Last Updated on September 4, 2026
Finding
Repainting a semi detached exterior averages £2,700 at Checkatrade’s published rates and £2,600 to £5,700 at MyJobQuote’s, and no major UK cost guide publishes a render versus masonry price split, Whito found on 4 September 2026.
Source: Whito, whito.co.uk/for/painters-decorators/exterior-painting-cost-uk, September 2026. Free to quote with a link to this page.
Exterior work is seasonal, weather dependent and access heavy, which is why the published ranges are wide and why quotes a street apart can differ by thousands. Here is what the guides publish, and the gap in them.
Published exterior ranges, 2026
| Job | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Semi detached, about 90m² | £1,800 to £3,600, average £2,700, about 5 days | Checkatrade exterior guide, read 4 Sep 2026 |
| Semi detached, 3 bed | £2,600 to £5,700 | MyJobQuote, read 4 Sep 2026 |
| Detached, about 120m² | £2,400 to £4,800, average £3,600, about 7 days | Checkatrade exterior guide |
| Detached, 3 to 4 bed | £3,400 to £7,700 | MyJobQuote |
| Per square metre | £20 to £40, average £30 | Checkatrade exterior guide |
| Labour | £27.50 to £50 an hour, £220 to £400 a day | Checkatrade exterior guide |
| Pebbledash, semi detached | £1,000 to £1,800, average £1,400 | Checkatrade pebbledash guide |
Note the overlap problem: Checkatrade’s pebbledash guide prices a semi below its own general exterior guide, and the two guides do not reference each other. Textured surfaces take roughly twice as long to paint and use more paint, by Checkatrade’s own description, so read any single average with care.
The render gap
Smooth render, textured render, bare masonry and previously painted brick behave differently under a roller and swallow different amounts of paint, yet none of the major guides publishes a render versus masonry split. If you are a decorator who works on render, that gap is your content. Publish your own split with real jobs and dates, because the first firm in a town to do so becomes the reference the engines quote.
Timing and the honest caveats
Exterior season in most of the UK runs spring to early autumn. Quotes rise mid season when diaries fill, so the cheap months to book are the shoulder ones. Scaffolding or towers, failed previous coatings and lead paint in older properties are the extras that turn a £2,700 average into a £4,000 invoice, and a good quote names them up front.
Common questions
How much does it cost to paint the outside of a house in the UK?
At published 2026 rates, a semi detached exterior runs £1,800 to £3,600 at Checkatrade’s figures and £2,600 to £5,700 at MyJobQuote’s. A detached house runs roughly £2,400 to £7,700 across the two guides. Read 4 September 2026.
How much does exterior painting cost per square metre?
Checkatrade publishes £20 to £40 per square metre with a £30 average for exterior painting, read 4 September 2026. Textured surfaces sit at the top of the range because they take longer and use more paint.
Does painting render cost more than painting brick?
In practice yes, because textured surfaces take roughly twice as long and absorb more paint, but no major UK cost guide publishes a separate render figure. Get itemised local quotes that name the surface.
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