How to read these figures
The ranges on this page come from published UK cost guides and trade pricing sites. They are national figures, not a Beacon price list, and they vary widely because roofs vary widely. Use them to judge whether a quote you have been given is in the right territory, and to plan a budget before anyone climbs a ladder. Your fixed quote follows the survey, once we have seen and photographed the roof itself.
Where a source gives a single average rather than a range, we say so. Where a figure comes from a less reliable source, we flag it.
Pitched roofs, slate and re-roofing
| Job | Typical UK range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full re-roof, three-bed semi, concrete tiles | £6,500 to £10,500 | Strip, new underlay and battens, re-tile |
| New roof, standard semi or detached house | £4,000 to £13,000 | Wide spread reflects size, material and access |
| Natural slate strip and re-cover | £120 to £180 per m² | Man-made slate £90 to £130 per m² |
| Installed slate by origin | Welsh £140 to £180 per m²; Spanish £100 to £130 per m² | Labour is a large share of the cost |
| Replacing a single slate or tile | £100 to £250 labour, plus £5 to £25 for the slate or tile | Access tower or scaffold £300 to £800 where needed |
| Dry ridge system, semi-detached house | £900 to £1,600 | Scaffolding £300 to £900 on top |
| Solid tiled conservatory roof | £6,100 to £15,000 | About £650 to £1,200 per m² |
A re-roof is the biggest single job most homeowners face, and the range is wide for good reason. Our roof replacement page explains what goes into one, and the guide to how much a new roof costs breaks the figure down. For slate, see slate roof costs; for ridges and verges (the edge of the roof at a gable), see ridge tile repair costs; and for tile repairs, tiled roof repair costs.
Flat roofs, garages and commercial roofs
| Job | Typical UK range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flat roof, supply and fit | Felt £60 to £100; EPDM £80 to £120; GRP £100 to £160 per m² | Consumer cost guide figures |
| Flat roof, trade pricing view | EPDM £70 to £100; GRP £80 to £120; modified bitumen felt £45 to £75 per m² | Contractor-facing figures, a little lower |
| EPDM roof on a single garage | £1,200 to £2,500 | Fitted, including the new deck where needed |
| Asbestos cement garage roof removal | £1,200 to £2,000 single; £2,500 to £4,500 double | From a single source, so treat with caution |
| Commercial flat roof strip and replace | £90 to £180 or more per m² | Informal trade answer, low confidence |
EPDM is a synthetic rubber sheet laid in one piece; GRP is glass-reinforced plastic, laid wet and cured hard; torch-on felt is a bitumen membrane bonded with a gas torch. The flat roofing page compares them, and the guide to how much a flat roof costs goes into the detail. Garage owners should read garage roof replacement costs, and businesses commercial roof replacement costs.
Chimneys, roofline, roof windows and repairs
| Job | Typical UK range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Replacing chimney leadwork | £350 to £920 | Average reported around £570 |
| Chimney flashing, all four sides | About £525 without scaffold; about £1,000 with | Patch repair about £250 |
| Chimney repointing | £450 to £1,200 | One guide puts a typical job near £750 |
| Chimney repair, general | £500 to £2,000 | Average around £750 |
| Full uPVC roofline, three-bed semi | £1,800 to £3,500 | Detached £3,000 to £6,000 |
| Scaffold for roofline work | £200 to £2,600 | One side of a bungalow up to four sides of a two-storey detached |
| Roof window, supply and fit | £680 to £1,300 | Standard centre-pivot window |
| Emergency call-out | £150 to £350 before materials | London and the south-east reported 20 to 35% higher |
| Drone roof survey | About £200 domestic; £750 to £1,000 commercial | Digital report versions £200 to £350 |
| Moss removal by hand with biocide | £748 small, £863 average, £978 large | Pressure washing £553 to £723 |
| Spray foam removal | £40 to £80 per m²; three-bed loft £2,000 to £4,500 | A lower estimate gives £20 to £50 per m² |
| Spray foam installation | Open-cell £20 to £35 per m²; closed-cell £40 to £60 | A ventilation assessment comes first |
Leadwork, meaning the flashings and soakers (small lead pieces tucked under each tile against a wall), is covered in lead flashing replacement costs, and stacks in chimney repair costs. For the roofline, the fascia is the board along the eaves that carries the gutter and the soffit is the board underneath it; see how much soffits and fascias cost and gutter replacement costs. Roof windows have their own guide to roof window installation costs, and urgent work is explained in how much an emergency roofer costs and roof repair costs. The remaining guides cover roof survey costs, roof cleaning costs and spray foam insulation costs.
What drives the cost of a roofing job
Access and scaffolding
Getting safely to the roof is often a large slice of a small job. Replacing one slate can cost less than the access tower needed to reach it, and a four-sided scaffold on a detached house costs far more than a single lift on a bungalow. Conservatories below, narrow side passages, steep gardens and busy roads all add time and equipment.
Materials
Concrete interlocking tiles are cheaper to buy and quicker to lay than clay plain tiles or natural slate. Welsh slate costs more than Spanish. On flat roofs, felt usually comes in below EPDM, and GRP sits above both. Lead, copper and specialist dry-fix systems each carry their own price.
Size, pitch and shape
A larger roof needs more of everything, but shape matters as much as area. Hips, valleys, dormers, chimneys and roof windows each need cutting and detailing by hand. A steep pitch slows the work and may need extra edge protection. A simple gable roof is the cheapest shape to cover.
What is underneath
Nobody can price rotten rafters or a soft flat-roof deck until they have seen them. We look in the loft and test the deck during the survey so that the quote reflects the real condition, and if something hidden still appears once the covering is off, we show you and agree any change in writing before carrying on.
Waste
Old tiles, battens, felt and timber all have to go somewhere, and skips or waste collections are part of the price. Asbestos cement sheeting needs careful handling under HSE guidance and disposal at a site that accepts it, which costs more than ordinary roofing waste.
Building Regulations
According to the Planning Portal, repairs or re-covering do not normally need a building control application if they affect less than 25% of the building envelope and less than 50% of the roof. Beyond that, approval is needed and the insulation of the whole roof may have to be brought up to current standards, which adds materials and labour. A new covering 15% or more heavier than the old one also needs approval, and the roof structure may need strengthening. Where work is notifiable, we handle the Building Regulations side and include it in the quote.
Comparing quotes fairly
Two quotes for the same roof can differ by thousands of pounds and both be honest, because they describe different jobs. Before comparing totals, check what each one includes. Does a re-roof price include new battens and breathable underlay, or only re-laying the old tiles? Are ridge and verge tiles mechanically fixed, as BS 5534 now requires, or bedded in mortar alone? Is scaffolding included, and for how many weeks? Does a flat roof quote replace the deck boards or lay a new membrane over the old ones? Who deals with building control, and is the waste removal priced in?
A quote that leaves these questions open is not necessarily a bad one, but it is hard to compare. Ask the roofer to put the answers in writing. Ours lists them so you can lay it next to anyone else's and see exactly where the differences lie.
Why a fixed written quote follows the survey
A price given over the phone has to guess at the roof's size, the access, the condition of the timbers and what lies under the visible covering. Guesses either pad the price to cover the unknowns or leave room for extras later. We would rather look first. After the survey you get photographs of what we found and a fixed written quote listing the work, the materials, the access and the waste removal. That is the price for the job described, and if the job needs to change, the change is agreed in writing first.
For a wider look at how these factors combine, read what affects roofing costs. When you are ready, book a free survey and we will price your own roof.
