Roof repair cost, job by job

Slipped, cracked or missing tiles and slates

The least expensive repair on most roofs, provided the tile can be reached safely and matching stock is available. On a nail-fixed slate roof the fix is a proper hook or tingle rather than a smear of mastic, which costs a little more and lasts a great deal longer.

Cost rises when the tile is a discontinued pattern, when several courses have to be lifted to get the new one in, or when the reason it slipped is nail fatigue across the whole slope rather than one bad fixing.

Flashings and abutments

Where the roof meets a wall, a lead flashing does the work. Repairs range from re-dressing and re-pointing an existing lead upstand to stripping and forming new lead in code-appropriate lengths. The lead itself is a real material cost and the price follows the metal.

Cement fillets used in place of lead crack as the building moves. Replacing a failed fillet with proper lead costs more than repointing it and is usually the last time you will need to touch it.

Chimney work

Chimneys generate more leaks than any other single detail. The work can be repointing the brickwork, renewing the flaunching around the pots, forming new front apron, side soakers and back gutter in lead, or all of it together. Access almost always needs a scaffold or tower, which is a bigger factor in the total than the lead.

Valleys

A valley collects water from two slopes, so when it fails it usually fails wet. The repair means opening up tiles on both sides, taking out the old lead or fibre-glass valley liner, checking and often renewing the valley boards, then re-laying with a proper cut and a clear channel. It is more work than it looks from the ground, which is why valley quotes surprise people.

Ridge and hip

Loose ridge tiles are usually a mortar failure, not a tile failure. Re-bedding and repointing a ridge line in the right mix is a straightforward day's work on an accessible roof. Where the mortar has failed repeatedly, changing to a dry-fix ridge system costs more once and stops the cycle.

Felt and small flat roofs

Patching a split or a lifted seam on a felt garage or dormer roof is cheap and buys time. Where the felt has gone brittle across the whole area, or water has already reached the deck, patching is money spent twice. We will tell you plainly which of the two you are looking at.

Why access changes the number more than the part

A repair that takes an hour can need half a day of set-up. Three storeys, a conservatory in the way, a fragile roof below or a public pavement all mean towers, scaffold or edge protection before anyone touches a tile. We are fully insured and we do not cut corners on access, so the quote reflects the safe way to do the job.

Why average roof repair prices mislead

Searches for the average cost of roof repairs in the UK return figures that bundle together very different jobs. A single slipped tile on a bungalow and a leaking valley on a three storey house are both called roof repairs, yet one may take an hour from a ladder and the other a day or more with scaffolding. An average across those jobs tells you little about your own roof.

What a homeowner can do is understand the parts that make up any repair price. Once you know those, comparing quotes becomes much easier, and a very low or very high figure starts to make sense.

The four things that set roof repair costs

Access comes first. Whether the roof can be reached safely from a ladder, a tower or only from scaffolding has a large effect on the total, and on taller or terraced houses it can be the biggest single item.

Materials come next. Matching an old clay pantile or a reclaimed slate costs more than a common concrete tile, and lead flashing costs more than a mortar fillet. Time on site depends on how much of the roof has to be opened to reach the fault. Finally, hidden damage matters: rotten battens or a softened deck found once tiles are lifted change the scope, and a good quote explains how that will be agreed with you before extra work starts.

Cost of a leaky roof repair

The cost of a roof leak repair depends far more on where the water is getting in than on the size of the stain inside. Water can run along a batten or rafter before it drips, so the first part of the job is finding the true entry point. A leak caused by one cracked tile is a small repair; one caused by a failed valley lining or chimney flashing is a larger one. Leaving a leak tends to raise the eventual cost, because wet timber and insulation add to the work.

Our roof leak tracing guide explains how the source is found, and the roof repairs service page covers how we inspect and quote.

Comparing cheap roof repair quotes

When you have more than one price, check that each quote describes the same work. Look for what is being repaired, which materials are being used, how access is provided, and whether the price includes clearing away. A quote that only says 'repair roof' leaves you unable to compare it. A cheaper figure may simply be for less work, such as sealant over a joint where another roofer has allowed for new flashing.

We provide a free inspection and a written quote, so you can see exactly what is included before deciding.

Common questions