Update 2022: The cost of building materials such as cement, tiles, felt and timber has skyrocketed over the last 18 months and there are still ongoing supply-chain issues resulting in delivery delays. This has been well documented in the media and confirmed by our own research. The new roof price guide on this page was updated in April 2022 but is subject to change over the coming months. We encourage readers to fill in this form with details of your project, you’ll then be able to compare accurate quotes.
Tiled roofs last for decades and many of those constructed in the 1930s and even earlier are still holding up well today. However, if a roof hasn’t been maintained properly, rainwater may penetrate onto the underlying felt and timberwork, resulting in a compromised roof structure that cannot be remedied by a repair.
If you want to know how much a replacement new roof costs, this page is for you. To avoid any doubt, this page refers to tiled, pitched (angled) roof structures and not flat roofs.
We have a separate price guide for felted flat roofs here.
On this page, you’ll discover:
- Your three options
- A pricing table for an “up and over” roof (inc per sq metre pricing)
- A look at how much the materials cost (inc per sq metre pricing)
- Extras you may need or choose to have
Your Three Options
When it comes to replacing a tiled roof, you have three options:
1) Just Replace the Tiles
This is the cheapest option as only the tiles, fixings and cement are replaced, and the existing felt and all roof timbers are left in place. While this project still requires scaffolding, it’s quicker, easier and cheaper than a full roof replacement. This option is only viable if the roof felt, timbers and the structure, in general, are sound. If you’re happy to replace the tiles on a “like for like” basis then this is the best option and is popular with consumers who are experiencing issues with their roof tiles but not the felt, timbers or roof structure. As always, we suggest arranging a roof survey first so you can determine which option is best.
2) Replace the Tile, Felt, Timber Batons, Fixings Etc
This is the most common option and involves the complete replacement of the tiles, the underfelt, timber batons, fixings, cement etc. The structural roof joists and rafters are left in place, in most cases, these timbers are sound and don’t need to be replaced but consumers should have their roof surveyed first to make sure they are structurally sound.
3) Complete Roof Replacement Inc New Roof Rafters
The third option is the least popular as it involves a complete roof replacement, including the roof rafters (timbers) that support the tiles. On the vast majority of roofs in the UK, these timbers are strong enough to last for decades, sometimes even hundreds of years, making this type of roof replacement quite rare. We urge consumers who are thinking about this type of roof replacement to arrange a full roof survey first as this will highlight the condition of the roof rafters, it’s quite rare for all of these rafters to need replacing.
Pricing Table
The pricing table below includes suggested prices for the various works involved with replacing a tiled roof on a two-sided “up and over” roof measuring 60 sq metres – this is typical of a 2-bed semi-detached house in the UK
This type of roof is the easiest to complete and is also the cheapest.
| Project: | Price: |
|---|---|
| Scaffold | £1000 |
| New tiled roof (60 sq metres) inc labour, materials and waste disposal of old materials | £4750 (£79 per sq metre) |
| Replace individual rafters | £20-25 per liner metre installed (depends on quantity) |
| Replace roofline boards and rainwater gutters | £125 per linear metre installed |
| Repoint chimney: (very small) | £250 |
| Repoint chimney: (medium size) | £600 |
| Repoint chimney: (large) | £900+ |
| Top up loft insulation | £425 |
| Get a Custom Price Here | Get a Custom Price Here |
As you can see from the prices above, the cost of a new roof starts at around £80 per square metre with added extras that may or may not be required, such as scaffolding if it’s not already in place, insulation, guttering/roofline boards and chimney work etc.
Other Roof Types
“Up and over” roofs are the simplest to work on, if your roof is hipped, has dormers or is of another design, fill in this form with details of your project, you’ll be contacted by roofers in your area who will provide you with prices for comparison
Works Schedule for a Typical 3-bed House
Below is a typical works schedule for the re-roofing of a typical two-bedroom house roof with an “up and over” design:
- Carry out a full assessment of the roof, the structural timbers and the loft insulation.
- Draw up a list of materials and order from the supplier.
- Arrange and order skip hire.
- Arrange for a scaffold to be erected.
- Remove and skip the existing tiles, cement, timber batons, fixings and felt.
- Check the condition of and replace rafters as required (priced separately in the price table).
- Supply and fit new breathable felt membrane and eaves felt trays.
- If no eaves vents exist, supply and install 12mm fascia vents.
- Supply and fit new timber batons.
- Lay roof tiles and secure them in place with fixings.
- Bed ridge and gable tiles to the roof with cement and also a mechanical fixing.
- Supply and fit ridge vent tiles.
- Remove existing roofline boards and gutters and supply and install new PVCu plastic roofline boards and guttering (optional, priced separately in the price table).
- Check insulation and top us as required (priced separately in the price table).
- Notify building control when the work is completed.
Should The Loft Insulation, Gutters and Roofline Boards Be Replaced?
The Building Regulations currently state that when 25% or more of a roof covering is replaced, the insulation underneath should meet the Thermal Efficiency requirement of the Building Regulations. For most consumers that will mean upgrading or topping up their loft insulation.
As the consumer has already paid for the scaffolding, they may wish to consider other works that can be completed at the same time, this will work out cheaper than paying for the scaffold to be re-erected in the future:
- Chimney repairs and repointing, aerial replacement or removal, chimney cowl replacement or installation.
- Replacement guttering.
- Replacement roofline boards (fascias, soffits, bargeboards).
- Painting of existing roofline boards.
Materials: A Breakdown of Costs
Using our 60 sq metre “up and over” roof as an example, we can delve into which materials are needed and how much they cost.
The prices for the materials below are on a “supply only” basis.
Scaffold: £1000
Concrete tiles: £1100
Breathable membrane felt – £130
Timber batons – £225
Rigid eaves felt and rafter vent trays – £80
Cement and cement fibreboards – £100
Fixings, nails and clips etc – £80
All prices include VAT at 20% and the prices for the materials were sourced in April 2022 from www.roofingsuperstore.co.uk
Based on our 60 sq metre “up and over” roof, we estimate the cost of the materials to be around £45 per square metre excluding labour, scaffold, structural timbers and waste removal.
How Much Do Roofers Earn Per Day?
We recently carried out research into how much roofing contractors are paid per day.
While wages and day rates are fluctuating at the moment as a result of the cost of living crisis, rising demand and a shortage of skilled labour, you may find our findings insightful.
Explore our updated tradesperson’s day rates page here.
Get a Quote Online For Your New Roof
We hope you found our insights into roofing prices helpful but our analysis isn’t an alternative to a fixed quote from a reputable and local tradesperson who can first survey your roof and provide you with a custom quote.
To see how we can help you with that, tap the button below:
More:
The height and location of scaffolding will affect the cost, if you need to block a pavement then a licence will be needed. Also, we have assumed a medium-sized concrete roof tile is used in the installation, clay tiles cost more, and smaller tiles either clay or concrete take longer to lay.
The prices on this page are for a 2-sided roof, aka an "up and over" design, if your roof has more aspects, valleys, hips or barn ends then more work will be involved thus increasing the cost.
Should every tile be nailed to the roof?
In 2015 new regulations came into force; each tile must now be mechanically fixed with either a clip or nail. Cement can still be used but should not be the sole connection between the tile and the structure. Felt should be laid tight to prevent ballooning and must also be securely fixed.
Timber batons must be a minimum of 25mm thickness.
Insulation should also be checked and upgraded to current standards when replacing a roof.
Building control must be notified when replacing a roof.
When replacing a roof, to ensure any warranties and insurance policies are valid, the work must comply with Britsih Standard BS5534.
We a small group of people who work in the home improvement industry that got together to create this website. We renovate houses and as part of our work, we have to estimate how much the repair work is going to cost us. That usually involves getting quotes from other tradespeople or looking up the price for materials and estimating the labour cost.We decided to create this website as we know there must be many other people, who like us, are searching for guide prices for home improvement projects.
The prices you see on our pages are based on our experience and opinion, but where possible we also provide links to retailers and other sources so you can see official prices.
Below you can find a link to our recently updated trade day rates page:
This guide was written by Danny Woodley and was last updated in April 2022.
Don’t forget; we have price guides for hundreds of home improvement projects.
Explore our full list of detailed price guides here.
