anyway.

Read more about the cost to render a house.

Does rendering add value to your home?

Top professional renovators put rendering high on their lists of ways to add value to a brick home, making the cost of rendering a good investment in your property's future.

Most agree that rendering brick can add up to 10 times the cost of rendering to the sale value of a home. Renovation guru Cherie Barber considers rendering ‘compulsory’, especially for older properties with terracotta or blonde face brick.

Read more about how to add value to your home with render.

What are the different types of render?

Render is a smooth layer over the bricks on the exterior of a home. It is often confused with plastering, which is generally applied to internal walls and ceilings. 

Traditionally, render is a mixture of sand, cement and clay that is spread over the surface of a wall to "render" or give it a smooth or textured finish. Advances in technology have seen other types of render developed, which have more resistance to cracking.

When you're getting quotes for your project, expect to come across these types of render:

• Cement render
• Acrylic render
• Polymer-modified render
• Bagging render

Cement render

The most popular type of render, cement or concrete render is cost effective at $30 to $50 per square metre. It is a mixture of sand, cement and sometimes clay and/or lime. This render can come pre-mixed, but it's usually mixed on site.

Acrylic render

Acrylic render provides the smoothest finish, though it can be more costly at up to $80 per square metre + GST. Acrylic can give you a wider range of options in terms of texture finishes and colour as well as water resistance and flexibility that reduces cracking on your exterior façade. It is typically applied over cement render, which makes it much stronger, flexible and better able to breathe.

Polymer-modified render

A newer version of cement render, polymer modified cement render comes pre-mixed. While it costs more, polymer modified cement render is said to adhere better than cement render and is more resistant to cracking. Because it can come in a variety of colours, it may also save you the cost of painting.

Bagging render

The cheapest type of render, bagging render is a coarse cement render that can give a rustic look to a home. However, it will also highlight any imperfections on your exterior walls.

Read our comparison guide to acrylic render vs cement render.

Does my renderer need to be licensed?

Depending on where you live, your rendering professional could have a licence in a number of different disciplines, including painting, wet plastering, concreting or building. Check what applies in your state before you hire anyone. 

Questions to ask your renderer

When it comes time to hiring a renderer, take the time to make sure they are right for your job. Some questions to ask them include:

• Are you licensed or qualified?
• Are you insured to work in my home?
• How long will my job take?
• Can you provide a written quote?
• Do you have references I can follow up?
• Can I see examples of your work?

Getting quotes for your rendering job

The best way of finding out the cost of your rendering job is to get quotes from local renderers. This will give you a sense of what market rates currently are.

We recommend getting quotes from 3 local services and asking to see examples of their previous jobs so you can decide whether they are a good fit for your project.

*Costs and prices in this article are indicative and should only be used as a guide. They also vary locally and are subject to market forces.