Lime render · England
Lime render in Somerset
Homes and buildings across Somerset — from Bath to Taunton — can get a free survey and written quote for lime render. For period homes in Somerset, we look for cement patching that may be trapping moisture before suggesting lime.
- 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 Somerset
Tell us the postcode and what you need.
What you get
- Works with wood fibre insulation as a breathable EWI system
- Slower curing — needs frost-free, protected conditions
- Vapour-open and flexible, suited to older solid walls
- Often appropriate in conservation settings
- Traditional hand-finished texture
Before we quote in Somerset
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 Somerset: 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 period homes in Somerset, we look for cement patching that may be trapping moisture before suggesting lime.
- Nation
- England
- Region
- South West
- Towns covered
- Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Taunton, Yeovil, Bridgwater, Frome, Portishead, Burnham-on-Sea…
- Guide price
- From £78 per m² + scaffold · inc VAT
England: planning and regulations
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.
Why use lime instead of cement?
Cement render is hard and relatively impermeable. On older walls built with lime mortar, it can crack, let rain in at the cracks and then stop the wall drying, leading to damp patches inside and spalling stone or brick. Lime is softer, more flexible and vapour-open, so moisture can escape.
Lime render prices in Somerset
| 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.
From enquiry to finished wall
Enquiry
Send your postcode and a few details.
Measured survey
Walls, damp, eaves, cills and services recorded.
Written price
A fixed price with the specification attached.
Work and handover
Installed, inspected and documents handed over.
Lime render in Somerset: questions
Should I remove cement render from my stone house?
If it's cracked, hollow or trapping damp, often yes. If it's sound and the wall is dry, it may be left. The survey looks at both.
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 Somerset?
Yes. We survey and quote lime render across Somerset, including Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Taunton, Yeovil, Bridgwater.
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.