Cambridge Roofers installs new roofs in Melbourn, covering pitched tile and slate roofs as well as flat roof sections on extensions and bays, with honest pricing based on what your specific property needs.
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A new roof is one of the larger spends a homeowner will make, and the price range quoted online is wide enough to be almost useless. A full re-roof on a standard three-bedroom semi can run from around £5,000 to £10,000 or more depending on materials, roof size and what is found once the old covering is stripped. A detached house with a more complex roof shape, hips and valleys, a chimney stack or a dormer will cost more. The figures below are a guide to what the main variables are and why.
The larger the roof, the more materials and time are needed. Roof area is measured in square metres, and the quoted price should always make clear whether it is per square metre or a fixed sum for the whole job. Steeper pitches take longer to work on safely and require more tiles per square metre because the gauge (the distance between batten courses) is shorter. A 45-degree pitch uses noticeably more tiles than a 30-degree pitch of the same footprint.
This is one of the most significant factors in the final price. As a rough guide, concrete interlocking tiles sit at the lower end of the cost range, natural slate at the upper end, and clay plain tiles somewhere in between. Typical installed costs across the UK currently run approximately:
These figures cover materials and labour but not always scaffold, disposal or timber repairs. Make sure any quote you receive is itemised clearly enough that you can see what is and is not included.
Scaffold costs are often quoted separately and can add £800 to £2,000 or more to the overall price depending on the height of the building and how much of the perimeter needs to be covered. Some roofers include it in the headline price; others quote it as a separate line. Neither approach is wrong, but you need to know which you are looking at. Never agree to a re-roof carried out without proper access equipment on a two-storey or taller property.
Until the old tiles and felt are stripped, the full state of the roof timbers cannot always be seen. Rafters, ridge boards and purlins on older houses can show rot, insect damage or deflection that is invisible from the outside. A common problem is discovering this mid-job. A roofer who has done this work before will tell you upfront that there is a possibility of additional timber costs once stripping starts, and will agree how to handle that before work begins rather than presenting a surprise invoice.
Sistering a rafter (fixing a sound length of timber alongside a damaged one) typically costs between £100 and £300 per rafter depending on accessibility. A full rafter replacement costs more. Purlin repairs on a complex roof can run to several hundred pounds. These are real costs worth asking about before you sign anything.
Lead is priced by weight (per kilogram) as well as by the complexity of the detailing. A simple chimney stack with stepped and cover flashings uses a meaningful quantity of lead. Open valley linings add more. Lead prices fluctuate with the metal market, so a quote from six months ago may no longer reflect the current cost of materials. Any roofer quoting for a re-roof should itemise the lead or flashing work separately, particularly if there is a chimney involved.
A chimney stack is almost always the most labour-intensive part of a re-roof. The brickwork needs to be checked for condition, the old lead needs to be stripped, and new flashings need to be properly stepped into the mortar courses and dressed. If the stack itself is in poor condition, repointing or rebuilding adds cost. On some older properties, removing an unused chimney at the time of re-roofing can be cost-effective compared with maintaining it long-term, though this is a decision that needs planning consideration in some cases.
Many houses have flat or near-flat roof sections over bay windows, single-storey extensions or outbuildings. These are typically quoted separately from the main pitched roof. EPDM rubber is a practical choice for these areas: it is single-ply, installed in large sheets with minimal laps, and does not crack or blister in the way that traditional felt can over time. The cost depends on the size of the area and whether the existing deck needs to be replaced before the new membrane goes on.
Straightforward roof shapes with no hips, valleys or dormers cost less than complex ones. Concrete tiles cost less than clay or natural slate. A roof where the timbers are sound costs less than one where repairs are needed. Combining a re-roof with other work happening at the same time (pointing, fascia replacement, guttering) can reduce the overall scaffold cost if shared. Avoiding the busiest periods (late spring and early summer tend to be when roofing contractors are most stretched) may give you more negotiating room, though availability varies by area and by year.
A quote given over the phone or from photos alone is not reliable for a full re-roof. The roofer needs to get on the roof, check the timbers, measure the area properly and look at the flashings before any figure is meaningful. A detailed written quote should separate out materials, labour, scaffold, disposal and any provisional sums for timber or leadwork that cannot be confirmed until stripping starts. If a quote does not break these down, ask for them to be itemised before you agree anything.
The right material depends on the pitch of the roof, the age and character of the house, and whether there are any planning conditions. Many older properties suit clay plain tiles or natural slate for appearance reasons; newer houses tend to carry concrete interlocking tiles already and replacing like-for-like is straightforward. If you are unsure whether your property sits within a conservation area or is subject to any restrictions on roof materials, it is worth checking before ordering anything. A roofer working regularly in Cambridgeshire will know the general requirements but confirming with the local authority on specific planning conditions is always the safest step.
Cambridge Roofers works across Melbourn and the wider area, including Royston nearby, and other towns across Cambridgeshire. If you are looking at a new roof and want a proper survey and an itemised price rather than a ballpark figure, call us to arrange a roof inspection and we will give you a clear breakdown of what the job involves and what it will cost.
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