Pebble Dash: Render, Paint or Remove
You can render over pebble dash if it's sound: a base coat with mesh levels out the stones, then a smooth finish goes on, at €35–€90 per m². Hollow or loose dash comes off first. Re-dashing a 3-bed semi costs €1,500–€4,000.
Your three choices, what each costs, and how to tell if your dash is sound.
Free, no obligation. One local contractor prices it, not five.
- €1,500–€4,000to re-dash a 3-bed semi
- €35–€90per m² to render over it
- Tap testhollow dash rings and comes off
- 3 choicescover, paint or remove
See your house rendered, then get a price
Upload a photo of the front of your house, pick the finish and the colour, and see it on your own walls in about a minute. Your request goes to one rendering contractor who covers your county.
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Rendering your walls. This takes 20 to 50 seconds.
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What to do with pebble dash
| Choice | What happens | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Render over it | Loose bits fixed, a base coat and mesh to level the stones, then the finish | Only on dash that's firmly stuck |
| Paint it | Cleaned, repaired and painted with a masonry paint for dash | Paint fills the texture; repainting later |
| Remove it | Hacked off back to the wall, then re-rendered | Dusty, slow, and can damage a soft wall |
| Re-dash it | A new coat of dry dash or wet dash (roughcast) | Keeps the look; €1,500–€4,000 for a semi |
Pebble dash is a render with small stones thrown onto it while it's wet (dry dash). Wet dash, or roughcast, has the stones in the mix. Either one can last a long time, but on older houses the coat behind the stones often comes away from the wall.
Tap the wall with a knuckle or the handle of a screwdriver. A dull, solid sound is good. A hollow ring, cracks with a bulge, or dash crumbling at the base mean that part has to come off before anything goes over it.
What it costs
Supplied and applied, per square metre of wall, and for whole houses.
| Job | Typical price | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Pebble dash or wet dash, 3-bed semi | €1,500–€4,000 | Dry dash thrown on, or wet dash with stones in the mix |
| Silicone render (thin coat) | €55–€80 per m² | Base coat and mesh first, then the coloured silicone. Sheds water and dirt |
| Monocouche (one-coat, coloured) | €50–€75 per m² | Colour in the mix, scraped finish. Needs dry, mild weather to cure evenly |
| Sand and cement render, painted | €35–€60 per m² | Two coats by hand, then masonry paint. Cheapest to apply, needs repainting |
| 3-bed semi-detached, whole house | €4,000–€10,000 | The finish, the state of the old walls, the gable |
| Scaffold | €1,000–€3,000 | Usually in the price. Height, access and how long it stays up |
A guide for typical Irish houses. Your price is fixed by the contractor after they've seen the walls. Nothing is booked until you say yes.
More on rendering
Every job is priced by the contractor after a look at the walls.
Rendering in every county
One contractor per county. Pick yours for local prices, the weather and the council.
- Carlow38% of homes built before 1981
- Cavan35% of homes built before 1981
- Clare40% of homes built before 1981
- Cork44% of homes built before 1981
- Donegal33% of homes built before 1981
- Dublin49% of homes built before 1981
- Galway33% of homes built before 1981
- Kerry40% of homes built before 1981
- Kildare29% of homes built before 1981
- Kilkenny41% of homes built before 1981
- Laois33% of homes built before 1981
- Leitrim37% of homes built before 1981
- Limerick44% of homes built before 1981
- Longford37% of homes built before 1981
- Louth42% of homes built before 1981
- Mayo39% of homes built before 1981
- Meath31% of homes built before 1981
- Monaghan43% of homes built before 1981
- Offaly42% of homes built before 1981
- Roscommon39% of homes built before 1981
- Sligo39% of homes built before 1981
- Tipperary47% of homes built before 1981
- Waterford42% of homes built before 1981
- Westmeath39% of homes built before 1981
- Wexford35% of homes built before 1981
- Wicklow42% of homes built before 1981
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Questions we get asked
Can you render over pebble dash?
Yes, if the dash is sound. The contractor fixes anything loose, puts on a base coat with mesh to level the stones out, then the finish. Where the dash is hollow or coming away, it comes off first.
How much does it cost to render over pebble dash?
€35–€90 per m² depending on the finish; a 3-bed semi usually comes to €4,000–€10,000.
How much does pebble dashing cost?
€1,500–€4,000 to dash or wet dash a 3-bed semi.
Is it better to paint or render pebble dash?
Paint is cheaper and keeps the texture; render gives a smooth new finish and, in a through-coloured render, no painting again.
Can pebble dash be removed?
Yes, but it's slow and dusty and can damage a soft wall. Covering sound dash is usually the better job.
Who comes out?
One rendering contractor who covers your county. Your number isn't sent to a list. They ring you, look at the walls and give you a fixed price. Nothing is booked until you say yes.
Get a free rendering price
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