By the Bouwsector België team, 97 in-house tradespeople · reviewed by Geert Jan Hendrik, director · updated
Having an exterior wall or façade rendered is possible with Bouwsector België: one of our 32 in-house plasterers applies the render. The price is always on request, because the condition of the façade, the substrate and the accessibility differ from home to home. You only see those at a site survey.
Rendering an outside façade falls under the same work: façade, exterior wall or part of one. Because weather, substrate and accessibility differ from home to home, we always price exterior rendering on request.
Want a smooth, even rendered façade? Request your quote
Our own plasterers first inspect your exterior wall, so the price matches what is really needed
People usually have an exterior wall rendered for one of three reasons. The façade looks weathered or patchy. Different types of brick, extensions or repairs are visible and need to become one whole. Or they want a smooth, even façade instead of visible brickwork.
Exterior render is not a solution for a wall that is damp. If moisture is rising into the brickwork, the cause has to be dealt with first. A coat of render over a damp wall does not solve the problem, it hides it.
Situation
Render the façade?
What we check first
Weathered or patchy façade
Can be a good choice
Whether the substrate is sound and bonds well
Different types of brick or repairs
Makes the façade one whole
The transitions between old and new
Damp in the wall
Solve the cause first
Where the moisture comes from
Cracks in the façade
Depends on the cause
Whether the wall is still moving
Loose or hollow existing layer
Remove it first
How much of the old layer has to come off
If the appearance of your home changes significantly, check with your municipality (planning department) beforehand whether rules or a permit apply. This differs by municipality and by street, and as the owner it is something you need to ask about yourself.
What are the drawbacks of rendering an exterior wall?
The biggest drawback is that it is not easy to reverse. Brickwork that has been rendered cannot be restored to its old state without a lot of work. If you choose façade render, you are choosing for the long term.
The second drawback is the weather. If water gets behind the render, for example through a crack or a poor junction at a window frame or roof edge, frost can push the layer off the wall. The junctions and edges are therefore just as important as the layer itself.
The third drawback applies to any wall that still moves. Render is hard and cracks along with the substrate. Indoors you see this in new builds as shrinkage cracks in a new home, and outdoors it works the same way.
That is why we first check whether existing cracks have stopped moving. If there is already an old, cracked layer of render, we look at whether we can repair the cracks in the plaster.
The fourth drawback is maintenance. A light, rendered façade shows dirt and green algae sooner than brick, and in time it needs a new coat of paint. Factor that in when you decide.
Not sure whether to render or paint your façade? Paint follows the texture of the brickwork, render evens the wall out. If you only want a different colour and the brickwork is sound, painting is the smaller intervention.
Against these drawbacks you get an even, clean-lined façade and a home that looks like one whole. We weigh that up together at the site survey. If façade render does not suit your wall, we will tell you.
What is exterior rendering, and how does it differ from interior plastering?
Exterior render is plasterwork that has to withstand rain, frost and sun. It needs a different mortar from the one used indoors: vapour-permeable, so that moisture can escape from the wall, and able to cope with the temperature swings a façade goes through.
Indoors, our plasterers finish a wall ready for painting, and the layer is done when it is smooth and dry. Outdoors, what matters most is whether the layer bonds and whether the moisture in the wall can get out. If moisture is trapped, frost pushes the layer off again in winter.
That is also why render on an exterior wall is always on request and never gets a fixed price per m². The condition of the façade, the substrate and the accessibility together determine the work.
Can you have an outside façade rendered?
Yes, our plasterers render outside façades, as long as the façade is suitable. We first assess the substrate: brickwork, concrete and existing render each need different preparation.
What is on the wall now weighs heavily. A façade with a loose layer or a sealed layer of paint has to be stripped bare first, otherwise the new mortar will not bond. At the survey we tap the façade to hear where it sounds hollow.
Because the work is done outdoors, the weather plays a part in the schedule. Frost and full sun are both unfavourable, both during application and while drying.
Plastering calculator: your m² and price
Enter your home’s floor area and see a price indication straight away, without leaving your details first.
What does it cost to have an exterior wall rendered?
Exterior render has no fixed price per m². Like exterior painting, it is always on request, and there is a reason for that.
The price of rendering a façade is determined by things you cannot see in a photo. We go through these points at the site survey.
What we assess
Why it determines the price
Height and accessibility
Determines whether scaffolding is needed and how much set-up work comes with it
Condition of the substrate
Loose parts, old paint or an existing layer have to come off first
Number of window frames, corners and junctions
Every edge takes more time than a straight stretch of wall
Damp and cracks
Cause first, otherwise the problem comes back
Time of year
We do not render outdoors in frost or rain
The material for the render is included in the price in your quote. If scaffolding is needed, we can arrange it. The scaffolding is hired in from a third party, and its cost is added.
A price per m² given from a distance assumes a façade with no surprises. We only name a price once we have seen the wall.
Prices exclude VAT. For homes over 10 years old, 6% VAT usually applies; otherwise it is 21%.
Interior plastering does have fixed rates: ready for painting €22.99 per m². So for indoors you know in advance what plastering costs per m², and our prices page lists the other interior prices.
What happens when you have your exterior wall rendered?
Having your exterior wall rendered by Bouwsector België means our own plasterers do the work. We have 32 on permanent contracts, as part of 97 in-house tradespeople. No subcontractor comes to your façade, and the same crew works from start to finish.
Step
What happens
1. Phone consultation
A project manager goes through your plans free of charge
2. Site survey at your home
We check the condition of the façade, cracks, damp and the junctions at window frames and roof edge
3. Quote
The approach on paper: what has to come off, how we prepare and whether scaffolding is needed
4. Scheduling
We schedule for a suitable period, because we do not render outdoors in frost or rain
5. Execution
Prepare the substrate, finish the junctions and apply the layer
6. Handover
We walk through the façade with you
Coming to look before a price goes on paper is no formality for a façade. What lies behind a weathered exterior wall determines most of the work, and you cannot see it from the street.
If the outside of the window frames and doors also needs painting, we include that in the same schedule. For painting window frames and doors on the outside, the same applies as for the façade: on request. If you simply want to hire a plasterer, that is possible too. And we also do interior plastering, in all kinds.
We are active throughout Belgium: Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia. We also carry out the site survey at your home anywhere in the country. That goes for a façade too: we come out before a price goes on paper.
Want to go through your façade plans with a project manager first?
Why can’t you get a price for exterior render from a distance?
Exterior render is always on request, because the price depends on the condition of the façade, the substrate and the accessibility. If scaffolding is needed, we arrange it; it is hired in from a third party and the cost is added.
Can you render a damp exterior wall?
No, the cause of the damp has to be dealt with first. A coat of render over a wet wall does not solve the problem, it hides it. During the site survey we look at where the moisture comes from.
Do you also come and look in my area?
Yes. We are active throughout Belgium, in Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia, and we carry out the site survey at your home anywhere in the country.
Can an exterior wall be rendered in winter?
We do not render outdoors in frost or rain. We therefore schedule the work for a suitable period and agree it with you after the site survey.
Is rendering or painting a façade the smaller intervention?
Painting is usually the smaller intervention. Paint follows the texture of the brickwork, whereas render evens the wall out and is not easy to reverse. We do both on request, after a site survey.
Ready to get your project done?
Request a free, no-obligation quote from our own tradespeople today.
By the Bouwsector België team, 97 in-house tradespeople · reviewed by 
