The short answer
Exterior house cladding typically costs around £40–£150 per square metre supplied and fitted in the UK, depending almost entirely on the material. uPVC is the least expensive at roughly £40–£70/m², fibre-cement around £70–£120/m², composite about £80–£120/m², and timber from £60/m² for softwood to £150/m²+ for cedar and oak. That fitted rate is the installed price: it bundles the boards, the treated batten frame and breather membrane, fixings, trims and labour, and is normally applied to the net wall area (wall surface minus windows and doors). Scaffolding, wall repair and removal of old cladding sit on top. Because specifications vary so much, the per-square-metre figure is best treated as a guide range.
The square-metre rate is the cleanest way to compare cladding quotes, but only if the systems being priced are the same. Here is what drives the number and what it should include.
Per m² at a glance
- uPVC£40–£70 / m²
- Fibre-cement£70–£120 / m²
- Composite£80–£120 / m²
- Timber£60–£150+ / m²
- Priced onNet wall area
The rate by material
The per-square-metre figure is set mainly by what the cladding is made of. uPVC is the lowest because the boards are cheap and light to fix. Fibre-cement and composite sit in the middle — both durable and low-maintenance, with composite usually a touch dearer because of its clip-fixing systems and woodgrain finishes. Timber has the widest spread of any material: treated softwood is at the affordable end, larch and thermally modified timber in the middle, and western red cedar, oak and other hardwoods at the top. Within each material, board grade, finish and profile move the figure as well.
| Material | Fitted rate | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|
| uPVC | £40–£70 / m² | wash only |
| Fibre-cement | £70–£120 / m² | very low |
| Composite | £80–£120 / m² | wash only |
| Softwood / larch | £60–£95 / m² | periodic treatment or silver |
| Cedar / hardwood | £100–£150+ / m² | oil or leave to silver |
Indicative UK fitted rates per square metre for guidance. Sources: Checkatrade and MyJobQuote cladding cost guides.
What the rate includes
A fitted per-square-metre rate should cover the whole build-up, not just the boards. The layers are: a breather membrane fixed to the wall; treated timber (or metal) battens that create a ventilated cavity; the cladding boards fixed to the battens; and the trims, corner pieces and start/finish profiles. The labour to set out and fix the lot is often the largest single component, which is why a cheaper board does not always cut the rate dramatically. The rate is applied to the net wall area — the external wall minus windows and doors.
Why the rate varies on the same material
Two quotes for the same material can still differ per square metre. Board grade and finish: a capped composite or a factory-finished fibre-cement board costs more than the basic version; cedar costs more than larch. Profile and fixing: a secret-fixed or clip-fixed board takes longer to install than a simple nailed feather-edge, raising labour. Complexity: lots of corners, gables, bay windows and detailing around openings slow the team and lift the effective rate, because every junction needs cutting and trimming. The substructure: an aluminium subframe costs more than treated timber battens. So a fair comparison fixes the material, grade, profile and fixing method before judging on price.
Turning the rate into a job figure
To estimate a job, multiply the net wall area by the fitted rate, then add scaffolding and any prep. A three-bed semi with roughly 100m² of net wall at £90/m² comes to about £9,000 before scaffolding. A larger detached house at 150m² in cedar at £120/m² is closer to £18,000. Because erecting scaffolding and setting out the job are largely fixed efforts, very small areas carry a higher effective rate, while a large continuous wall can be slightly more efficient. This is why installers sometimes quote a minimum job value rather than a pure per-metre price for small areas.
When comparing quotes, get each contractor to state the material, grade, profile, fixing method and substructure, and to confirm whether the rate includes scaffolding, membrane and trims. Two quotes at different £/m² rates may simply be different systems, and the cheaper one per metre is not necessarily better value once durability, maintenance and finish are taken into account.
Measuring the net wall area
Since the rate is applied per square metre, getting the area right is what turns it into an accurate quote. The figure used is the net wall area: the total external wall surface to be clad, minus the openings such as windows and doors. To work it out, measure the height and width of each elevation you intend to clad, multiply them for the gross area of each wall, add the walls together, then subtract the area of the windows and doors. Gables add a triangular section (roughly half the base width times the height to the apex). The result is the number you multiply by the fitted rate.
In practice the contractor measures this on site, and it is worth letting them, because access, sills, returns around openings and detailing all affect the real figure and the labour. A rough self-measure is useful for sanity-checking a quote, but be wary of a price based purely on a plan or a quick estimate without a site visit. Two installers measuring the same house should arrive at a similar net area; if their square-metre figures differ a lot, ask how each was measured before comparing the rates, because a low rate on an overstated area can cost more than a fair rate on an accurate one. It also helps to get the area broken down elevation by elevation rather than as a single lump, since that makes it easy to see where the bulk of the cost sits and to check the deductions for windows and doors have actually been made.
Frequently asked questions
What is the least expensive cladding per square metre?
uPVC is the least expensive mainstream cladding per square metre, at roughly £40–£70/m² fitted. Treated softwood timber and basic fibre-cement weatherboard are the next most affordable, while composite and premium timber such as cedar or oak cost more.
Does the per-square-metre rate include battens and membrane?
It should. A proper fitted rate covers the breather membrane, the treated batten frame that creates the ventilated cavity, the boards, fixings and trims, and labour. Always confirm these are included rather than billed as extras.
Why do two cladding quotes differ on the same material?
Differences come from board grade and finish, the profile and fixing method, the substructure (timber versus aluminium battens), and the complexity of the wall. Lots of corners and detailing raise the effective rate even with identical boards.
Sources & further reading
Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published sources and depend on your specific property. They are guidance, not a quotation.