How much does a new roof cost?

Nobody buys a roof twice in a decade, so most people have no reference point for whether a number is fair. The useful thing is not a headline figure, it is knowing which four or five items on the quote are actually driving it, because those are the ones that vary between roofers.

The short answer

A new roof is priced on roof area rather than floor area, plus scaffolding, waste and whatever the strip reveals underneath. The covering you choose and the state of the battens and rafters move the figure far more than the roofer's day rate does.

Roof area, not house size

A roof measured across the slope is always bigger than the footprint it sits on, and a steep pitch stretches it further again. Two houses with identical rooms can differ by a third in roof area once pitch, hips and dormers are counted. Ask for the measured area on the quote so you can compare like with like.

The covering you choose

Concrete interlocking tiles are the cheapest to buy and quickest to lay. Clay plain tiles need roughly three times as many units per square metre, so labour climbs with them. Natural slate sits higher again, and a like for like match on a period property can mean sourcing reclaimed stock. Every step up the material ladder also adds weight, which occasionally forces timber upgrades.

Scaffolding and access

Scaffolding is a separate trade with its own erection, hire period and strike. A terraced house with a shared alley, a corner plot needing a pavement licence, or a rear elevation reached only through a neighbour's garden all add days before a tile is touched. This single line explains more quote gaps than anything else.

What the strip reveals

Battens, felt, rafter ends and the timber behind the fascia are invisible until the covering is off. An honest quote states a rate for replacing them rather than pretending they will be fine. If a quote has no provision at all for timber, that is not a cheaper roof, it is a variation waiting to happen.

Details that quietly cost money

Chimneys, valleys, hips, dormers, rooflights and abutments each need lead or a lead alternative and skilled time. A plain rectangular roof with no penetrations is the cheapest shape there is. Count the details on your own roof before you judge a price.

Building regulations and insulation

A full re roof triggers current standards for insulation and ventilation. Upgrading loft insulation and adding eaves ventilation is modest money in the context of the job and prevents condensation problems in the new roof space, so we quote it as standard rather than as an upsell.

How to compare three quotes properly

Line them up as: measured area, covering and manufacturer, batten and underlay spec, scaffold, lead detailing, timber allowance, waste removal, guarantee and duration. Nine times out of ten the cheap quote is not cheaper, it has simply left two of those lines out.

FAQs

Is a new roof priced per square metre?

Roofers work from a measured area, but the rate per square metre changes with pitch, covering, access and how many chimneys and valleys are involved, so a single national rate is close to meaningless.

Does a new roof add value to the house?

It rarely adds a headline figure, but a failing roof actively costs you on a survey. Buyers and their surveyors price in the work they can see coming, usually at a worse rate than you would pay yourself.

Do you charge for a survey and quote?

No. Surveys and written quotes are free across our coverage area, and the quote sets out scope, materials and exclusions so you can compare it with anyone else's.

Can I re roof one slope only?

Yes, and on a semi or a terrace it is often the sensible call. The front and rear slopes weather differently, and there is no rule that says both must be done in the same year.

Get a fast quote with a costed breakdown

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