Roofing

Re-roofing: stripping and re-covering a pitched roof

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Re-roofing means taking the whole covering off a roof slope, or the whole roof, down to the rafters and laying it again with new underlay, battens and fixings. It is the answer when the roof is failing everywhere at once rather than in one place. Describe the house and the roof once; the request is offered to roofers near you and exactly one of them can take it on.

Exactly one business. Your request is handed out once. After that, no other business sees it.
You know who will be in touch. Before the business receives your contact details, we send you its name, address and phone number.
Withdraw at any time. You can withdraw your consent at any time – using the link in our email.

When a new covering is the right call

The tiles or slates are only the top layer. On many older houses the real problem sits underneath: bitumen felt that has turned brittle and torn at the eaves, battens that have rotted where water tracked down them, or nails that have corroded so that slates slide out one after another. Once that is happening across the roof, patching one area just moves the next leak along.

Signs that point towards a re-roof rather than a repair include daylight or damp patches in several places in the loft, slates slipping on more than one slope, sagging lines of tiles, and underlay that crumbles when touched. A roofer should show you photographs from the loft and from the scaffold rather than simply telling you the roof is finished.

Re-roofing is usually done one elevation at a time. On a terraced or semi-detached house the front and rear slopes are often quoted separately, and it is reasonable to ask whether the slope in the worse condition can be done first.

What happens on site

After the scaffold goes up, the old covering is stripped, and any slates or tiles worth reusing are sorted and stacked. The roofer then checks the rafters and replaces or strengthens any that are rotten or split, fits a new breathable membrane, and fixes new graded battens at the spacing the tile or slate manufacturer specifies.

The covering goes back on with new fixings, and the details are rebuilt: ridge and hips, verges, valleys, lead flashings at chimneys and walls, and ventilation at the eaves and ridge so that moisture in the loft can escape. Modern dry-fix ridge and verge systems avoid mortar that cracks and falls out, though some conservation areas expect a mortar-bedded finish.

While the roof is open, it is protected with sheeting at the end of each day. Ask how the roofer handles a forecast of heavy rain, because an exposed roof is the moment when ceilings get damaged.

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Changing the material and the Building Regulations

Swapping like for like is simple. Changing material is not. Concrete interlocking tiles weigh considerably more than slate, and the Planning Portal guidance for England says approval is needed when a new covering increases the weight of the roof covering by fifteen per cent or more, or performs differently in a fire. Heavier tiles may mean strengthening rafters and purlins, which should be designed by a structural engineer, not guessed on the day.

Because re-roofing usually affects more than half of the roof, it normally falls under the Building Regulations, and a roof is a thermal element, so the insulation is expected to be improved where that is practical. A roofer registered with a competent person scheme such as CompetentRoofer can self-certify the work; otherwise Building Control has to be involved before work starts.

Planning permission is not normally needed where the appearance stays much the same. In a conservation area, or on a listed building, replacing natural slate with concrete tiles or artificial slate can need consent, and the council may insist on natural materials.

Terraces, chimneys and the neighbours

On a terrace, the roof runs across the party wall. The roofer has to tie the new covering into the neighbour's roof neatly and keep the fire-stopping on top of the party wall intact in the loft. Scaffold may need to stand in front of the neighbours' houses, so speak to them before it arrives.

Chimneys are often the weakest point. With the scaffold already up, a re-roof is the sensible moment to repoint or rebuild a stack, renew the lead flashings, or take down a redundant chimney above the roof line. Removing a chimney that is part of a party wall, or taking out a chimney breast inside, is structural work with its own rules and should be planned, not added on the spot.

What moves the price

Area and pitch count, but complexity counts more. Every hip, valley, dormer, chimney and roof window adds labour and leadwork. Access, the length of time the scaffold stands, whether the old material can be reused or has to be skipped, and the cost of the new covering itself all feed into the quote.

The largest uncertainty is what the stripped roof reveals. A fair quote prices the known work and gives a rate for extras such as replacing a rafter or a length of wall plate, so there is no argument later.

which slopes are included, and the covering, underlay and batten specification
ridge, hip and verge system, valleys, and all leadwork by location
ventilation at eaves and ridge, and the insulation upgrade
scaffolding, any pavement licence, skip and waste disposal
rates for timber repairs discovered after stripping
the Building Regulations route and the certificate you will receive
guarantee on workmanship and the manufacturer's warranty on materials

One roofer, not a queue of callers

Your request is free and reaches roofers without your name or number attached. The first roofer who decides to buy it pays Offrano for it; from then on nobody else can see it. Before that roofer gets your contact details, we email you its name, address and phone number, so you know who will ring.

No roofer is obliged to take a request, and one that has not been taken after 21 days is withdrawn. Offrano confirms that the buyer is a registered business but does not judge its roofing, so check its competent person scheme membership on the scheme's own website before you agree a price.

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Frequently asked questions

Can the old slates be reused on a re-roof?

Often, if they are sound and the problem was the nails or underlay. The roofer sorts them as they come off, and any shortfall is made up with matching reclaimed or new slate. Reused slates are usually kept for the front elevation where appearance matters most.

Do I need to move out while the roof is replaced?

Usually not. The work happens outside and in the loft, and the roof is sheeted at night. Expect noise, dust in the loft and some debris around the house. Clear the loft before work starts so the roofer can see and reach the rafters.

Can I replace slate with cheaper concrete tiles?

Sometimes, but concrete tiles are heavier, so the roof structure has to be checked and possibly strengthened, and Building Regulations approval is needed where the weight increase passes the threshold. In conservation areas or on listed buildings the council may refuse the change.

Will re-roofing improve my loft insulation?

It should. When most of a roof is re-covered, the regulations expect the insulation to be brought up to standard where practical. That can mean insulation between the rafters with a ventilated gap, or more insulation over the ceiling joists. The quote should say which.

Who will I hear from after sending the request?

From exactly one roofer at most. We tell you by email who it is before it receives your details, and you can still ask other roofers yourself if you want a second opinion.