How much does pebble dash or render removal cost in Ireland?

There's no single price, because it depends on the size of the wall or house, the height and access (scaffolding adds to it), how hard the existing render is and what's underneath, and what you want done afterwards — repointing, exposing the stone, or re-rendering. Removal and disposal is priced per square metre or per elevation. We call out for a free site visit and give you a clear, itemised quote before any work starts.

Pebble Dash & Cement Render Removal — Dublin, Meath & Kildare

Getting rid of tired, cracked or damp-trapping render

Old pebbledash and hard sand-and-cement render date a house, and over time they crack, go hollow and start letting water in behind them. On older, solid-wall homes they cause a bigger problem: they seal the wall up and trap damp inside the brick or stone.

We take it all off — pebbledash, roughcast and cement render — cleanly and in a controlled way, protecting your windows, doors and garden as we go. Then we sort what's underneath: repointing the brick or stone, exposing it for a natural period look, or re-rendering in breathable lime. We cover Dublin, Meath, Kildare and the surrounding counties.

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Cement dash render being stripped off a house in Mullingar, exposing the stone and brick window reveals

Should you remove your pebble dash or render?

It's worth taking off if you recognise any of these — and we'll always tell you honestly if it's better left alone:

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It sounds hollow

Tap it and it sounds drummy or hollow — that means it's blown and has parted from the wall behind. It'll only get worse.

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It's cracked or falling off

Cracks, crumbling edges and lumps coming away let water track in behind the render, where it does real damage.

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You've got damp inside

On solid stone or brick walls, hard cement render and pebbledash trap moisture and push damp through to the inside.

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You want the brick or stone back

Loads of houses have lovely original brick or stone hidden under the dash — we can bring it back and repoint it.

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It looks dated

Pebbledash instantly ages a house. Removing it and re-finishing transforms the whole look of the property.

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It's an older / period home

Cement on an old breathable wall is the wrong material. Going back to lime is the right, long-term fix.

Why cement render & pebbledash damage older homes

This is the part most people aren't told. Hard sand-and-cement render and pebbledash are effectively sealed — they don't let a wall breathe. On a modern cavity wall that can be fine. But on an older solid stone or brick wall, it's a slow disaster.

Moisture that gets into the wall — and it always does — can no longer escape outwards, so it's driven inwards, causing damp inside, and it sits in the masonry where, over a few winters, it freezes and blows the faces off the stone or brick. The render itself then cracks and lets in more water. It's a vicious circle.

The fix is breathable lime. As stonemasons who work in lime every day, this is exactly our area — we don't just take the render off, we know what should go back on, and why. It's the difference between a proper job and a quick one that causes problems down the line.

See our lime & restoration work →

Solid stone house with cement dash removed and repointed in breathable lime, Mullingar Co Westmeath

Render's off — now what? Your three options

The best bit is the choice you get once the wall is bare. We do all three, and we'll advise what suits your house:

1 · Expose & repoint

Bring back the original brick or stone and repoint it in matching mortar. The most characterful finish — and no more render to fail. Ideal where there's good stone or brick underneath.

2 · Re-render in lime

A fresh, breathable lime render — smooth or textured — that protects the wall and looks clean and modern, while letting an older home breathe the way it should.

3 · Remove & repoint together

Our most popular job: strip the render and repoint the brick or stone in one visit. Sound, breathable and great-looking — and more cost-effective than doing them separately.

How we do it — clean, careful, controlled

Render removal is heavy, dusty work — but done properly it's tidy and controlled. Here's how we keep it that way:

Free site visit

We check what's under the render and what condition it's in, then give you a clear, itemised quote.

Protect & sheet up

Windows, doors, ground and plants are covered and protected before a single tool touches the wall.

Strip in sections

We take the render off in controlled sections, keeping dust down and protecting the wall underneath.

Repoint or re-finish

We repoint the stone or brick, or re-render in lime — and clear all the debris away, leaving it clean.

How much does pebble dash & render removal cost?

It's the question everyone asks first — and most firms dodge it. We won't. There's no single price, because the cost depends on a few real things:

What decides the price:

The area — a single elevation or the whole house (priced per m² or per elevation).
Height & access — anything above the ground floor needs scaffolding, which adds to it.
How hard the render is and how well it's stuck on — some comes off easily, some fights you.
What's underneath and its condition — sound brick, or stone that needs repair.
What you want next — repointing, exposing the stone, or re-rendering.
Skip & disposal — render is heavy, and it has to be carted away.

What we promise is a clear, itemised quote after a free site visit — the removal, the disposal, and whatever you choose to do next, all priced separately so you can see exactly what you're paying for.

Most people we quote go for removal and repointing together, because once the render's off the joints usually need doing anyway — and it's cheaper as one job than two.

As a real example, a recent whole-house render removal in Mullingar, Co Westmeath — cement dash off all round, window openings rebuilt in brick, structural repair and full lime repointing — came to €55,000. A single elevation is a fraction of that.

Not sure where to start? Send us a few photos on WhatsApp and we'll give you a ballpark before we ever call out.

Get my free, itemised quote →

Featured project — whole-house render removal, Mullingar

A recent project in Mullingar, Co Westmeath shows exactly what we do. This old house was covered head to toe in hard cement dash. We stripped it off all the way round, carried out structural repairs, rebuilt the window openings in brick, and repointed the whole house in breathable lime mortar — turning a tired, damp-trapping render into a beautiful natural-stone home. The full project came to €55,000.

Drag the sliders to see the transformation:

The front — dash off, stone back, window openings rebuilt in brick

The gable — render stripped back to sound, repointed stone

Cement dash being stripped off the front of a house in Mullingar, with the team on scaffold

House front part-stripped of cement dash showing stone and brick window reveals, Mullingar

Stone house with cement dash removed and repointed in lime, Mullingar Co Westmeath

Restored stone gable with brick chimney breast after render removal, Mullingar

Full project cost: €55,000. Whole-house cement-dash removal, structural repair, window openings rebuilt in brick, and full lime repointing. Every job is different — we'll give you a clear, itemised quote after a free site visit.

★★★★★

"Arthur and his men came to my house. It was an old stone house with concrete render that was cracked, letting water into the house. We agreed a price and Arthur got to work. The wall with the crack was full of holes, concrete repairs badly done and bricks with nothing in between them but air holding up the chimney. The front of my house was filled with concrete, with none of the original bricks usually found around the windows. Badly repaired and almost falling down. Arthur and his team fixed these faults for me. They went above and beyond to leave me a house that I could live in. Would I recommend Arthur to anybody else? You bet I would. Their work is first class and the team is highly professional. I am just doing a bit of saving to bring them back. Just going to close with a heartfelt thank you to Arthur and his team."

Beverley Bate · ⭐ Google review — this Mullingar project

Pebble dash & render removal — your questions answered

Can you remove pebble dash from a house?

Yes. Pebbledash and hard cement render can be taken off almost any house. We remove it carefully, in sections, protecting the windows, doors and the wall underneath, then deal with whatever the wall needs next — repointing, exposing the brick or stone, or a fresh render. The right method depends on what's under the dash, which we always check first.

How much does pebble dash or render removal cost?

There's no single price — it depends on the size of the wall or house, the height and access, how hard the render is and what's underneath, and what you want done afterwards. Removal and disposal is priced per square metre or per elevation. We call out for a free site visit and give you a clear, itemised quote before any work starts, and you can send photos for a ballpark first.

How easy is it to remove pebble dash — and is it messy?

It's heavy, dusty work, but done by professionals it's controlled and tidy. We work in sections, sheet up and protect windows, doors and the ground, keep dust down, and clear the debris as we go. You're left with a clean wall ready for the next step — not a mess to deal with.

Should I remove my pebble dash or cement render?

It's worth removing if it's cracked, hollow or blown (tap it and it sounds drummy), if it's letting water in, or if it's hard cement render or pebbledash on an older solid-wall house where it traps damp. Many people also remove it simply to get the original brick or stone back, or a cleaner finish. If it's sound and you're happy with it, it may not need doing — and we'll tell you that honestly.

Is pebble dash and cement render breathable?

No — hard sand-and-cement render and pebbledash are effectively sealed and don't let a wall breathe. On older solid stone or brick walls that traps moisture behind the render, pushing damp inwards and into the masonry, which can crack and blow the render off. That's why on period homes we remove the cement render and go back to breathable lime.

What do I do after the render is removed — re-render or expose the stone?

Three main options, and we do all of them: repoint and leave the brick or stone exposed for a natural period look; re-render in breathable lime or a modern finish; or a mix. We'll talk you through what suits your house and budget, with no pressure either way.

Do you remove render and repoint at the same time?

Yes — it's one of the most common jobs we do. Once the render is off, the joints underneath are usually tired, so removing the render and repointing in one go gives you a sound, breathable, great-looking wall — and it's more cost-effective than doing them separately.

Pebble Dash & Cement Render Removal