Few jobs cause more worry than a leaking roof, and the first question is always the same: what is this going to cost me? Below we set out realistic price ranges for the most common repairs we carry out around Shirley and South East London, plus the factors that move the figure up or down.
Most domestic roof repairs in the UK fall somewhere between £150 and £1,500, depending on the fault and how easy it is to reach. Small jobs like refixing a few slipped tiles are at the lower end, while structural work or a section of new covering sits much higher.
These are guide figures for a typical two-storey house in our area. Always treat any number quoted before an inspection as a rough starting point rather than a firm price.
The repair itself is often the smaller part of the bill. Access is frequently the bigger factor: a job reachable from a ladder costs far less than one needing scaffolding or a tower, which can add £400 to £1,000 on its own for safe, compliant access.
Materials matter too. Modern concrete interlocking tiles are inexpensive and quick to source, whereas natural slate, clay tiles or handmade clay can cost several times more and take longer to match. Older properties around Shirley and the surrounding area often have these, so a like-for-like repair carries a premium.
The cheapest roof repair is the one you catch early. A single slipped tile is a cheap fix, but left through a wet South East London winter it lets water into the timbers, and a £200 job can become a £2,000 one once felt, battens and plaster are involved.
After heavy wind or rain, it is worth a quick look from the ground with binoculars. Damp patches on upstairs ceilings, granules from felt collecting in gutters, or daylight visible in the loft are all early warnings worth acting on.
A trustworthy quote comes after someone has actually been up and looked, not over the phone from a description alone. Be wary of anyone pressuring you into immediate moss removal or a full re-roof when a targeted repair would do.
We give written quotes with the work itemised so you can see what you are paying for, and we will tell you honestly if a repair is the sensible option or if the covering is genuinely near the end of its life. Getting two or three quotes for larger jobs is always sensible.
Sudden damage from a storm is often covered, but leaks caused by gradual wear or lack of maintenance usually are not. Check your policy wording and take photos before any work begins.
We provide a free written quote for most local repair jobs after inspecting the roof. There may be a charge where significant access equipment is needed just to assess the fault, and we will always agree that with you first.
If the covering is sound and the fault is localised, a repair is almost always more cost effective. Once you are patching the same roof repeatedly or it is past 40 to 50 years old, replacement often works out cheaper over time.
Tell us about the job and we will get a quote back to you, most days the same day.