How much does rendering cost? [2024]

Are you looking for a cost-effective way to give your home's exterior a new lease on life? Thousands of Australians are modernising their homes with render. It’s a relatively easy way to significantly increase the value of your home. 

Rendering can cost anywhere from $30 to $80 per square metre, or more if you have a two-storey home. The complete cost to render a home can be in the region of $12,000 for a smaller family home to $50,000 for a larger double-storey home.

Read this guide to find out more about:

• What is render?
• How much does rendering cost per square metre?
• How much does it cost to render a house?
• Cost of acrylic render vs cement render
• Choosing a rendering service
• Does my renderer need to be licensed?
• Getting quotes for rendering

© Living 4 Landscapes

What is render?

Rendering is a technique that has been used for hundreds of years in Europe but has more recently become popular in Australia. Traditional render is a mixture of cement, sand and lime spread over the surface of a wall to "render" it smooth or textured. Today, there are more options for render, including: 

• Acrylic rendering
• Polymer rendering 
• Lime rendering 
• Clay rendering 

People often use render to change the exterior look of their homes. They can cover up old or dated exteriors and give a new modern façade. It also protects the walls and can prolong the life of the materials underneath by ten to twenty years. 

Read more: What is rendering?

Which type of render should you choose?

The type of render you choose can affect your rendering cost and the look of your home. 

• Cement render is the most common form of render. Because of its simple ingredients, it is one of the most cost-effective renders for your home. 
• Acrylic render is becoming more popular in Australia. It usually comes in premixed buckets and needs a base coat applied before it can be applied. Acrylic render can be more expensive than cement render, but it can last for longer before it needs to be replaced.
• Lime rendering is popular because it allows the building to ‘breathe’. Its composition allows for moisture to collect and evaporate from its surface. It’s great for older buildings and areas with colder climates. 
• Polymer rendering bonds more effectively to its surfaces as it is incredibly adhesive. It’s very weather resistant and it is waterproof for wetter regions. 
• Insulating render does what it says on the can. It adds an insulative layer to your wall to protect your home from the outside weather. It is also one of the most expensive renders on the market. 

For more pros and cons of both options, read our comparison guide for acrylic render vs cement render.

How much does rendering cost per square metre?

Professional renderers typically charge by the square metre. Depending on your location and the rendering service you choose, rendering costs can vary from around: 

• $30 per m2 to $50 per m2 for cement render (rates can be discounted as low as $15) 
• $80 per m2 for acrylic render
• $50 per m2 for lime render
• $100 - $150 per m2 for insulating render

Expect prices to be slightly higher for a two-storey home. Some estimates are as low as $15 per m2, but that is based on a single renderer working at a discounted rate.

How much does it cost to render a house?

The average residential home in Australia has about 400 square metres of exterior wall area. Using that number, the costs of rendering an average house could be:

• $12,000 - $20,000 for cement rendering
• $32,000 for acrylic rendering
• $20,000 for lime rendering 
• $40,000 - $60,000 for insulated rendering

If your house is not the average size, expect to pay somewhere in the region of:

• $12,000 for a smaller family home
• $50,000 for a larger double-storey home.

This cost is significant, but the results can be stunning. Top professional renovators put rendering high on their lists of ways to add value to a brick home, with many agreeing that rendering brick can add up to 10 times the cost of rendering to the sale value of a home.

Choosing a rendering service

As rendering becomes more popular, the number of rendering services is increasing and prices are starting to come down. However, it's important to consider more than just price when you're getting quotes from local renderers. Other things to consider include:

• How experienced is the provider
• The styles and finishes offered
• The reputation of the rendering service

Experienced rendering services should have a large portfolio of previous work to share with you. They will be able to make recommendations about styles, colours and finishes that will flatter your home and can explain the rendering process in detail.

Getting quotes for rendering

At hipages, we always recommend that you get at least three quotes so that you can compare the cost of rendering from different services. A cheap rendering quote may be for a skim coat only, while a complete quote will include surface preparation, the number of coats of render needed for a professional finish, detail work and clean-up.

When you're getting quotes from local renderers, ask for a detailed breakdown of what's included so you can see just what you're paying for.

Does my renderer need to be licensed?

Make sure that the rendering service you choose is licensed and insured. In some states, a trade licence or registration is not needed for jobs under $10,000, but their licence is evidence that they are experienced enough to do larger jobs and that they take a professional approach to their work.