The short answer
Many roofers will take urgent calls at weekends and on bank holidays, but not all will, and not all work is urgent. A roof that is leaking into the house, or has lost tiles in a storm, is the sort of job that gets priority. A planned re-roof, a gutter clean or a cosmetic repair normally waits for a weekday. Emergency calls come ahead of routine work with us, and stopping the water is the first job, but we cannot promise a specific arrival time.
What counts as urgent
Out of hours, roofers sort calls by risk. The top of the list is anything that threatens people or the structure: a roof section torn open by wind, a tree through the tiles, a chimney stack that has shifted, or water pouring through a ceiling near electrics. Next come active leaks that are damaging the contents of the house. A small drip into a bucket, a loose ridge tile that is not moving, or an overflowing gutter is usually left until the next working day, unless the weather is getting worse. Our guide to what counts as a roof emergency sets out the line in more detail.
What an out-of-hours visit usually achieves
The aim of a weekend or holiday call-out is to make the roof safe and stop the water, not to finish the job. That might be fixing a tarpaulin over a hole, re-fixing loose tiles, or covering a broken skylight. Permanent repairs, such as matching tiles, rebuilding a chimney or replacing a section of flat roof, normally need materials and a dry day, so they follow later in the week. For more on what a tarpaulin can and cannot do, see our page on temporary roof repairs.
Why weekend work can cost more
Out-of-hours work is often charged at a higher rate, because it means pulling people away from other commitments and sometimes working in poor weather or darkness. Typical UK emergency call-out figures run from £150 to £350 before materials, according to a trade cost guide, and the south-east tends to be higher. Your fixed quote follows the survey for any permanent repair. We explain the call-out basis before we start, so there are no surprises. Our guide on how much an emergency roofer costs covers the figures.
What to do while you wait
Staying safe matters more than saving the carpet. Keep out of rooms with sagging ceilings, switch off power to wet areas if you can do it without standing in water, and move valuables. Put buckets under drips and lay towels or sheeting round them. Take photographs of the damage from the ground and from inside, with dates, for your insurer. Do not climb onto the roof, particularly in the dark or in wind. If a tree is on the house or someone is at risk, call 999. Our guide on out-of-hours roofing help goes through what to expect from the call.
How to check a roofer before you book
Out-of-hours calls are when people are most likely to hire the first number they find. Ask for the business name and address, and ask what the visit will cover and how it will be charged. Be wary of anyone who arrives unasked after a storm and offers to start straight away, or who wants cash up front for materials. A reputable roofer explains the fault, shows you photos, and writes down the price. If a repair is large, you are entitled to take time to think, unless the roof is open to the weather.
Planned work at weekends
Routine jobs are a different matter from emergencies. Many roofers keep Saturdays for smaller repairs, and a few will survey on a Sunday, but a re-roof, a chimney rebuild or a flat roof replacement is planned across weekdays, when a team and materials can be arranged. Noise and neighbours matter too, as scaffolding, cutting and tile deliveries often rule out early starts at the weekend. If a Saturday survey is the only time you can be at home, ask when you call. Bank holidays tend to fall on days with limited deliveries from builders' merchants, which slows any job that needs materials.
Weather decides more than the calendar, and a settled forecast matters more than the day of the week when you plan a permanent repair after a storm. A roofer will not lay a flat roof or point a ridge in the rain, whatever day it is.
How we handle weekend calls
Ring 01256 213956 or send a WhatsApp message, and tell us what has happened, where, and whether anyone is at risk. We put emergency calls ahead of routine work, and the first visit is about getting the roof safe. We cannot promise to be with you within a set time, because that would depend on the number of calls, the weather and where our teams are. After the roof is safe, we survey it in daylight, photograph the damage and write up a fixed price for the permanent repair. More on call-outs sits under the emergency and general roof repairs hub.
Every roof is different. A free survey with photos settles it for yours.
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