Repairs are not priced as a category. A slipped tile reached from a ladder and a failed valley that needs both slopes opened up are different pieces of work with different access, different materials and different amounts of time on site. Below is what each of the common repairs actually involves, so you know what you are paying for. If water is coming in now, ring 07437 005301: we offer 24/7 emergency call-out and a free inspection before any quote.
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.
Common questions
Is it worth repairing an old roof or should I replace it?
If the covering is sound and the fault is local, repair. If tiles are slipping in several places because the nails or battens have gone, repairs become a rolling cost. We price both so you can see the two numbers side by side.
Do you charge a call-out fee?
Inspections and quotations are free. Emergency attendance to make a roof safe is discussed with you on the phone before we set off, so nothing is a surprise.
Can you match my old tiles?
Usually. Norfolk pantiles, plain clay tiles and most concrete profiles can be matched or sourced reclaimed. If the pattern is genuinely obsolete we will tell you what the sensible alternatives look like on your roof.
How quickly can you get to a leak?
We offer 24/7 emergency call-out for active leaks and storm damage. Ring 07437 005301 and we will tell you honestly when we can be with you.
Is the repair guaranteed?
Our work carries a written guarantee and we are fully insured. The terms are set out on the paperwork, not just promised on the doorstep.