New Roof Cost UK: what the job involves and who is registered to do it

How roof replacement works

1. Survey and specify before pricing. Two quotes are only comparable when they describe the same roof. A specification that names the covering, the underlay type, the batten size, the fixing pattern and what happens at the verges is the thing to get three prices against.
2. Scaffold and waste. A full strip needs edge protection to the whole perimeter and somewhere for the old covering to go. Both are priced by the week and both stretch if the job runs late, so ask what happens to the scaffold hire if the weather stops work.
3. Strip, inspect and renew the structure below. The rafters and wall plates are only visible once the covering is off. A quote that has no provisional sum for timber repairs will either produce a variation or an argument, and the honest ones say so up front.
4. Underlay, battens and covering. Modern practice puts a breathable membrane over the rafters, treated battens at the gauge the covering needs, and mechanical fixings to a pattern set by the exposure of the site. Dry ridge and dry verge systems have largely replaced sand and cement bedding.
5. Certification. Replacing more than a quarter of a roof slope is controlled work. Either building control inspects it, or the contractor is registered on a competent person scheme and certifies its own work, which is faster and cheaper for the owner.

Insurance and paperwork

Common questions

Does a new roof need planning permission?

Re-covering a roof in the same material and profile is normally permitted development on a house. Changing the shape, raising the ridge, or adding a dormer are not, and a listed building or a conservation area changes the answer entirely.

Does insulation have to be upgraded at the same time?

Where a roof is being re-covered, the energy efficiency requirements of the Building Regulations can be triggered for that element. This is one of the questions to put to the contractor before the scaffold goes up, not after.

How long does a re-roof take?

A straightforward two-storey semi is commonly a week of working days plus scaffold time either side, weather permitting. Complex roofs with several valleys, dormers or leadwork run longer.

Registered contractors by region

• Registered roofers in the East Midlands postcode area
• Registered roofers in the East of England postcode area
• Registered roofers in the London postcode area
• Registered roofers in the North East postcode area
• Registered roofers in the North West postcode area
• Registered roofers in the Scotland postcode area
• Registered roofers in the South East postcode area
• Registered roofers in the South West postcode area
• Registered roofers in the Wales postcode area
• Registered roofers in the West Midlands postcode area
• Registered roofers in the Yorkshire and The Humber postcode area