Cement render installs for $30-$65 per m2, acrylic for $50-$85, and bricklayers charge $1,000-$2,200 per 1,000 bricks laid. Surface prep is where quotes quietly grow - here is the full rate card.
| Render type | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cement render | $30-$65/m2 | The standard finish. Published ground-level rates start at $30-$50/m2; a Perth 2026 guide puts cement at $45-$65/m2. |
| Acrylic render | $50-$85/m2 | More flexible and crack-resistant than cement; basic finishes over brickwork can start lower. |
| Bagged finish | $35-$50/m2 - indicative | Single published source (Boda Building Group) - treat as indicative until more rate cards publish. |
| Polymer render | $70-$90/m2 - indicative | Single published source (Boda Building Group) - treat as indicative. |
| Whole house (context) | $15,000-$30,000 | Typical full-house rendering totals. One wall of 20-30 m2 runs about $900-$2,700 by type, or $1,800-$3,800 once preparation and access are included. |
| Measure | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Labour per 1,000 bricks laid | $1,000-$2,200 | Typical published figure is around $1,600 per 1,000. |
| Labour per m2 (standard work) | $55-$120/m2 | The per-m2 way of pricing the same labour. |
| Brick veneer (new work), labour per m2 | $50-$100/m2 | Sits slightly under general brickwork rates. |
| Bricks supply per 1,000 | Commons $600-$850; face/modular $650-$1,200; render bricks ~$1,800 | Materials only - brick choice is a major cost swing. |
| Supply + lay per 1,000 | Commons $2,300-$2,400; render bricks $2,700-$3,200 | The all-in figure for comparing quotes. |
| Repointing | $40-$150/m2 | Typical published figure around $70/m2. |
| Hourly rate | $45-$120/hr | Averages cluster around $58-$110/hr depending on city and source. |
For scale: 1,000 standard bricks cover roughly 8.75 m2 of single-skin wall face in one published worked example - useful when one quote is per m2 and another is per thousand bricks, though exact coverage depends on brick size and bond.
Each step on the cement - acrylic - polymer ladder adds roughly $15-$25/m2. On a whole house that is thousands of dollars for the same walls.
Published rates are ground-level rates. Second-storey work needs scaffolding and prices above band - our calculator loads double-storey jobs by 20% as a guide estimate.
Rough, raked or painted brick needs extra coats and prep. Published worked examples lift a 20-30 m2 wall from $900-$2,700 to $1,800-$3,800 with preparation and access - roughly 40-100% more on small walls. The calculator models heavy prep at +30%.
Renderers charge minimums. Small areas carry setup and travel loading, so a single garage wall costs more per m2 than a whole house.
Face bricks, feature bonds, arches and curved work price above standard stretcher-bond commons: feature walls run $140-$450/m2 installed versus $55-$120/m2 standard labour.
Brick retaining walls run $250-$650/m2 installed - a different price universe from veneer, driven by footings and engineering.
$3,000-$5,100
Single storey, sound brick: 60 m2 x $50-$85. This is the example our calculator is calibrated on, and it scales cleanly from published per-wall acrylic pricing.
$660-$1,440
12 m2 x $55-$120/m2 labour - matches a published worked example for exactly this wall.
$5,400-$11,700
180 m2 x $30-$65/m2 at ground level on sound brick - before any prep or access loadings, and below the $15,000-$30,000 whole-house band that assumes higher-spec finishes and full prep.
$3,200-$12,000
80 m2 x $40-$150/m2. The band is wide because condition varies enormously - crumbling mortar joints at the top, cosmetic renewal at the bottom.
Licensing and safety: work above 2 m requires scaffold and fall protection, which is part of why upper-storey rendering costs more. Retaining walls over 1 m and structural brickwork generally need engineering and may need council approval, and bricklaying for structural work falls under state builder/contractor licensing in most states. Rendering itself is generally unlicensed trade work, but if the render is part of a bigger renovation contract, check your state builder licensing threshold.
Prices cross-checked against hipages, SQM Architects, Boda Building Group, ServiceTasker, What's The Damage and Trade Heroes, October 2026. Figures are guides, not quotes.
Cement render installs for $30-$65 per m2, acrylic for $50-$85, and bricklayers charge $1,000-$2,200 per 1,000 bricks laid. Surface prep is where quotes quietly grow - here is the full rate card.
The biggest drivers are render type, storeys and access, surface condition & prep and job size. Each one is worked through with prices in the guide above, and the calculator prices them for your job.
Use the free calculator linked from this guide - it prices your job with the same installed ranges used here, in about 30 seconds. It is a guide range, not a quote: your contractor confirms a fixed price after seeing the job.
No - they are researched guide ranges, cross-checked across at least two published sources, not quotes. Prices move with your area, the condition of the site and the scope you choose. Get itemised quotes in writing, and check the tradesperson's licence with your state building authority before you book.
Rendering by type, area, storeys and surface condition - or bricklaying by the m2 or the thousand bricks.