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.
Addresses across TD5 fall within our coverage for cladding, so if your home is in Kelso we can arrange a survey on a day that works for you. We inspect the existing building, discuss materials and layout, and then price the agreed specification in writing. Expect a guide range of £4,800–£11,500 including VAT before that visit.
- Guide price
- £4,800–£11,500 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 3 days to 3 weeks depending on area
- Postcodes
- TD5
- Planning rules
- Scotland
- Local area
- The Scottish Borders
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for cladding in Kelso?
What will cladding cost in Kelso? Our guide range is £4,800–£11,500 including VAT. That figure is adjusted for Scotland, about 4% below the national guide, and is intended for planning a budget. A firm written price for your chosen specification follows a free survey at your home.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Kelso |
|---|---|---|
| Feature area or dormer | A gable, dormer, bay or small feature wall in uPVC, timber or composite. | £1,450–£4,800 |
| Extension or upper storey | About 40–60m² of timber, composite or fibre cement with membrane and battens. | £4,800–£11,500 |
| Whole house | Cladding most elevations of a house, often with added insulation. | £11,500–£29,000 |
Your price depends mostly on:
- Wall area to be clad and the height of the building
- Insulation behind the cladding
- Window reveals, corners and roof junctions to detail
- Scaffolding, access and distance from boundaries
What does the job include in Kelso?
- Survey of the wall, boundaries, damp and window details
- Scaffolding or access towers as needed
- Breather membrane and treated battens fixed to the wall
- Cavity barriers and fire-stopping where regulations require
- Cladding boards fixed with suitable stainless or coated fixings
- Corner trims, window reveals and ventilated top and bottom edges
Homes in Scottish Borders
Mill towns such as Hawick, Galashiels and Selkirk have stone terraces and tenements from the textile industry, Melrose and Kelso have older sandstone centres, and farmhouses and cottages across the Borders are built of whinstone or sandstone under slate roofs. Post-war and newer estates surround the larger towns.
Cold winters with frost and snow on higher ground, and the Tweed and Teviot can flood low-lying properties.
In Kelso, as elsewhere in Scottish Borders, we take the building's age and construction into account before recommending anything, because both can change what is involved in cladding.
Permissions for cladding in Kelso
Each UK nation sets its own consent rules, and Kelso is in Scotland. What follows is a plain summary; we check the specifics for your property with the council before pricing anything.
In Scotland, changing the external finish of a house in a conservation area or on a listed building needs consent; elsewhere, like-for-like re-rendering is usually treated as repair.
Large-scale re-cladding or external insulation can need a building warrant; like-for-like render repairs normally do not.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
How does the job run?
We look at the job
We begin by looking at the job in person. During the free survey we discuss options, materials and budget for cladding, and photograph or measure anything the quote needs to reflect.
Written quote
The quote arrives in writing, not over the phone. It covers the full scope, the finishes you've chosen, any exclusions and the payment schedule, with a fixed price tied to that specification.
Getting ready
Before anyone starts, we confirm the programme in writing, check whether consents are required and arrange deliveries. If a skip or scaffolding on the road needs a permit, we apply for it.
The work itself
The work is carried out to the agreed specification, with floors and furniture protected and the site kept tidy. At the end we clean up, walk through the finished job with you and hand over any certificates.
Working with SK Home Improvements
Cladding in Kelso: questions
How much does house cladding cost?
Cladding around 40–60m² of wall, such as an extension or upper storey, costs £4,800–£11,500, including membrane, battens and trims. As a guide, allow roughly £80–£180 per square metre plus fixed costs for scaffolding and set-up. uPVC and softwood sit at the lower end, while hardwood, composite and fibre cement cost more. Adding insulation increases the price. We confirm a fixed figure after the survey.
What happens at the survey?
We visit your home at a time that suits you, look at the area involved, take measurements and check access, condition and any services that might be affected. We talk through what you want from cladding, explain the options and answer questions. There is no charge and no obligation; afterwards we send a written quote.
Do you cover Galashiels, Hawick and Peebles?
Yes. As well as Kelso, we cover Galashiels, Hawick and Peebles and the rest of Scottish Borders. Our coverage is UK-wide, so the process is the same wherever you are: a free site survey, a quote in writing that fixes the price for the agreed scope, and one point of contact while the work is planned and carried out.
How long does cladding take to install?
Cladding a small dormer or gable usually takes a few days, an extension or upper storey around one to two weeks, and a whole house two to three weeks or more. Scaffolding, insulation and detailing around many windows add time. Timber boards may need to acclimatise on site first. We give you a programme with the written quote.
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.
Nearby towns
Coverage for Kelso spans TD5. Close by, Galashiels, Hawick and Peebles are covered too, and the rest of our UK-wide area follows the same survey-then-quote process from start to finish.

