Render repair cost in Sydney (2026)

This guide covers repairs to cracked, hollow and salt-damaged render. For the work itself, see our render repairs page; to work out how serious a crack is, read cracks in render: which ones to worry about.

What do render repairs cost in Sydney?

These are the Sydney ranges What's The Damage publishes for the lines a repair job is usually made of. All prices include GST.

Patching costs more per square metre than new render because the areas are small, the edges have to be cut back and blended, and the texture has to match the wall around it.

Why does the cause of the damage decide the cost?

Render usually cracks or comes away for a reason: the wall or footings moved, water got in behind it, or it was put on too thin or over the wrong surface. NSW Fair Trading's guide to standards and tolerances lists landscaping, nearby trees and heavy, localised garden watering among the causes of soil moisture changes that move footings and crack walls.

If the cause is still there, a patch can crack again. So the honest order is: find the cause, have the right trade or an engineer deal with it if needed, then repair the render. That first step can cost more than the render work itself, and it is worth knowing before you compare quotes.

Patch, re-coat or re-render?

• Patch when the damage is in a few places and the render around it is sound when tapped.
• Re-coat the whole wall after patching when the repairs would otherwise show as different-coloured patches. Matching colour on one patch is hard; a full recoat gives an even finish.
• Remove and re-render when large areas are hollow (drummy), the render is coming away, or it was the wrong render for the wall. The market figures for removal plus new render show why this is the expensive end.

What pushes a render repair job up or down?

• How many areas need repair, and how big they turn out to be once the wall is tapped.
• Whether another trade or an engineer has to deal with the cause first.
• Height and access, including scaffolding.
• Matching the texture, and whether the whole wall is recoated for an even colour.
• The type of render or coating on the wall now.
• Heritage controls. In Paddington, Woollahra's controls say render must not be removed unless the surface is re-rendered straight away, so like-for-like repair is the expectation.

What should a render repair quote spell out?

• What was found: where the wall was tapped, and which areas are hollow or cracked.
• The likely cause, and whether anything needs fixing before the render.
• The repair method for each area, and how far the patches will be cut back.
• Whether the wall is recoated afterwards, and in what.
• What happens if more hollow render turns up once work starts.

How do we quote a render repair?

1. Send a wide photo of each wall and close-ups of the damage, with a ruler or tape measure beside any crack.
2. We reply with a rough figure, and tell you if the crack looks like one for an engineer first.
3. We visit to inspect and tap the walls.
4. You get the final quote in writing, with the repairs and the coating it includes.