How much does rendering cost in Melbourne?

Most Melbourne render jobs sit between $30–$60 per square metre for cement render and $40–$80 for acrylic, depending on prep, access and the finish you choose. Multi-storey work, heritage repairs and full re-renders price differently. We give a free, fixed quote after a site visit.

Which render is best for Melbourne's weather?

On most modern homes we lean toward flexible, pre-coloured acrylic because Melbourne walls move with the temperature swings and a rigid coating is the first thing to crack. Older solid-brick properties get a lime-based system instead, so moisture in the wall has somewhere to go rather than pushing the finish off.

Do you render the whole of Melbourne?

Yes — from the inner north (Brunswick, Ivanhoe, Moonee Ponds) and bayside (Caulfield) out to the northern corridor (Doreen, Mernda, Epping, Whittlesea), Lower Plenty, Lilydale and regional VIC including the Macedon Ranges and Bendigo.

Can you re-render over an existing painted brick house?

Almost always — we mechanically prep, install a key coat or polystyrene cladding where needed, then apply your chosen render system. It's one of the highest-ROI facade upgrades you can do in Melbourne.

Rendering Melbourne

Looking for a rendering contractor in Melbourne who has been doing it for two decades? That is where our trade started, and it still sits at the centre of what Melbourne Maintenance and Repairs does. We render new builds, re-render tired brick facades, work on multi-storey homes and townhouses, and quietly repair cracks and water damage so the patch is invisible — then hand the property back ready for painting, photos or a listing campaign. Every job is quoted free and run by a dedicated lead.

We provide rendering melbourne services across Melbourne and regional Victoria, including the Macedon Ranges, Bendigo region, and Northern Corridor.

Call 0405 337 051

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Render, Then Everything That Comes After It20+ years on Melbourne walls

Rendering is where our trade started, and it is still what we are known for — cement, acrylic, texture and heritage finishes on everything from single-storey renovations to multi-storey facades. What has changed is what happens next. The same team paints the wall, clears the gutters above it, repairs the fence beside it and comes back years later when the facade needs a freshen-up before a sale.

Cement, acrylic, texture & lime render
New builds, renovations & repairs
Multi-storey & commercial experience
Heritage-sensitive lime & texture work

Types of Rendering We Specialise In

Picking the right render system makes the difference between a facade that lasts 30+ years and one that cracks in five. Here are the systems we install and repair every week across Melbourne.

Cement Rendering

The cheapest way to give a tired brick house a whole new front. Budget on repainting it down the track — which is work we can come back and do for you.

Acrylic Render

Costs more on day one and saves you on maintenance later. Colour is baked in, so scuffs and hose-downs do not turn into a repaint weekend.

Texture & Stucco

Useful when you are adding on to an existing house — we mix the texture on site until the extension stops looking like an extension.

Lime & Heritage Render

For solid-brick period homes in Bendigo, the Macedon Ranges and Melbourne's older suburbs, where sealing the wall up is what causes the damage.

→ Plastering & Ceiling Repairs → Rendering Melbourne → Cement Rendering Melbourne → Render Repairs Melbourne

See Our Work in Action

Watch a quick look at the quality finishes we deliver on Melbourne rendering projects.

Our Rendering Melbourne Services

New Rendering

Full house render for new builds, extensions and renovations across Melbourne. Cement, acrylic or texture finish — chosen to suit your substrate, climate exposure and design brief.

Re-Rendering & Facade Makeovers

Tired brick or painted facade? We strip, prep and re-render with a modern acrylic or texture system so your Melbourne home looks new without the cost of a rebuild.

Multi-Storey & Commercial

Two-storey homes, townhouses, apartments and small commercial facades. Scaffold-ready crews with the experience to keep large jobs on schedule.

Hebel, Cement Sheet & Polystyrene

Render finishes over Hebel, blueboard, cement sheet and polystyrene cladding. Lightweight, fire-resistant systems suited to modern Melbourne builds.

Heritage & Lime Render

Breathable lime render and naturally weathered finishes for Melbourne's Victorian and Edwardian homes. Sensitive repairs that respect the original fabric.

Render Repairs & Crack Fixes

Crack tracking, blown render replacement and water-damage repairs. Texture and colour matched so the patch disappears.

What Rendering Melbourne Actually Involves

Whole-house rendering is about choosing the right system for the home before a trowel goes near the wall. New builds on brick veneer, extensions matching an existing rendered facade, and older brick homes wanting a full re-clad all call for different substrate prep and different render systems, and we scope that before quoting.

The two main paths are acrylic render systems over a base coat and reinforcing mesh, or a traditional cement-based render finished with a texture or paint coat. Acrylic systems flex slightly with the home and resist cracking better on brick veneer with movement joints, while cement render suits solid masonry and gives the harder, more traditional look.

We also handle re-cladding jobs where a home is moving from painted brick or ageing weatherboard to a rendered finish, which involves fixing a substrate board or mesh system over the existing wall before rendering. Colour and texture selection happens early, since sample boards look different on a full elevation than on a small chip.

Common Problems We See

Wrong render system for the substrate

Acrylic finishes applied directly over rigid cement sheet without the correct base coat and mesh can crack at panel joints within a year or two, because the system wasn't matched to how that substrate moves.

Colour drift between render batches

Large elevations rendered over several days can show subtle colour banding if premixed render batches aren't consistent, particularly noticeable on darker acrylic colours in direct afternoon sun.

Poor movement joint placement

Full rendering without movement joints at control points such as window returns or long unbroken wall runs leads to stress cracking as the home expands and contracts through Melbourne's seasonal temperature swings.

Texture inconsistency across additions

Matching an extension's render texture to the original house is tricky freehand; a mismatched trowel technique leaves a visible seam between old and new sections of wall.

Efflorescence on new cement render

Salts leaching through fresh cement render as it cures can leave a white bloom on the surface, which needs washing and neutralising before topcoat paint goes on rather than being sealed straight over.

Signs You Need Rendering Melbourne

A quote from another trade for a texture coat without any mention of a base coat or reinforcing mesh system.
Sample chips that looked right in a showroom but read very differently across a full two-storey elevation.
An existing rendered home with no visible movement joints at all despite a long, unbroken wall run.
New render developing a white powdery bloom within the first few months of curing.
Plans for an extension where the render colour needs to match a facade rendered more than five years ago.
A weatherboard or painted brick home considering a full re-clad to lift its street presence before sale.

Not sure what you're looking at? Send us a photo through the contact page and we'll tell you honestly whether it needs attention now or can wait.

Repair or Replace?

Repair usually makes sense when

• The existing render system is sound and only isolated sections need patching or recoating.
• The home's current substrate and render type are compatible and just need a fresh topcoat.
• Colour fade from UV exposure is the main issue rather than cracking or delamination.
• Only one elevation, such as a north-facing wall, is showing wear from sun exposure.

Replacement is the better spend when

• The wrong render system was used originally and is failing across multiple elevations.
• You're re-cladding from weatherboard or bare brick to a rendered finish for the whole house.
• Extensive cracking suggests the base coat or mesh has failed rather than just the topcoat.
• A full colour change is wanted that isn't achievable by simply recoating the existing texture.

Whole-house rendering is a bigger commitment than a patch repair, so we're upfront when a recoat or targeted repair will get the same visual result for less disruption. Full re-renders make sense mainly for re-cladding jobs, system failures, or when a genuine finish and colour change is wanted across the whole home.

Our Inspection Process

1
Substrate identification
We confirm whether walls are brick veneer, solid masonry, cement sheet or weatherboard, since each substrate needs a different render system and preparation method to perform long-term.
2
Existing render condition check
On homes with existing render we sound-test for drummy patches and check for cracking patterns that indicate whether a recoat or a strip-back is the right approach.
3
Movement joint mapping
We mark out where control joints are needed based on wall length, corners and window openings, following manufacturer spacing guidelines for the chosen render system.
4
Elevation and weather exposure review
North and west-facing walls copping full summer sun get assessed separately, since UV and heat exposure affects both curing conditions and long-term colour stability.
5
Sample panel and colour trial
For larger jobs we render a small sample panel on site in the chosen colour and texture so it can be viewed in real light before committing the whole elevation.

Materials & Products We Use

Acrylic render systems (Dulux AcraTex, Rockcote)

Flexible, pre-coloured acrylic finishes applied over a base coat and fibreglass mesh, well suited to brick veneer and lightweight substrates that experience some movement.

Cement-based render (sand, cement, lime)

Traditional trowel-applied render for solid masonry, giving a harder, more durable finish that's then painted or finished with a mineral topcoat.

Fibreglass reinforcing mesh

Embedded in the base coat at corners, joints and over any substrate transitions to reduce the risk of cracking as the building moves seasonally.

PVC movement joints and beads

Fitted at control points and external corners to manage expansion and give a crisp, straight finished edge along the render line.

Weatherproof primer and sealer

Applied to masonry before rendering to even out suction across the wall so the render cures at a consistent rate and doesn't flash unevenly.

Mineral or textured topcoats

Applied over cement render for colour and texture, offering better breathability on solid brick than a fully sealed acrylic film.

Expected Timeframes

Typical rendering melbourne job durations
Job	Typical duration
Single elevation re-render	3-5 days
Full single-storey house render	1-2 weeks plus curing
Full two-storey house render	2-3 weeks plus curing
Extension render to match existing	3-5 days
Re-clad from weatherboard to render system	2-4 weeks
Sample panel and colour trial	Half a day

Weather, access and drying times shift these figures — we confirm a realistic schedule before we book you in.

What Affects the Cost

Total wall area and number of storeys

Scaffold and access requirements increase significantly for two-storey homes compared with single-storey, affecting both time on tools and setup.

Render system selected

Acrylic systems and cement-based render involve different material costs, coat numbers and labour sequencing across the job.

Substrate preparation required

Cleaning, priming or fixing a mesh substrate board before rendering adds time where the existing wall isn't ready to receive render directly.

Number of movement joints and features

Elevations with lots of windows, corners and control joints take longer to detail properly than a plain, unbroken wall run.

Weather windows during the job

Render needs stable temperatures and low rain risk while curing, so jobs booked through Melbourne's changeable spring weather may need flexible scheduling.

Colour and texture complexity

Darker colours and heavier textures can need extra coats or careful batching to avoid visible banding across a large elevation.

Every job is quoted after we've seen it. We itemise labour and materials so you can see exactly what you're paying for.

Before & After

Typical starting conditions on Melbourne properties, and what the finished work looks like.

Before

Ageing weatherboard home with peeling paint and gaps opening between boards after years of sun exposure.

After

Substrate board fixed over the weatherboard and finished with an acrylic render system, giving a clean, contemporary facade with no visible board lines.

Before

Plain brick veneer extension that clashed visibly against the original rendered section of the house.

After

Extension rendered in a matched texture and custom-tinted colour so the addition reads as part of the original facade rather than a visible add-on.

Before

Original 1990s cement render showing sun-faded colour and patchy staining on the west-facing wall.

After

Wall cleaned, primed and recoated in a UV-stable topcoat, restoring an even colour across the whole elevation.

Keeping It That Way

Wash render down annually with a low-pressure hose to remove dust and gum-leaf grime before it stains the surface.
Check movement joints yearly for cracking or gaps opening up, especially after a hot dry summer followed by a wet winter.
Repaint acrylic-rendered walls on a cycle rather than waiting for visible fade, since UV breakdown of the topcoat happens before it's obvious.
Keep garden beds and irrigation clear of render at ground level to avoid constant moisture wicking up into the base coat.
Have any new hairline cracking checked early, since a small crack left unsealed lets water in behind the render system.

Work That Pairs With This

Render Repairs

If part of a rendered home is already cracking or drummy, a targeted repair may resolve it without a full re-render.

Cement Rendering

Homes with solid brick or blockwork substrates are often better suited to a traditional cement-based render than an acrylic system.

Painting

Freshly cured render needs the correct primer and topcoat schedule to lock in colour and protect the finish long-term.

Pre-Sale Restoration

A full or partial re-render is one of the highest-impact improvements to street appeal before listing a home for sale.

Completed Projects

Frequently Asked Questions