If you are budgeting for exterior cladding in Bungay, understanding what drives the cost - and what keeps it down - will help you get fair quotes and avoid surprises once work is underway.
Exterior cladding quotes for similar-looking houses can differ by thousands of pounds. That is not necessarily because one installer is overcharging - it is often because the scope of the job is genuinely different. A quote that includes stripping old cladding, replacing a deteriorated batten frame and fitting new flashings is a different job to one that installs boards over a sound existing substrate. If you are comparing quotes, make sure you are comparing like for like.
Below is a straightforward breakdown of the factors that determine what a cladding job costs.
The most obvious factor is how much wall is being covered. Cladding is typically priced per square metre for the material, with labour calculated on the total area plus complexity. A semi-detached house clad on one or two elevations is a very different scope to a detached property clad on all four sides.
As a rough guide, uPVC cladding installed on a straightforward elevation in the UK typically costs in the region of £50-£90 per square metre supplied and fitted, depending on the profile and specification. Timber cladding generally runs higher, from around £70-£120 per square metre or more depending on the species and finish. Composite materials vary widely by manufacturer but often sit in the £80-£150 per square metre range. These are indicative figures for planning purposes - actual quotes depend on the specifics of the job.
If new cladding is being installed onto a clean, sound wall that just needs battening out, preparation costs are relatively modest. If existing cladding is coming off first, there is labour for the strip-out and disposal of the old material.
The biggest cost variable in substrate preparation is the condition of the batten frame. Battens that have been behind failing cladding for years may have absorbed moisture and begun to rot. Replacing them properly is not optional - cladding fixed to a rotten batten will work loose, and fixings will pull through the softened timber. The extent of batten replacement is rarely fully known until the old cladding is off, which is why a responsible quote will flag this as a potential additional cost rather than ignoring it.
Similarly, if the wall surface itself has damp, cracking or areas of failed render, these should be addressed before the new cladding goes on. Treating a damp wall is cheaper before the cladding is in place than trying to access it afterwards.
On a single-storey extension or a low wall, cladding may be achievable safely from ladders or a tower. On a two-storey or taller elevation, scaffolding is needed. Scaffolding on a typical semi-detached house costs in the region of £600-£1,200 depending on the size and access constraints, and that cost is part of the total job cost whether or not the quote shows it as a separate line.
Tight access - a narrow side return, a busy pavement, an awkward rear garden - can push scaffolding costs up. Some properties require a licence for scaffolding that overhangs a public footpath, which adds a small administrative cost and sometimes a delay.
Cladding a plain rectangular wall with no windows and a straightforward top edge is the simplest case. Most real houses are more complex than that. Every window opening requires the cladding to be cut, trimmed and sealed around it. Every door, every corner, every junction where the cladding meets a roofline or a soffit is a point that takes time and requires the right trim or flashing.
A wall with six windows, a bay, a soil pipe and a gas meter box takes significantly more time and material to clad than the same area of blank wall. This is not a trick - it is just the nature of the work, and a detailed quote should reflect it.
Material choice has a direct effect on cost. uPVC boards are the most affordable per square metre. Timber costs more for the material and, depending on the species, more for installation because of the care needed with fixings. Composite boards are more expensive still, and metal cladding (aluminium) is typically the highest-cost option on a residential project.
Within each material type, specification matters. A thicker uPVC board with a quality UV-stabilised finish costs more than a budget-grade alternative and will look better and last longer. With timber, a naturally durable species like western red cedar costs significantly more than treated softwood but requires less maintenance over its life. The cheapest option upfront is not always the cheapest option over ten or twenty years.
There are legitimate ways to reduce the cost of an exterior cladding project without compromising the quality of the installation.
A reliable quote for exterior cladding requires a site visit - not just a description of the job over the phone. The installer needs to see the wall, assess the substrate, measure the openings and identify any access complications before they can give you a figure you can plan around. Be cautious of any quote provided without a visit, particularly if it seems low - the cost of getting it wrong falls on you, not the person who quoted.
If you want a straightforward assessment and a proper price for exterior cladding in Bungay, call us to arrange a site visit, and we will give you an honest view of what the job involves and what it is likely to cost.
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