Cladding is a protective outer layer of boards or panels, such as timber, composite, fibre cement or uPVC, fixed to battens on the outside of a wall to change its appearance, shed rain and, where insulation is added, reduce heat loss.
Whatever prompted you to look into cladding, whether wear and tear, a growing family or plans to move, we can survey your Stevenage home and give you a price in writing. Homes in the East of England typically come in at £5,200–£12,500, VAT included, for this kind of work. We also cover Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City and Welwyn Garden City, and the same steps apply wherever you are in Hertfordshire.
- Guide price
- £5,200–£12,500 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 3 days to 3 weeks depending on area
- Postcodes
- SG1 and SG2
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Hertfordshire
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for cladding in Stevenage?
Below is a breakdown of typical costs for cladding in Stevenage. Because rates in the East of England are about 5% above the national guide, the overall guide comes to £5,200–£12,500, including VAT. Size, materials and access move the figure, and a free-of-charge survey settles it.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Stevenage |
|---|---|---|
| Feature area or dormer | A gable, dormer, bay or small feature wall in uPVC, timber or composite. | £1,600–£5,200 |
| Extension or upper storey | About 40–60m² of timber, composite or fibre cement with membrane and battens. | £5,200–£12,500 |
| Whole house | Cladding most elevations of a house, often with added insulation. | £12,500–£31,500 |
The main things that change the figure:
- Wall area to be clad and the height of the building
- Cladding material and board profile
- Window reveals, corners and roof junctions to detail
- Scaffolding, access and distance from boundaries
Scope of the work
- Survey of the wall, boundaries, damp and window details
- Scaffolding or access towers as needed
- Breather membrane and treated battens fixed to the wall
- Insulation behind the cladding where agreed
- Cladding boards fixed with suitable stainless or coated fixings
- Waste removal and a clean site on completion
Local housing and cladding
Hertfordshire is home to the first garden cities, Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City, and the post-war new towns of Stevenage, Hatfield and Hemel Hempstead. Watford and St Albans have Victorian terraces and Georgian streets, interwar semis line the commuter suburbs, and brick-and-flint cottages appear in Chiltern villages to the west.
Generally dry with chalk and clay soils; clay areas can move in long dry spells, and mature trees near houses need considering for foundations.
So when we survey a Stevenage property for cladding, the first step is working out how it was built and what has been changed since.
Planning and building rules in Stevenage
Because Stevenage falls under England's rules, the guidance below is the version relevant to you. Before sending a price, we check your property's position with the council.
In England, re-rendering or cladding a house is often allowed without planning permission, but stone, render, timber, plastic or tile cladding is not permitted development in conservation areas, and listed buildings need consent.
If you render or re-clad more than 25% of an external wall, Building Regulations usually require the wall’s insulation to be improved where that is practical, and building control should be notified.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
From survey to handover
Free site survey
First, someone visits your home in Stevenage to see the space, take measurements and note anything that could affect the work, such as access or the condition of what is there. There is no charge for this visit.
Written quote
Next you receive a written quote with a fixed price for the agreed specification. It lists what is included, what is not, and how payments are staged, so you can compare it properly.
Booking the work
With the quote agreed, we book the work in and handle preparation: permissions where needed, building control notifications, material orders and access arrangements for your Stevenage property.
The work itself
During the work we protect the areas around it and tidy up at the end of each day. Once complete, we check the finish, remove our materials and hand over paperwork such as building control sign-off where it applies.
How we work
Common questions
Do I need planning permission in Stevenage?
It depends on the work, the size of the project, your property type and whether the building is listed or in a conservation area. Stevenage is in England, so England's rules apply. Many smaller jobs need no planning application, but some still need building control approval. We check what applies to your address before quoting.
Will timber cladding change colour?
Untreated timber cladding naturally weathers to a silver-grey over a year or two as sunlight breaks down the surface. The change can be uneven at first, especially under eaves where rain does not reach. If you want to keep the original colour, a UV-protective stain or oil is needed and must be renewed every few years. Pre-weathered and coated boards are also available.
Can you clad over existing render or brick?
Cladding is usually fixed over existing render or brick using battens, as long as the wall is sound and dry. Loose render may need removing first so the fixings hold. The battens create a ventilated gap so any moisture can drain and dry. We check the wall during the survey and explain any preparation needed before cladding.
Who do I deal with during the job?
One point of contact manages your project from survey to handover. They schedule the trades working under our contract, keep you updated on progress, and are the person to call with any question. You don't need to coordinate builders, electricians or decorators separately, because that is part of what we do.
Can cladding improve insulation?
Cladding can improve insulation if insulation boards are fixed to the wall behind the battens, which reduces heat loss and can help with cold or damp internal walls. This adds thickness, so window reveals, sills and roof edges need careful detailing. Cladding alone, without insulation, adds very little warmth. We can price both options so you can compare.
Also covering areas around Stevenage
If your address falls within SG1 and SG2, we cover it. The same goes for neighbouring Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City and Welwyn Garden City, which we include alongside Stevenage when arranging surveys and quotes.