How much does recladding your house cost in New Zealand?

Recladding a single-storey home may cost $40,000*. Double that for a two-storey. But that’s an estimate based on a basic project, meaning a modest-sized home and cost-effective materials. Step into the luxury bracket for a larger property and you could spend upwards of $400,000*. Now, we understand that somewhere between $40,000 and $400,000 doesn’t really help explain how much recladding your house costs in New Zealand. But what is helpful, is discussing what exactly affects the cost and how. 
Beyond the size/scope of your renovation, there are three main budget drivers that impact the cost of a recladding project; your property’s existing condition, the council consent process, and the products you use. In this article, we’ll use a few real Refresh recladding projects as examples of how these main budget drivers affect the final figure. 
Breaking it down like this allows you to compare your list of priorities and see how they measure up against our examples. If you see an abundance of similarities, that may be a good indicator of what you can expect to spend. But the best way to get an accurate estimate for your specific reclad project is to work directly with a Refresh Renovation Consultant. 

Main budget drivers

• Existing condition
• Council consent
• Products used

Read on to find out how much recladding your house may cost depending on the changes you are looking to make.

Existing condition

Cladding is the outermost layer of your home and there’s no telling what lies beneath until it’s removed. There may be clues inside like water damage or cracks in the walls but just because there aren’t any visible indications of trouble, that doesn’t mean it’s not there. If your home’s existing condition is in poor condition, you can expect to spend to address it. This could mean waterproofing, making repairs vs. full replacement, and even installing new joinery.  
While replacing the monolithic cladding during this project, a leaky homes assessment was required to confirm the homeowner’s suspicions. This led to an extensive remedial process to fix the issues to make the home compliant. With all the remedial work, electrical updates, and final inspections, the project total was $95,000*. (JUL 2022)

Council consent

The consent process is often an afterthought for homeowners, and fair enough! Daydreaming about the final result is far more gratifying than considering costly paperwork and red tape. But the truth is, this process doesn’t come cheap and is almost always part of a recladding project. Applications, code compliance, and heritage home regulations are a few things to consider. 
As seen in this project, the final cost was dealt a significant increase as a result of outstanding CCCs (Code of Compliance Certificates) that needed to be rectified, in addition to the number of new applications for the new cladding installation. The outstanding CCCs required additional work in order to be granted. All up, the project cost $151,000*. See the details here. (MAY 2021)

Products used

As with anything, some materials cost less than others. The cost of labour for each type is something to consider as well; complicated joinery configurations may call for a more experienced (and expensive) cladding specialist. Pricing for products fluctuates but for a general idea, here are common cladding materials in order from least expensive, to most; steel/metal, ply and batten, brick, weatherboard (however the subcategories vary in price as well), stone or stone veneer, and finally, cedar. 
To maintain this home’s original charm, the homeowner prioritised material selection to achieve a specific result. The cladding portion of this project cost about $28,000* which included painting, scaffoldings, materials, and builders’ costs. See the full project here. (SEP 2022)

If you're on a tight budget but the work area is small, you may be able to get away with splurging on a high-end material such as schist or stone. The opposite is also true; a larger house can still be reclad cost-effectively by opting for a budget-friendly material such as steel or ply and batten. In other words, there’s a lot of wiggle room. 

Want to discuss how much recladding your home may cost?

A fixed quote is part of our comprehensive 5-step approach to renovations. But before we can get there, we start with a consultation. This gives you an opportunity to discuss your goals, budget, and timeline with one of our experienced Renovation Consultants. Consultations are free and there’s no obligation to move forward. Just get in touch with a local Renovation Consultant to arrange yours and start on your home improvement journey. 
*Costs are shown as an indicative guide of what previous projects have cost. The costs of renovating a home rise each year as material and labour costs rise – for an estimate/quote on your specific project, please consult your local Refresh Renovations specialist to find out more about our planning, design and build process.
**All Refresh Renovations franchises are independently owned and operated.
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