In short
- Well-bonded pebbledash can usually be rendered over after a levelling base coat with mesh, avoiding the cost and risk of stripping.
- Hollow, cracked or loose pebbledash has to come off, which can take the face off older bricks and adds cost.
- A proper survey taps the whole wall for hollow areas and checks for damp before recommending either route.
- Houses in conservation areas or the Surrey Hills may need planning permission to change the finish.
Why there is so much pebbledash in Surrey
Pebbledash, or dry dash, is a render with small stones thrown into the wet surface. It was cheap, hard-wearing and fashionable between the wars, so it is everywhere on the interwar semis of Epsom, Merrow, Stoughton, Woking and Leatherhead, and on many post-war council houses. Decades on, it is often cracked, patched and painted, and owners want a smoother, lower-maintenance finish.
Render over, or strip off?
| Render over | Strip and re-render | |
|---|---|---|
| When | Pebbledash sound and well bonded | Hollow, cracked, loose or damp-affected |
| Method | Clean, prime, levelling base coat with mesh, finish | Hack off to brick, repair, full new system |
| Risk | Low if adhesion is tested | Can damage soft brick faces |
| Cost | Lower | Higher: labour, skips, repairs |
Rendering over adds thickness, so window sills, reveals and the base of the wall need checking to make sure the new render does not bridge the damp-proof course or sit proud of the sills.
What the survey should cover
- Tapping the wall systematically to map hollow areas.
- Checking for cracks that show movement in the wall behind.
- Finding the damp-proof course and checking ground levels against it.
- Looking for damp inside the house, particularly on the most exposed elevation.
- Checking whether the house is in a conservation area or the Surrey Hills National Landscape.
Costs in 2026
Rendering over sound pebbledash usually costs a little more per m² than rendering a clean wall, because of the extra levelling coat. Stripping adds around £10 per m² in removal plus skips and brick repairs. For a typical Surrey three-bed semi, the whole job commonly lands between about £7,000 and £12,000 in silicone. See rendering over pebbledash for more detail.
Questions people ask
Can you render straight over pebbledash?
Not straight over. The pebbledash is cleaned and primed, then a levelling base coat with mesh is applied before the finish. It only works if the pebbledash is well bonded.
Does removing pebbledash damage bricks?
It can. Interwar bricks behind pebbledash were often never meant to be seen, and stripping can take their faces off. That is one reason to render over where possible.
Do I need planning permission to cover pebbledash?
Usually not for re-rendering, but in conservation areas, the Surrey Hills National Landscape and for listed buildings you should check first. See planning permission for rendering.