How much does repointing a garden wall cost

Repointing a garden wall costs between £30 to £60 per m². If your garden wall looks scruffy, you know it’s time to repoint it already. Not only will your garden look more appealing, but the wall will also last longer. The scope of the project is among the different factors that will significantly impact the overall project cost.

retaining wall and patio

Costs incurred when repointing a garden wall

When calculating garden wall repointing cost, you can break it down into different costs. Here are the different costs you need to consider when planning for your project.

Labour

The labour cost for repointing a garden wall range between £50 to £70 per m² or between £150 to £350 a day per person. This cost will vary depending on the scope of work. You also need to consider the duration it will take to get the job done. The type of bond and mortar used will also significantly impact the total labour cost.

Man working on a wall

Material

Garden wall repointing materials cost between £1 and £6 per m². The type of repointing you have will determine the materials needed. You also need to put the height of the wall and the extent of the damage into consideration.

Factors affecting the cost of repointing a garden wall

There are several things that affect the final cost of repointing a garden wall. It’s hard to overlook these factors when budgeting for your project. They include the following:

Location of the property

retaining gabion wall

In areas within London, repointing a garden wall costs more than in other surrounding areas. Each location has different pricing because of the different costs of materials in the area.

State of the existing wall

The condition of the existing wall determines how much it will cost to repoint. If there are any plants that have grown on the wall, they’ll need to be cleared first. Some cleaning also needs to be done before the joints are repointed. Your project will cost more if more cleaning needs to be done especially if it’s bound to take a longer duration.

Height of the wall

A tall wall is bound to cost more than a shorter one. With a tall wall, more materials and labour will be required during the repointing thus costing more.

Size of the property

Among the many things that influence the cost of repointing a garden is the size of the property. If the garden is huge, it means you’ll have a large area to cover when repointing the wall.

Skip hire

skip full of rubbles

Depending on the condition of the wall skip hire is necessary when clearing everything for wall repointing. You certainly don’t want to leave your garden looking all messy once the work is done. For this, you’ll need to consider the extra cost incurred when budgeting.

Ease of access to Garden wall

How easy it is to access your garden wall will determine the overall cost of the project. If there’s the ease of access, it will cost less than it would if the wall wasn’t easily accessible. You will need to spend between £50 to £150 a day to hire scaffolding. It’s also important to note that the ease of access will also determine how long the project will take.

Different types of mortar and their costs

There are two different types of mortar that are used in repointing. The price of each can significantly impact the overall cost of the project. These two types of mortar are:

  • cement mortar
  • lime mortar
old red brick wall

1. Cement mortar

Cement mortar costs between 30p to £1.7 per kg. Ideal for repointing, cement mortar is made by mixing cement, water and sand. Type N mortar, which is a mixture of cement, lime and sand is best suited for walls.

2. Lime mortar

Composed of sand, lime and water, lime mortar is more porous and lighter than cement. When repointing a garden wall, an S-mortar mix is best suited. This mortar is ideal to use with natural materials like slate and stone. The type of garden wall you have will determine whether this mortar will be the best option.

stone retaining wall blocks

Table showing the price of garden repointing

ItemAvg. cost
Repointing a garden wall£30 to £60 per m²
Labour£50 to £70 per m²
Materials£1 and £6 per m²
Scaffold hire£50 to £150 a day

Knowing you’ll need between £30 to £60 per m² to repoint your garden, you can easily plan to improve your exterior. Other costs that you need to consider have also been highlighted above. It’s also crucial to go through the list of factors to consider so that you can see what’s likely to affect the final cost of your project.