Exterior and period redecoration
We redecorate period houses and mansion blocks across London and Essex, with extensive exterior work throughout West London: stucco fronts, rendered facades, sash windows, railings and the brickwork between them. Most of the job happens before the paint: the survey, the scaffold, and the repairs to render and timber. We detail every element in the specification, scaffold is quoted on its own separate line, and we fix the price for the rest of the work.
What is included
- A survey of the facade before we price, from ground level and with access where we need to get closer, so we count the repairs rather than guess them
- Scaffold shown as its own line from a scaffolder's quotation, with any borough licence fee taken from the published schedule. We apply for the licence
- Repairs to stucco, render and masonry before any paint, by the method the building needs: heritage repair on a period facade, standard render where that is the right answer, and Toupret Touprelith F exterior masonry repair filler for making good
- Sash windows overhauled and draught-proofed: eased, re-corded, re-puttied, resin repairs to decayed timber, brush-pile seals fitted
- Preparation and painting of masonry, joinery, railings and metalwork in an exterior system named for each substrate, usually Dulux Weathershield on masonry and render and Dulux Metalshield exterior gloss on railings, with a heritage paint specified where the building calls for one
- RAMS written by our operations director before anyone goes up, with full protection for the pavement, building entrances and neighbouring properties
- A weekly written progress report with photographs for every client, a six-month visit on projects over £15,000 and a two-year workmanship guarantee
What is not included
- Window replacement. On a period or listed building we recommend overhaul first. Where replacement is the only option we put forward like-for-like timber, and we decide the glazing window by window. We never specify uPVC
- Structural repairs to the facade, which are surveyed and priced separately
- Repairs that cannot be seen at survey, which are priced as named provisional sums and confirmed from the scaffold
- Making the listed building consent or planning application, which stays with you or your architect. We support it with the specification and the schedule of repairs
Typical projects
- A stucco-fronted terraced house, full front and rear, with the render repaired before the paint
- A mansion block's external redecoration under a managing agent's Section 20 programme, phased by elevation with residents in occupation, see managing agents and Section 20
- Sash windows overhauled and redecorated across a whole house from the scaffold that is already up for the facade
Why is the scaffold priced separately?
Because on a period exterior it is often the largest single cost, and it should be clearly visible rather than hidden inside the decorating price. We obtain a quotation from an approved scaffolder for your building, include any borough licence fees from the published schedule, and show both on their own lines. We fix the price for all our work.
Do you repair stucco and render, or just paint over it?
We repair it. Paint over blown or hollow render fails early, because the movement underneath carries on. We cut out the cracks, take the hollow areas back and reinstate them, then make good with Toupret Touprelith F masonry repair filler before we prime and paint. Heritage work takes a repair method specified for the building.
Should we replace our sash windows?
Usually not. We overhaul a sash window that rattles, sticks or lets the draught in. We ease it, re-cord it, re-putty it, repair decayed timber with resin and fit brush-pile seals. It keeps the original glass and the original look. Replacement is the last resort, and then only in like-for-like timber, with the glazing decided window by window.
How long is the scaffold up?
It depends on the facade and the weather, as exterior coatings require dry surfaces and warmth. A terraced house front takes two to five days for a straightforward repaint, or up to ten working days where substantial render or timber repairs are needed. A mansion block elevation is typically four to five weeks, depending on the repairs. A full programme goes out with the quotation.
Recent projects
At a Grade II listed terrace in Maida Vale we restored both elevations between April and June 2025. We rebuilt the stucco and the cornice by hand to the original pattern. We repaired the parapet render, the portico, the balcony and the sash windows. We held the principal contractor role, and the council's officers attended during the works and put their questions to the surveyor.
Indicative cost
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A period house or a single flat exterior is usually £12,000 to £30,000.
External refurbishment of a mansion block runs from £45,000 to £150,000.
A large stucco townhouse is a different scale again.
A five-storey Grade II listed terrace in Maida Vale, both elevations restored with stucco and cornice rebuilt by hand, parapet render, portico, balcony and sash repair, plus some roof work, came to £75,000 including the scaffold.
We quote the scaffold separately, as a named provisional sum.
It is the largest single cost on most external jobs and the only honest way to price it is to get the figure from the scaffolder for your building, not to guess it from a similar one.
What moves it: the number of elevations, how much render or stucco needs repair rather than redecoration, whether the building carries a listing or sits in a conservation area and the borough's scaffold licence fee.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need permission to redecorate a listed building?
Usually not. Historic England's guidance is that redecorating in a matching paint type, texture, finish and colour does not normally affect a listed building's special interest, so it needs no consent. You need consent where the paint type, the finish or the colour changes substantially. You need it too where we paint a surface that nobody has decorated before. Some conservation areas carry an Article 4 direction that removes the right to repaint a facade. We tell you at survey which applies to yours.
What about the scaffold licence and the neighbours?
Scaffold on a public pavement requires a licence from the local borough. We take the licence fee from the borough's published schedule and show it clearly on the quotation. We handle the licence application. Where scaffolding needs oversailing or access agreements with an adjoining owner, you arrange permission and we coordinate the schedule. Before scaffold goes up, we speak to immediate neighbours and put a letter through their door with our direct contact details.
What paint do you use outside?
A system named for each substrate: one for masonry and render, one for timber, one for metal, chosen for the exposure and the building's age. Dulux Weathershield is our usual masonry and render system, and Dulux Metalshield exterior gloss goes on railings. A heritage building takes a paint specified for that building. Interior paint never goes on an exterior.
What happens if the weather turns?
Exterior coatings applied in the wet or the cold fail, so the weather decides the programme more than we do. We check the forecast the night before and again in the morning. No paint goes on when rain is due, and no render or filler either. If we cannot work, we tell you that morning rather than leave you wondering.
Tell us about the project.
We reply within one working hour, 7:30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Outside those hours, first thing the next working morning.
Enquiry form
Thank you. Someone from our office will call or email you within the hour if it is a working day, or first thing the next working morning.