External wall insulation · England
External wall insulation in Dorset
We provide external wall insulation across Dorset, including Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth, with a free survey and fixed written price. For homes in Dorset, 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 England
Free survey in Dorset
Tell us the postcode and what you need.
What you get
- Installing wall insulation in homes is currently zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027
- Work happens outside, so you can live at home throughout
- Typically takes a 225mm solid brick wall from around 2.1 W/m²K to about 0.30 W/m²K with 90–110mm of board
- 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
Local considerations in Dorset
The South West has many stone and solid-walled cottages, exposed coastal properties and a share of post-war system-built houses, including types such as the Cornish Unit.
Exposure to wind-driven rain varies across Dorset: sheltered town streets fare better than walls on high ground or facing the prevailing weather, and the render, beads and cill details are chosen with that in mind.
For homes in Dorset, the survey starts with the wall itself: solid brick, stone or concrete, and whether any old render is sound enough to insulate over.
- Nation
- England
- Region
- South West
- Towns covered
- Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Christchurch, Dorchester, Bridport
- Guide price
- From £105 per m² + scaffold · 0% VAT
Permissions in England
For houses, external wall insulation and render are often permitted development where the finish looks similar to the existing walls. Planning permission is usually needed in conservation areas, National Parks, National Landscapes, the Broads and World Heritage Sites (where cladding a house in stone, artificial stone, pebble dash, render, timber, plastic or tiles isn't permitted development), for flats and maisonettes, for commercial buildings, under an Article 4 direction, or where the look changes noticeably. Listed buildings need listed building consent.
Renovating more than half of a wall's area — insulating it, or stripping and re-rendering it — or more than a quarter of the building's whole external envelope brings in the energy requirements of Part L, so building control needs to be involved and the wall should reach about 0.30 W/m²K where that's technically, functionally and economically feasible.
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 Dorset
| 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.
From enquiry to finished wall
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 Dorset: questions
Does EWI need Building Regulations approval?
In England and Wales, usually. Insulating more than half of a wall's area, or more than a quarter of the building's whole external envelope, counts as renovating a thermal element, so building control needs to be involved and the wall should reach about 0.30 W/m²K where that's practical. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own building standards processes.
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.
Do you cover all of Dorset?
Yes. We survey and quote external wall insulation across Dorset, including Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Christchurch, Dorchester.
Do I need planning permission in England?
For houses, external wall insulation and render are often permitted development where the finish looks similar to the existing walls. We check your address before quoting.