Update 2022: As has been reported in the media and confirmed by our own research, home improvement prices soared in 2021 and 2022 with some industries such as roofing and construction reporting inflation of over 40%. The prices on this page were updated in 2022 to reflect the current going rate. If you’d prefer an accurate fixed quote for your project, fill out this online form with your details.
Ever wondered how much it costs to hire a roofing firm to come in and repair a leaky roof? Obviously, there are hundreds of reasons why a roof may leak and prices will depend on your location in the UK, how difficult the roof is to access and the particulars of the issue.
Below you’ll find a quick reference guide for roof repair costs in the UK.
We’ll cover the following common projects:
- Replace up to 5 broken tiles or slates
- Re-cement ridge or hip tiles that have come loose
- Replace a section of roof valley
- Patch repair a section of flat roof
- Replace an entire flat roof covering
- Chimney repointing
- Erect a scaffold tower for roof repairs
These Prices Exclude VAT
The prices on this page exclude VAT.
Small businesses and tradespeople with a turnover below the VAT threshold do not need to charge this tax so we’ve excluded the 20% tax from the figures on this page.
If you’re not sure how VAT works, discover how you can save money on your next home improvement project by legally avoiding VAT.
All About Access
As we are sure you’re aware, accessing and working on a roof above a 4-storey townhouse is a lot easier and cheaper than working on a bungalow.
The prices displayed on this page assume the roof has no unusual access requirements and is one or two storeys high.
Cost to Replace Roof Tiles
Tiles often break as a result of frost damage or impacts from branches and other wind-blown debris.
Occasionally, tiles with hairline cracks are laid during the construction of the home. Over time, the cracks widen until the tile breaks.
Slates are much tougher than concrete or clay tiles but the weak point is the fixings which often fail, resulting in slipped or loose slates.
It’s always a good idea to have the roof periodically checked for damaged or loose tiles/slates.
The table below excludes the cost of the scaffold which might not be required for small repair projects:
| Project: | Price: |
|---|---|
| Replace up to 5 roof tiles, excluding scaffold and cement work if required. | £200 - £250 +VAT |
| Get a Custom Price Here | Get a Custom Price Here |
Re-Bed 10 Metres of Ridge of Hip Tiles Onto New Mortar
Mortar is a mixture of sand and cement and should last the life the building.
Unfortunately, if the incorrect ratio of sand to cement is used, the mortar may be too weak or too brittle and could come loose after years of rainfall.
It should take between half and three-quarters of a day to remove and re-bed 10 metres of ridge or hip tiles, this includes setting up a tower-based scaffold system to the gutter height to protect the workers from falls.
| Project: | Price: |
|---|---|
| 10 metres of ridge tiles rebedded, including edge protection towers to roof edge. | £600 - £800 +VAT |
| Get a Custom Price Here | Get a Custom Price Here |
Replace a Section of Roof Valley (4 Metres)
Roof valleys transfer water from the roof to the gutters and they hold a significant amount of water when it rains.
Needless to say, a roof leak in a valley can lead to litres and litres of water entering the property.
Unless the damage is minor, the usual remedy is to replace the entire valley from the base to the very top.
This is a significant project that will take around three-quarters of a day and requires scaffold at the base for worker protection, new felt underlay, new valley troughs and tile mortar re-bedding.
| Project: | Price: |
|---|---|
| 4 metres of valley tiles rebedded, including fibreglass trough and felt underlay. Price includes access tower. | £600 - £800 +VAT |
| Get a Custom Price Here` | Get a Custom Price Here |
Replace a Section of Flat Roof
Flat roofs are prone to leaking as they hold more water than a pitched sloping roof where excess rainwater runs off into the gutters.
If your flat roof is old and nearing the end of its life, chances are a patch repair won’t work and you’d be better off replacing the entire covering before the water gets into the timber underneath and rots it.
As a general rule of thumb; replacing a covering is far cheaper than replacing a rotten timber substructure, so we suggest you only consider a patch repair if the overall condition of the roof is good.
Examples of when patch repairs are practical:
- isolated damage caused by falling tiles, slates or tree branches.
- isolated damage caused by foot traffic
- extensions, roof lights or vents etc being installed
- poor quality workmanship during installation, usually when sealing the overlaps
| Project: | Price: |
|---|---|
| Cut out and replace one square metre of flat roof felt and replace with matching material. | £225 - £275 +VAT |
| Get a Custom Price Here | Get a Custom Price Here |
Replace an Entire Flat Roof Covering
The prices below are for a single garage and include a new felt covering but exclude timber decking, insulation and fascias/guttering etc that could add a considerable amount to the cost of a flat roof.
A more in-depth flat roof guide can be found here.
| Project: | Price: |
|---|---|
| Replace flat roof covering to a single garage, excluding timber decking (which is +£350 inc VAT). | £850 - £1000 +VAT |
| Get a Custom Price Here | Get a Custom Price Here |
Chimney Repointing and Repairs
There is a huge difference in price between repointing a small chimney that can be easily reached from the roof and a 10-metre tall stack that will require a full scaffold wrap-around.
We’ve created a nifty page dedicated to chimney repair, maintenance and dismantling costs.
Erect a Scaffold Tower to Gutter Height
To protect roofers from falls, the health and safety rules in the UK state that “edge protection” must be in place. This is usually in the form of a scaffold system erected up to gutter height, directly below the area where the roofers are working.
Sure, some roofers still complete projects without meeting this safety requirement, but this is usually when the repairs are minor and can be completed within a few minutes, such as replacing a tile or two.
All projects should have edge protection in place.
How much this costs will depend on:
- height and length of the scaffold
- whether you need to block a public footpath or not
- whether you need to bring in a specialist scaffold firm (complex projects) or use a roofing company that has their own access equipment (simple jobs)
This page contains a scaffold price guide and scaffold alternatives.
Get a Fixed Price For a Roof Repair
We hope you found our insights into roof repair costs helpful.
Obviously, every project is different and the guide prices here are not a substitute for a fixed written quote from a roofer that has inspected your roof.
You may find that smaller “one-man” type businesses outside of London charge less than our suggested prices while a larger firm in the capital will have more overheads and charge more.
Hit the button below to see how we can help you with a fixed written quote:
This guide to repair costs 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.
