New roofs and re-roofing: UK costs and timings in 2026
A re-roof is one of the largest single sums most homeowners ever spend on maintenance — commonly £6,500 to £18,000 in 2026 — and one of the least understood, because almost all of it happens out of sight. This guide explains how to tell when a roof genuinely needs replacing, what drives the price, what happens week by week, and how to read a re-roofing quote properly.
- 3-bed semi, concrete tile: around £6,500–£11,000
- 3-bed semi, natural slate: around £10,000–£18,000
- Typical programme: one to three weeks including scaffolding
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Does your roof actually need replacing?
Plenty of roofs get replaced years early because a salesperson said so, and plenty get patched years past the point where patching made sense. The honest signals that a roof has reached the end are:
- The underlay has perished. From inside the loft, brittle, torn or sagging felt between the rafters means anything past the tiles reaches the timbers.
- Widespread covering failure. Delaminating slate or spalling, crumbling tile across the whole roof, not in one patch.
- Repeated repairs. A third or fourth call-out in a few years is a re-roof being paid for in instalments, without the guarantee.
- Daylight through the boarding, or visible sagging in the roof line.
- Damp or rot in the timbers at rafter feet or around chimneys.
- Age past the covering’s service life — roughly 40–60 years for concrete tile, 60–100 for clay, 80–100 plus for natural slate, and 30–40 for older bitumen underlay.
The felt usually goes first
On many Victorian and Edwardian slate roofs, the slates are in perfectly serviceable condition and it is the fixings and the underlay beneath that have failed. That roof still needs stripping, but the slates can often be reclaimed and re-laid, cutting material cost substantially. Any roofer who does not raise reclaim as an option on a good slate roof is not looking after your budget.
What a new roof costs in 2026
Prices below include scaffolding, strip-out and disposal, new treated battens, breathable underlay, the covering, dry-fix ridge and verge, and standard flashing work.
| Property | Roof area | Concrete tile | Clay tile | Natural slate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-terrace | 50 – 65 m² | £5,500 – £9,000 | £7,000 – £12,000 | £8,500 – £15,000 |
| 3-bed semi | 65 – 85 m² | £6,500 – £11,000 | £8,500 – £14,000 | £10,000 – £18,000 |
| 4-bed detached | 90 – 130 m² | £9,000 – £16,000 | £12,000 – £20,000 | £14,000 – £26,000 |
| Bungalow | 80 – 110 m² | £7,000 – £13,000 | £9,000 – £16,000 | £11,000 – £21,000 |
Common additions, priced separately:
| Extra | Typical 2026 cost |
|---|---|
| Replacing rotten rafters or purlin ends | £800 – £3,500 |
| New fascias, soffits and guttering | £1,200 – £2,800 |
| Chimney repointing or re-flaunching | £600 – £1,600 |
| Chimney removal above roof level | £900 – £2,000 |
| New lead valleys | £900 – £2,200 each |
| Loft insulation top-up | £400 – £1,200 |
| Velux or rooflight installed | £1,200 – £2,500 each |
| Boarding a plank-decked roof | £25 – £45 per m² |
What drives the price
- Roof area and shape. Hips, valleys, dormers and multiple chimneys mean detailing, and detailing is slow.
- Covering choice. The single biggest lever — slate can be double concrete tile.
- Access. Scaffolding on a narrow terrace or over a neighbour’s garden costs more, and may need a licence.
- Structural condition. Unknown until the covering is off, which is why an allowance matters.
- Region. London and the South East typically 15–25% above national ranges.
- Season. Winter work is slower and weather-dependent; late spring and summer usually price better.
How a re-roof runs, week by week
| Stage | What happens | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|
| Scaffold erected | Access and edge protection; skip delivered | 1 day |
| Strip-out | Old covering, battens and felt removed; timbers exposed and inspected | 1 – 2 days |
| Structural repairs | Any rotten rafters, purlin ends or decking dealt with | 0 – 3 days |
| Underlay and battens | Breathable membrane and new treated battens fixed, ventilation formed | 1 – 2 days |
| Covering laid | Tiles or slates set out and fixed to the specified headlap | 3 – 8 days |
| Details | Ridge, hips, verges, valleys, flashings and chimney abutments | 1 – 3 days |
| Clear and inspect | Gutters cleared, site tidied, walk-round and sign-off | 1 day |
| Scaffold struck | Access removed once you are satisfied | 1 day |
Roofers normally strip and cover one elevation at a time so the house is never fully open, and they will sheet over at the end of each day. Rain during a strip-out is a normal part of the job, not a disaster — but persistent bad weather does extend the programme, and no honest roofer will promise otherwise.
Building Regulations and permission
Re-roofing on a like-for-like basis is usually permitted development and does not need planning permission — but listed buildings, conservation areas, national parks and Article 4 areas are exceptions, and changing the material or colour may need consent even where a straight replacement would not. Building Regulations do apply once you renew more than about a quarter of the roof area, chiefly on thermal performance and structural adequacy. A CompetentRoofer registered contractor can self-certify that work, saving you a separate building control application and the fee that comes with it.
Reading a re-roofing quote
- Named covering: manufacturer, product and colour — never just “slate” or “tile”
- Breathable underlay specified by type, and all-new graded treated battens
- Fixing specification appropriate to your exposure zone
- Scaffolding: erection, hire period and dismantle, priced explicitly
- Strip-out, skips and tip charges
- A stated allowance or rate for timber replacement
- Dry-fix ridge and verge, and eaves and ridge ventilation
- Flashings, valleys and chimney details
- Workmanship guarantee with a term, plus the manufacturer’s product warranty
- Stage payments against progress, VAT stated separately
On credentials, look for NFRC membership, CompetentRoofer registration and TrustMark, and ask to see in-date public liability insurance in the same trading name as the quote. Never pay a large deposit before materials are on site, and never accept a price from someone who has not been up to look at the roof.
Ways to keep the cost sensible
- Reclaim your slates where they are sound — often 30–50% off the material bill
- Do everything while the scaffold is up — gutters, fascias, chimney, rooflights, insulation
- Book off-season, avoiding the post-storm rush
- Choose dry-fix ridge and verge to remove future re-bedding costs
- Get three quotes and compare specification line by line, not headline totals
FAQs: new roofs and re-roofing
How much does a new roof cost in the UK in 2026?
A full re-roof on a three-bedroom semi runs about 6,500 to 11,000 pounds in concrete tile and 10,000 to 18,000 pounds in natural slate, including scaffolding, strip-out, new battens and underlay. Detached houses and complex roof shapes cost more.
How long does a re-roof take?
Most domestic re-roofs take one to three weeks including scaffolding. Strip-out is one to two days, the new covering three to eight days, and details and clearing a further two to four, with weather adding time in winter.
Do I need planning permission to replace my roof?
Like-for-like re-roofing is normally permitted development. Listed buildings, conservation areas, national parks and Article 4 areas are exceptions, and changing the material or colour can require consent even where a straight replacement would not.
Can I re-roof over the existing tiles?
No. Overlaying leaves failed underlay and battens in place, adds weight the structure was never designed for and hides any rot. A proper re-roof strips back to the rafters so the timbers can be inspected.
How long should a new roof last?
Around 40 to 60 years for concrete tile, 60 to 100 for clay and 80 to 100 or more for natural slate. Workmanship guarantees on a full re-roof commonly run 10 to 20 years alongside the manufacturer's product warranty.
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