External wall insulation · Scotland
External wall insulation in Argyll and Bute
We provide external wall insulation across Argyll and Bute, including Helensburgh, Dunoon and Oban, with a free survey and fixed written price. For homes in Argyll and Bute, the survey starts with the wall itself: solid brick, stone or concrete, and whether any old render is sound enough to insulate over.
- Free survey and fixed written price
- Guide price from £105 per m² + scaffold, 0% VAT
- Planning and building control checked for Scotland
Free survey in Argyll and Bute
Tell us the postcode and what you need.
What you get
- Typically takes a 225mm solid brick wall from around 2.1 W/m²K to about 0.30 W/m²K with 90–110mm of board
- Work happens outside, so you can live at home throughout
- Boards chosen for the wall: EPS, mineral wool, wood fibre or phenolic
- Cills, pipes, vents, meter boxes and the roofline detailed as part of the job
- Installing wall insulation in homes is currently zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027
What we look for in Argyll and Bute
The Highlands and Islands have many exposed stone and harled homes, timber-framed houses and scattered rural properties.
Parts of Argyll and Bute fall in the higher wind-driven rain exposure bands, especially coastal and upland sites, so render specification, movement joints and detailing at cills, verges and the base of the wall matter more than usual.
Whole-house jobs and single elevations are both quoted in Argyll and Bute; a cold gable or rear wall can be done on its own where it suits.
- Nation
- Scotland
- Region
- Highlands and Islands
- Towns covered
- Helensburgh, Dunoon, Oban, Campbeltown
- Guide price
- From £105 per m² + scaffold · 0% VAT
Planning and building control in Scotland
In Scotland, householder permitted development rights are set by the Scottish GPDO and are narrower for external wall changes; insulating flats or tenements, changing the appearance of a house noticeably, or working in a conservation area usually needs planning permission. Listed buildings need listed building consent. Ask your council's planning team before committing.
Work that alters an external wall's construction is covered by the building standards system; many over-cladding projects need a building warrant from the council's building standards team, and Section 6 (Energy) of the Technical Handbooks sets insulation benchmarks.
Which homes is EWI suited to?
EWI is mainly used on solid-walled houses (most homes built before about 1920), on post-war concrete and steel-framed houses, on homes where cavity fill isn't possible, and on bungalows and park homes. It also suits flats and blocks where the whole building is treated at once.
It is less straightforward where the walls face a pavement with no room to project, on listed buildings, or where planning rules want the existing brick or stone left visible. A survey picks these up before you commit.
External wall insulation prices in Argyll and Bute
| Item | Guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| EPS system with silicone render | £105–£145 per m²0% VAT | Most common choice for houses |
| Mineral wool system | £125–£170 per m²0% VAT | Non-combustible, vapour-open |
| Brick-slip finish over insulation | £185–£260 per m²0% VAT | Where a brick look is wanted |
| Three-bed semi, EPS + silicone (incl. scaffold) | £10,200–£17,7000% VAT | 80–100 m² of wall; depends on detailing and access |
Confirmed by a fixed written quote after survey. 0% VAT: installing insulation in a home is zero-rated until 31 March 2027, so these figures are the total; 5% applies from 1 April 2027.
How it works
Get a guide price
Try the online quote tool for a ballpark figure.
Book the survey
A visit at a time that suits you.
Agree the quote
Nothing starts until you've signed the written price.
We do the work
Planned around weather, with you kept informed.
External wall insulation in Argyll and Bute: questions
Can EWI go over pebble dash?
Usually yes. The dash is tested for adhesion and hollow areas; sound dash can be insulated over with additional mechanical fixings, while loose areas are removed first.
Does external wall insulation cause damp?
Not when it is specified and detailed properly. Problems usually come from poor detailing: no starter track above the damp-proof course, gaps at cills and penetrations, or a vapour-closed system on a wall that needs to breathe. The survey checks moisture, ground levels and the wall type before a system is chosen.
How much does external wall insulation cost?
Our guide price for EWI is £105–£170 per m² of wall depending on the system, plus scaffolding. A typical three-bed semi with EPS and silicone render comes to roughly £10,200–£17,700 for the whole house, including scaffold. Installing insulation in a home is zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027, so that's the total. You get a fixed written price after a free survey.
Do you cover all of Argyll and Bute?
Yes. We survey and quote external wall insulation across Argyll and Bute, including Helensburgh, Dunoon, Oban, Campbeltown. Island and remote addresses are surveyed by arrangement.
Do I need planning permission in Scotland?
In Scotland, householder permitted development rights are set by the Scottish GPDO and are narrower for external wall changes; insulating flats or tenements, changing the appearance of a house noticeably, or working in a conservation area usually needs planning permission. We check your address before quoting.