Lime render · England
Lime render in Dorset
Homes and buildings across Dorset — from Bournemouth to Weymouth — can get a free survey and written quote for lime render. Lime work in Dorset is scheduled for frost-free months so the render cures properly.
- Free survey and fixed written price
- Guide price from £78 per m² + scaffold, inc VAT
- Planning and building control checked for England
Free survey in Dorset
Tell us the postcode and what you need.
What's included
- Slower curing — needs frost-free, protected conditions
- Works with wood fibre insulation as a breathable EWI system
- Traditional hand-finished texture
- Helps walls dry out where cement render trapped moisture
- Often appropriate in conservation settings
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.
Lime work in Dorset is scheduled for frost-free months so the render cures properly.
- Nation
- England
- Region
- South West
- Towns covered
- Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Christchurch, Dorchester, Bridport
- Guide price
- From £78 per m² + scaffold · inc VAT
Approvals 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.
How is lime render applied?
Old cement render is removed where it's causing problems, the wall is dampened, and lime is applied in successive coats — usually a scratch coat, a float coat and a finish coat — with curing time between. Freshly applied lime must be protected from frost, rain and fast drying.
Lime render prices in Dorset
| Item | Guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lime render, three-coat | £78–£132 per m²inc VAT | Excluding scaffold |
| Removing cement render first | £22–£48 per m²inc VAT | Where needed |
| Wood fibre + lime EWI | £150–£210 per m²0% VAT | See wood fibre EWI |
Confirmed by a fixed written quote after survey. Prices include VAT at 20%. 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.
What happens next
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.
Lime render in Dorset: questions
Can lime render be applied in winter?
Only with protection and in frost-free conditions. Spring to early autumn is the usual season.
Is lime render more expensive?
Usually, because it's applied in coats by hand and needs more curing time.
Does lime render need painting?
Traditionally it's limewashed, which is breathable. Modern masonry paints can block vapour, so we'd avoid them.
Do you cover all of Dorset?
Yes. We survey and quote lime render 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.