Roof replacement
When repairing has stopped making sense
A re-roof is the largest thing most people will have done to their house. It is also the job where quotations vary most, usually because they are not quoting for the same work.
What a full re-roof involves
Step 1: Access
Scaffold designed for the elevations being worked on, with edge protection and, where the street requires it, a licence and pedestrian protection.
Step 2: Strip and inspect
Covering, battens and old underlay removed. This is the first time anyone can see the rafters properly, and any timber repairs are agreed at this point.
Step 3: Re-cover
Breathable membrane, new treated battens gauged for the covering, then the covering laid to the correct lap for the pitch.
Step 4: Details and making good
New lead to valleys, abutments and stacks, ridges and verges finished, gutters cleared, site cleaned and everything photographed.
Comparing quotations without comparing only the number
Three quotations for "a new roof" can differ by tens of thousands and all be honest, because they include different work. The questions that explain most of the gap:
- Is scaffolding included, and for how long? On whose licence?
- Is new lead included at every abutment, valley and stack, or is existing lead being re-used?
- Are the battens new and treated, and to what specification?
- What underlay, and is it breathable?
- What happens if rafters or timbers are found to need work — is there a rate for it, or does it become an open question mid-job?
- Are the ridges being re-bedded in mortar or dry-fixed?
- Is the guttering being replaced or refitted, and are the fascias being looked at while the scaffold is up?
- Who removes the waste, and is that in the price?
It is worth asking every roofer the same list. The answers tell you more about the eventual bill than the headline figure does.
Do the other jobs while the scaffold is up
Fascias, soffits, guttering, chimney repointing and repainting all become far cheaper when access is already paid for. If any of them are within a few years of needing doing, doing them now usually costs less than doing them separately later.
Roofs we have replaced
Case studies are published here as jobs finish, with photographs taken on site before, during and after the work.
Roof replacement questions
How long does a re-roof take?
For a typical London terraced or semi-detached house, usually one to two weeks on site once the scaffold is up, weather depending. Larger or more complicated roofs take longer, and the strip is always the point at which the programme can change if something is found underneath.
Do I need to move out?
No. It is noisy, there is dust, and there will be a period when the roof is open and covered with sheeting overnight — but the house stays habitable. What is worth doing is clearing the loft beforehand, because dust gets everywhere up there.
What happens if it rains during the work?
The roof is sheeted at the end of each day and whenever weather comes in, and the strip is planned in sections so the whole roof is never open at once. That is normal practice rather than a special measure, and it is worth confirming that whoever is quoting works that way.
Do I need planning permission?
Replacing a roof like for like is normally maintenance. Changing the covering material, altering the roofline, adding dormers or rooflights, or any work on a listed building or in a conservation area can all require consent. Check before the scaffold goes up rather than after.
Not sure what your roof needs?
An inspection ends with a written report and photographs, whether or not you go ahead with the work.
Inspection fee: £99.00.