Rendering and render repairs on the North Shore

Cement rendering a brick wall typically costs $40–$80 per m² and acrylic render $45–$80 per m², GST included, and patching a cracked or drummy area is typically $300–$900 for the job. The area, the height and access, how much preparation the wall needs and the finish all move the price. Painting is usually separate. Every job is quoted after a free inspection, with no minimum job size.

Neither suits every wall. Traditional cement render is sand and cement, often with lime, mixed on site and applied in coats. Acrylic render is also cement-based, with acrylic added to the mix, which helps it grip and flex a little and suits a finer or textured finish. Both need sound brick underneath and a paint or coating over the top. We recommend one once we have seen the wall, its age and the finish you want.

Rendering or re-rendering a typical single-storey brick house is typically $9,000–$21,000 for the job, GST included. Two storeys need scaffolding and cost more. Old render that has to come off first, and any brick, lintel or damp repairs found underneath, add to the work. Painting is usually separate. We quote after a free inspection of the whole house.

Usually, once the brick is sound and clean. Loose or crumbling bricks, failed joints and damp are fixed first, and painted brick needs preparing so the render holds. On a heritage home or in a conservation area, check with the council first: rendering face brick that has never been rendered changes how the house looks and may not be allowed.

A fine surface crack can be cut out and filled. Where the render has gone drummy or the crack runs through to the wall, the loose render comes off back to sound edges and the area is rendered again to match. If the same crack keeps coming back, the wall may be moving or damp, and that cause needs attention before the patch will last.

Not necessarily. Sound render can be worth keeping, particularly where it is part of an older home’s original finish. Removal depends on its condition, the masonry beneath and the finish you want. Concealed brick or stone may need further repair, cleaning and repointing, and may not be suitable to leave exposed.

Rendering is wet plastering, whether the render is cement or cement-based acrylic. In NSW, residential building work over $5,000 needs a contractor licence with the right class. Our work is done under NSW contractor licence 146681C, Wet Plasterer class, and you can check it on the NSW Government’s Verify NSW licence register.