We repair and repaint the façades of villas, townhouses and village houses on the Costa del Sol: cracked or hollow render, flaking paint, damp patches, rusting railings and damaged balcony edges. Each façade is inspected first to separate cosmetic wear from defects that need a technician. Paint is only the last step; the quote is itemised and covers access, repairs, preparation and finish.
What goes wrong with façades on the coast?
Outside walls take the full force of sun, rain, wind and, near the sea, salt-laden air. The visible symptoms tend to fall into a few groups:
- Chalking and fading: the surface of the paint breaks down in strong sun.
- Flaking and blistering: moisture behind the paint, or paint applied on a poorly prepared surface.
- Fine cracks in the render, usually from shrinkage or temperature movement.
- Wider or stepped cracks, which may indicate structural movement.
- Hollow render that sounds drummy when tapped and is detaching from the wall.
- Rust stains from railings, fixings and, more seriously, from reinforcement in balcony edges or beams.
Our guide on façade maintenance by the sea explains how the coastal environment speeds these up.
How do you decide what a façade needs?
We inspect before we quote. That means walking round every elevation, tapping render to find hollow areas, looking at cracks to see their width, direction and pattern, checking the junctions with windows, sills, eaves and terraces, and comparing outside defects with any damp inside.
From that, each defect is put into one of three groups: cosmetic, which needs preparation and paint; building repairs, such as replacing hollow render, sealing cracks, treating rusty railings or renewing sills; and items for a technician, such as cracks suggesting movement or concrete edges where reinforcement has corroded and burst the cover. We are clear about the third group: an architect or building surveyor should look at those before any repair is designed.
What does a proper façade repair involve?
- Access and protection: scaffolding or other access, protection of windows, plants, terraces and pools.
- Cleaning to remove dirt, salts and loose material.
- Removal of hollow render and failed paint back to a sound base.
- Repairs: crack treatment, new render patches compatible with the wall, renewed sills and drips that throw water clear.
- Metalwork: rust treated or elements replaced.
- Primer and finish suitable for the substrate and the exposure.
Skipping steps two to four is the most common reason a freshly painted façade fails early. We describe each step in the quote so you can see where your money goes.
Should I insulate the façade while I am at it?
If the façade needs substantial render repair, it is worth asking whether to add external wall insulation at the same time, because much of the preparation and the access is shared. It is not the right answer for every house: it changes the thickness and appearance of the walls, needs careful detailing at windows and roof edges and, on a townhouse, usually needs the community’s agreement. Our comparison external or internal insulation sets out the trade-offs.
Do façade works need permission?
Usually some form of notification to the town hall. Under Andalusia’s planning law (Ley 7/2021, LISTA), many minor works are carried out under a declaración responsable. As an example from Málaga province, Nerja’s municipal form for minor works lists stripping, rendering and painting façades among them, and asks for a short technical report signed by a qualified professional for that type of work. Other town halls use their own forms and criteria (requirements in your municipality: to be verified).
Scaffolding on a public street may need its own permit to occupy the road. On townhouses and in communities, colour and finish changes need the community’s consent. We do not apply for licences, but we tell you what usually applies; see our guide on permits for façade, roof and window works.
How often should a façade be looked at?
A walk round the house at least once a year, ideally after the winter rains, catches most problems while they are small: new cracks, blocked drips, rust starting on a railing, paint lifting at the base of a wall. Keep photos from year to year and differences become obvious. Repainting is due when the surface no longer sheds water well, not on a fixed calendar. If you are away for long periods, ask whoever looks after the house to take the same photos for you.
How is façade work quoted?
Send photos of every elevation, close-ups of cracks and rust, and the approximate wall area or the house’s built area for a first estimate. After the visit we give an itemised quote: access, protection, cleaning, each type of repair by quantity, metalwork, primer and finish, plus exclusions. We do not publish prices; cost factors are covered on presupuestoreforma.eu.
What about railings, sills and balconies?
The small elements of a façade cause a surprising share of the damage. Window sills without a drip let water run back down the wall and stain it; sills that slope inwards send it towards the frame. Metal railings fixed into the edge of a balcony can rust inside the concrete, expand and crack it. Gutters and downpipes that overflow soak the same patch of render every time it rains.
We include these elements in the inspection and the quote: sills renewed or fitted with drips, railings treated, re-fixed or replaced, downpipes cleared and secured. Repairing them is usually modest work compared with repainting, and it is what makes the new paint last. Where reinforcement in a balcony slab has corroded, the repair design belongs to a technician; we then carry it out to their specification.
Can a façade be repaired while I am living in the house?
Yes, façade work is mostly outside and the house stays usable. You will need to accept access equipment around the house, some noise during render removal, and windows that stay closed or protected on the elevation being worked on. We agree the order of elevations with you, so terraces and the pool area are free when you most need them, and we keep paths clear at the end of each day.
Official sources
- Ayuntamiento de Nerja – declaración responsable, obras menores sin proyecto (Anexo I)
- Ley 7/2021 (LISTA), arts. 137–138, citada en modelo municipal DR-EO obra menor
Bauman Raymond Attila · Reforma Villas Costa del Sol · Avenida Antonio Belón 3, Marbella. Last reviewed: 05/11/2026.
