Home / Cost guides / What changes the cost of exterior timber cladding?
What changes the cost of exterior timber cladding?
Exterior timber cladding costs depend on the wall area, the timber species and profile, the battens, membrane and fixings behind it, access and scaffolding, and whether insulation or planning permission is involved. This guide prints no price, so compare written quotes for the same timber and the same build-up.
Last reviewed:What exterior timber cladding involves
Timber cladding is a skin of boards fixed to the outside of a wall. It sheds rain, protects the wall behind and changes how the building looks. On a house, it is often used on an extension, a gable, an upper storey or a single elevation. On garden buildings, it may cover the whole structure.
Cladding is more than the boards you see. A typical build-up, from the wall outwards, is:
- The wall itself, which may be brick, block or timber frame.
- A breather membrane on timber frame walls, to keep wind and rain out while letting moisture escape.
- Battens fixed to the wall, creating a ventilated gap behind the boards.
- Insect mesh at the top and bottom of that gap.
- The cladding boards, fixed to the battens with stainless or other corrosion-resistant fixings.
- Trims and flashings at corners, windows, doors and the base.
Each layer has a cost, and quotes often differ on what is included.
QuoteZila is starting in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach among the first towns, and anyone in the UK can post a job. This guide does not print a price. It explains what changes the cost of cladding, the planning and building regulations questions to ask, and how to compare quotes.
What changes the cost of timber cladding
| What is being priced | What makes it bigger or smaller | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Wall area | Size of each elevation, openings to cut around | How the area was measured |
| Timber species | Softwood, larch, cedar, thermally modified | Which timber, and its grade |
| Profile | Shiplap, tongue and groove, featheredge, board on board | Which profile, and the board width |
| Build-up behind | Membrane, battens, counter battens, insect mesh | What goes behind the boards |
| Fixings | Stainless, coated, visible or hidden | Which fixings will be used |
| Trims and flashings | Corners, window reveals, base, roof edges | How each detail will be finished |
| Access | Ladders, towers, scaffolding | Whether scaffolding is in the price |
| Finish | Left to weather, stain, oil, paint | Whether finishing is included |
| Insulation | Required or not under building regulations | Whether insulation is part of the job |
| VAT | Whether the business is VAT registered | Whether the total includes VAT |
A business must register for VAT once its taxable turnover goes over £90,000 [S4]. Ask whether every quote includes VAT, so you are comparing like with like.
Choosing the timber
The timber is often the biggest single choice. Broadly, homeowners choose between:
- Treated softwood. Pressure-treated boards, usually painted or stained. Ask about the treatment and how the cut ends are dealt with.
- Larch and Douglas fir. Denser softwoods often used untreated and left to weather.
- Western red cedar. Light, stable and naturally durable, often chosen for a smooth, modern look.
- Thermally modified timber. Timber that has been heat treated to change how it takes up moisture.
- Composite or fibre cement boards. Not timber, but sometimes offered as an alternative with a timber look.
Ask each installer which timber they would use for your wall, why, and what it will look like after a few winters. Untreated timber changes colour as it weathers, and that may be what you want, or not.
Planning permission and building regulations
Two separate sets of rules can apply.
Planning permission. The Planning Portal says that if you live in a conservation area, a National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or the Broads, you need to apply for planning permission before cladding the outside of your house in materials including stone, render, timber, plastic or tiles [S1]. Outside these areas, it says cladding may be carried out without first applying, provided the materials are of a similar appearance to those used in the construction of the house [S1]. Timber cladding on a brick house may not meet that test, so ask your council's planning team before you commit.
Building regulations. The Planning Portal says that where 25% or more of an external wall is re-clad, the regulations would normally apply, and the thermal insulation would normally have to be improved [S2]. That can turn a cladding job into a cladding and insulation job, which changes the price. Ask your local building control team, or ask the installer to find out.
GOV.UK: find your local council for building control. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
Listed buildings have their own rules, so check with your council's conservation officer if your home is listed.
Access, scaffolding and work at height
Cladding a ground-floor wall may need only a tower or step platform. Cladding an upper storey or a gable usually needs scaffolding, which is often priced by a separate firm and passed on. Ask whether scaffolding is included and for how long, because a job delayed by weather may need the scaffold for longer.
Working at height is a job for an installer with the right access equipment. QuoteZila does not give instructions for working off ladders or scaffolds.
HSE: work at height. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
Details that change the price
Small details often make the difference between two quotes:
- Windows and doors. Every opening needs reveals, sills and flashings. A wall with many windows takes much longer than a blank one.
- Corners. Corner boards, mitres or metal trims each look different and take different amounts of time.
- The base of the wall. Cladding should stop above ground level, with a gap and insect mesh at the bottom.
- Pipes, vents and lights. Anything fixed to the wall needs moving or boxing out.
- Removing old cladding or render. Stripping an old finish first adds labour and waste.
Ask each installer how they will deal with each of these on your wall.
Exterior cladding in Cheshire
When you ask for quotes, give the wall sizes, photos of each elevation, the number of windows and doors, and whether the house is in a conservation area. An installer covering Crewe, Nantwich, Sandbach and the villages nearby can then say whether they would need scaffolding, and whether building control is likely to be involved.
Your council's planning and building control teams are the place to check local rules, rather than relying on what a neighbour did. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business on QuoteZila.
Finishing and upkeep
Timber cladding keeps costing after it is fixed. A stained or painted finish needs recoating over the years, which may need access equipment again. Timber left to weather needs little more than checking for damaged boards and clearing anything that traps water against it.
Ask each installer:
- which finish they recommend for the timber they are proposing
- whether the boards are finished before or after fixing
- how often the finish will need redoing
- how a damaged board can be replaced later
What to have ready before you ask for quotes
- photos of each wall to be clad, with rough measurements
- the number of windows, doors and other openings
- whether the wall is brick, block or timber frame, if you know
- whether the house is listed or in a conservation area
- the look you want: timber species, profile and colour
- whether old cladding or render needs removing
- your postcode and when the work could be done
How to compare timber cladding quotes
Check each quote for:
- The wall area and how it was measured.
- The timber species, grade, profile and board size.
- The full build-up behind the boards: membrane, battens and insect mesh.
- The fixings and trims.
- Scaffolding or other access, and for how long.
- Finishing, if any.
- Who checks planning and building regulations.
- Whether VAT is included, and whether the price is fixed.
Citizens Advice suggests getting written quotes from at least three different traders [S3]. It also says a quote is a fixed price, while an estimate is a rough guess, so you might end up paying more [S3]. Ask which one each business has given you.
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts. "Clad the upper storey of a two-storey extension in larch, with battens and insect mesh. Scaffolding needed." Or: "Replace rotten featheredge cladding on a garden room and finish in a dark stain." Or: "Please quote to clad a rendered gable wall in cedar. House is not in a conservation area."
Get quotes for timber cladding
Describe the walls, the timber you have in mind and your postcode, with photos. Up to five matched local businesses can reply [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
Posting a job is not open yet
See the carpenters page, the builders page or scaffolders for access. For a different exterior finish, see what changes the cost of lime render.
Official and public sources
QuoteZila is not affiliated with these organisations.
- Planning for cladding: Planning Portal: external walls, planning permission [S1].
- Building regulations for cladding: Planning Portal: external walls, building regulations [S2].
- Work at height: HSE: work at height.
- Quotes and estimates: Citizens Advice [S3].
- VAT: GOV.UK on when to register [S4].
Questions about timber cladding costs
How much does exterior timber cladding cost?
This guide does not print a price. The wall area, the timber, the profile, what goes behind the boards, scaffolding and finishing all change the total. Ask each business to quote for the same timber, the same profile and the same battens and membrane.
Do I need planning permission for timber cladding?
Sometimes. The Planning Portal says that in a conservation area, National Park, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or the Broads you need permission before cladding a house in materials including timber. Elsewhere, cladding may not need an application if the materials look similar to those already on the house.
Does cladding a wall need building regulations approval?
It can. The Planning Portal says that where 25% or more of an external wall is re-clad, the regulations would normally apply and the wall's insulation would normally have to be improved. Ask your local building control team before work starts.
Does timber cladding need treating?
It depends on the timber and the look you want. Some species are left to weather to a silver grey. Others are stained, oiled or painted and need recoating over the years. Ask the installer what finish they recommend and how often it needs redoing.
Can cladding go on a garden room or shed instead?
Yes, and the same choices apply about timber, profile and fixings. A small building at ground level usually needs less access equipment than a house wall, which changes the price. Say clearly in your job which building is being clad.
Does QuoteZila check the businesses that quote?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
Related guides
- Carpenters: cladding and timber work
- Builders: extensions and wall repairs
- Scaffolders: access for upper walls
- All cost guides
Part of Cost guides. All services
Related trades
Related pages
- False Chimney Breast Cost: What Changes the Quote. What moves the price of a false chimney breast: size, frame and board, a recess for an electric fire, TV wiring, finishing and decorating. No price printed.
- Fire Door Quotes: What to Compare. What changes a fire door quote: a house stair, a flat entrance, the frame and the ironmongery. This guide prints no fitting figure.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and FAQ copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ "How does getting quotes work?".
- S1: Planning Permission: External walls, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/external-walls/planning-permission/
- S2: Is building regulations approval needed for work to external walls?, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/external-walls/building-regulations/
- S3: Before you get work done on your home, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
- S4: Register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat