Recladding Services in London: Cost Guide 2026
Recladding services in London cover the replacement of exterior wall cladding on houses, extensions, garages and garden rooms, using timber, composite or fibre cement board. Typical supply and fit costs run from roughly £80 to £180 per square metre depending on material and access, with a small garage or garden room job landing somewhere between £3,000 and £8,000. We handle domestic recladding across Chelsea, Kensington, Wimbledon and the rest of London. We do not undertake high-rise fire safety recladding, which falls under separate building safety regulation and needs a specialist contractor.
- What recladding actually means (and what it doesn't)
- Cladding materials and what suits London weather
- Recladding costs in London: a working price table
- Planning permission and conservation areas
- The recladding process, step by step
- The mistake that costs the most to fix
- Areas we cover
- Frequently asked questions
What recladding actually means (and what it doesn't)
Most people searching for recladding services in London mean one of two very different jobs, and it matters which one you mean before you even get a quote. The first is domestic exterior cladding: replacing rotten timber weatherboard, tired UPVC panels, or cracked render on a house, extension, garage or garden room with new timber, composite or fibre cement cladding. This is standard building work, usually completed in days, and it is what we do.
The second is building-wide external wall cladding on blocks of flats, the kind of work that came under scrutiny after Grenfell. That falls under the Building Safety Act and requires a fire risk assessment of external walls (FRAEW), specialist contractors registered for higher-risk work, and sign-off through building control that a handyman or general tradesperson cannot provide. If that is what you need, you want a fire engineer and a principal contractor experienced in building safety remediation, not a handyman service, and we will say so honestly if someone asks us.
Everything below is about the domestic job: a single wall, a whole house elevation, a rear extension, or an outbuilding.
Cladding materials and what suits London weather
Timber cladding, usually cedar or thermally treated softwood, is the most requested material in conservation-heavy areas like Hampstead, Primrose Hill and parts of Kensington, because planning officers are generally comfortable with it where it matches existing timber elevations. Cedar greys naturally over two or three years if left unfinished, which some clients want and others don't, so decide upfront whether you want to stain or oil it annually.
Composite cladding, made from recycled wood fibre and plastic, needs almost no maintenance and holds its colour, which makes it popular for garden rooms and rear extensions in Fulham, Battersea and Clapham where owners don't want another job on the list. It costs more upfront than timber but there is no repainting cycle.
Fibre cement board, often sold under the Hardie brand name, is the choice most often seen on newer extensions in Wimbledon, Richmond and Barnes. It is fire-resistant, dimensionally stable and holds paint well, but it is heavier to install and needs a proper batten and breather membrane system behind it, done correctly, or it traps moisture against the wall.
Render over external wall insulation is a different category again, more of a rendering and insulation job than a cladding job in the strict sense, but we get asked about it in the same breath, usually by people wanting to cut heat loss on a solid-wall Victorian terrace in Islington or Dulwich.
Recladding costs in London: a working price table
These are typical ranges for supply and fit, based on straightforward access with no scaffolding beyond a single storey. Figures vary with property height, the condition of the wall behind the old cladding, and whether insulation is being upgraded at the same time. Always get a written quote after a site visit rather than relying on a figure from a phone call.
| Material | Typical cost per m² | Maintenance | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timber (cedar or treated softwood) | £80 to £140 | Oil or stain every 1 to 3 years, or leave to grey | Conservation areas, garden rooms, period extensions |
| Composite / UPVC panel | £90 to £160 | Occasional wash, no repainting | Rear extensions, garages, low-maintenance preference |
| Fibre cement board | £100 to £180 | Repaint every 8 to 12 years | Modern extensions, fire-sensitive boundaries |
| Render over insulation (EWI) | £120 to £220 | Low, occasional recoat | Solid-wall Victorian and Edwardian terraces |
Scaffolding, where needed for a two-storey elevation, usually adds a few hundred pounds to low thousands depending on the length of the run and how long it stays up. For a single-storey garden room or garage, a tower scaffold or even just ladders is often enough, which keeps the overall job closer to the lower end of the ranges above.
Planning permission and conservation areas
Replacing like-for-like cladding on most houses falls under permitted development and doesn't need planning permission. The point where it changes is when you alter the appearance, change material, or the property sits in a conservation area or is listed. Chelsea, Kensington, Hampstead, Richmond and large parts of Wimbledon and Barnes contain conservation areas where a material change, such as swapping render for exposed timber cladding on a front elevation, can require planning consent even if the same change elsewhere in London wouldn't.
Rear elevations usually have more freedom than front elevations facing the street, and this is where most composite and fibre cement cladding jobs on extensions get built without issue. But the rule is always to check with the local council's planning department before ordering materials, not after. We can flag when a job looks like it needs checking, but the formal confirmation has to come from the council, and getting this wrong means removing and redoing work at your own cost, sometimes under an enforcement notice.
If your property is terraced and the cladding work touches a shared wall or its foundations, in parts of Clapham, Battersea or Fulham where Victorian terraces are common, a Party Wall Act notice to your neighbour may also be needed before work starts.
The recladding process, step by step
| Stage | What happens | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|
| Survey | Check existing cladding, wall condition behind it, damp or rot, measure elevation | Same day |
| Quote and material choice | Confirm material, colour, planning position, written price | 2 to 5 days |
| Strip old cladding | Remove existing panels or boards, inspect timber frame or wall for rot and damp | 1 to 3 days |
| Repair and prep | Replace rotten timber, fit breather membrane and battens, upgrade insulation if agreed | 1 to 4 days |
| Fit new cladding | Install boards or panels, fit trims, flashings and vents | 2 to 7 days |
| Finish | Oil or stain if timber, final seal and clean up | 1 day |
For a single wall or garden room, start to finish often runs under a week. A full house elevation, especially one needing scaffolding and insulation upgrades, typically takes two to three weeks, longer if weather delays the oiling or render coats.
The most expensive mistake: cladding over a wall that hasn't been checked for damp or rot. New cladding fitted straight over an old, already damp timber frame, without a ventilated cavity and breather membrane, traps moisture against the structure instead of letting it dry out. The problem stays hidden for years, by which point the timber frame or sole plate is rotten and needs structural repair, not just new boards. That repair can cost several times the original recladding job. A proper strip-back and inspection before fitting anything new is the cheap insurance against this.
Areas we cover
We carry out recladding work across Chelsea, Kensington, Wimbledon, Knightsbridge, Belgravia, Notting Hill and Holland Park, where conservation area rules are common and timber cladding tends to be the preferred material. We also work in South Kensington, Mayfair, Marylebone and St John's Wood for period properties, and across Fulham, Battersea, Clapham, Putney and Richmond for extensions and garden rooms. Further out we cover Hampstead, Highgate, Primrose Hill, Islington, Barnes, Dulwich, Kew and Canary Wharf. If you're outside these areas, ask us, most of London is within reach.
Recladding often overlaps with other exterior work we do regularly. If old cladding has brought down the fascia or guttering with it, our guttering services in London page covers repair and replacement alongside recladding. If you're building a garden room with new timber cladding and want decking to match, see our decking installation London page. And if the recladding is one job in a wider list of exterior repairs, our property maintenance in London service bundles it with everything else that needs doing on the property.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission to reclad my house in London?
Usually not, if you're replacing cladding like-for-like under permitted development. You do need to check with your local council if you're changing material, altering a front elevation, or your property is in a conservation area or listed, which applies to large parts of Chelsea, Kensington, Hampstead and Richmond. Confirm before ordering materials, because removing non-compliant work later costs more than checking first.
How much does recladding a house cost in London?
Supply and fit typically runs from £80 to £180 per square metre depending on material, with timber at the lower end and fibre cement or render over insulation at the higher end. A small garage or garden room often totals £3,000 to £8,000, while a full house elevation with scaffolding runs into five figures. Always confirm with a written quote after a site visit, as access and wall condition change the price.
What is the best cladding material for London weather?
Fibre cement board and composite panels both handle London's damp, mixed weather with minimal maintenance, which is why they're common on newer extensions in Wimbledon and Richmond. Timber, usually cedar, is preferred where planning rules favour a traditional look, common in Hampstead and parts of Kensington, but it needs oiling every one to three years unless you're happy to let it grey naturally.
Can you reclad a garden room, shed or garage?
Yes, these are some of the most common recladding jobs we do, particularly composite and timber cladding on garden rooms in Battersea, Clapham and Fulham. They're usually quicker and cheaper than house elevations because access is easier and scaffolding is rarely needed, with most jobs completed within a week.
Is my property in a conservation area, and does that affect recladding?
Many parts of Chelsea, Kensington, Hampstead, Wimbledon, Barnes and Richmond sit within conservation areas, where changing the external appearance of a front elevation can need planning permission even if the same work elsewhere wouldn't. Check your address against your local council's conservation area map before committing to a material or colour, since this can only be confirmed by the council, not by a contractor.
Do you handle high-rise or tower block cladding removal?
No. Building-wide external wall cladding on blocks of flats falls under the Building Safety Act and requires a fire risk assessment of external walls, specialist higher-risk contractors and building control sign-off. We work on domestic recladding for houses, extensions and outbuildings, and we'll tell you directly if your enquiry needs a different kind of specialist.
How long does recladding take?
A single wall, garage or garden room usually takes two to seven days from strip-out to finish. A full house elevation, especially where scaffolding and insulation upgrades are involved, typically takes two to three weeks. Weather affects timber oiling and render curing more than it affects the fitting itself.
Does recladding include fixing rot or damp behind the old cladding?
It should, and it's the part of the job that matters most. Once old cladding comes off, the wall or timber frame behind it needs inspecting for rot and damp before anything new goes up. Fitting new cladding over an unaddressed damp problem traps moisture and leads to structural repairs later that cost far more than the recladding itself.