Repair or replace? How to decide honestly
Nobody should be talked into a re-roof they don't need, and nobody should keep paying for patch repairs on a roof that has run out of life. Here is how we decide.
Is the failure localised or general?
One slipped tile after a storm is a repair. Tiles slipping across the whole slope, in different places, over a couple of years is nail fatigue — and that's a covering at the end of its life.
Check the battens and underlay
From inside the loft you can often see the underlay. If it's shredded, sagging between rafters or crumbling to the touch, water is already reaching the battens. That changes the answer.
The five-year test
Add up the likely repairs over the next five years, including access costs each time. Compare that with a re-roof that comes with a new underlay, new battens and a warranty. Often the maths is closer than people expect.
When a repair is clearly right
Storm damage on an otherwise healthy roof, a failed flashing, a cracked ridge run, or an isolated valley problem. These are repairs, and anyone quoting a full re-roof for them should be asked why.
What we do on site
We photograph what we see, show you the images, and give you both options where both are genuinely viable. You should never have to take a roofer's word for something you can't see.
FAQs
Age alone isn't the test. Condition of the battens, underlay and fixings is what matters — some 70-year-old roofs are sound and some 30-year-old ones are not.
Yes, and it's common where one elevation is far more weathered than the other. Matching the covering across the ridge is the thing to plan for.
Always. We photograph the defects and the completed work as standard.
Related reading
More on comparisons and the jobs that usually come with it.
- Flat roof systems compared and how long each lastsComparisons
- Roofer or general builder: who should do the workComparisons
- Warm roof vs cold roof constructionComparisons
- Roof replacement cost by roof type and property sizeCosts & budgeting
Looking for something specific? See our roofing services, cost guides, common roof problems or the areas we cover.
Get a fast quote
Family-run and Hampton-based. Tell us what you're seeing on the roof and we'll come and look properly before quoting.