Roof costs range from a quick tile swap to a five-figure re-roof. Knowing the typical price for your job helps you spot a fair quote - and an inflated one - and understand what your insurer might cover.
An emergency make-safe visit is usually £150-£350. Most small repairs land between £150 and £600. A full re-roof on a typical semi runs into several thousand.
Typical UK Prices
| Job | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Emergency call-out + make safe | £150-£350 |
| Replace slipped or broken tiles | £150-£400 |
| Repair / re-point chimney flashing | £200-£600 |
| Repair a flat roof leak | £200-£700 |
| Clear & refit guttering | £100-£300 |
| Scaffolding (per week) | £300-£900 |
| Full re-roof (typical semi) | £5,000-£9,000 |
What Changes the Price
- Access
- A two-storey roof or one over an extension needs scaffolding, which adds £300-£900 on its own.
- Materials
- Reclaimed slate or clay tiles to match a period roof cost more than modern concrete.
- Hidden damage
- Rotten battens or felt found once the tiles are up will add to a quote - a good roofer flags this early.
Make-Safe vs Permanent Repair
In an emergency, the first visit is about stopping the water, not finishing the job. The permanent repair is almost always a separate, daylight visit with its own quote.
- Make-safe: a tarpaulin or temporary seal to stop further water getting in tonight
- Permanent repair: tiles relaid, flashing renewed, or a section re-felted, quoted after inspection
- Ask for both prices so you know the full cost, not just tonight's
Getting a Fair Quote
- Ask for a written, itemised quote - labour, materials and scaffolding listed separately
- Check the roofer is happy to send photos of the problem from up top
- For anything over £1,000, get two or three quotes
- Be wary of anyone demanding large cash sums up front
Will Insurance Cover It?
- Sudden storm damage is usually covered; gradual wear and tear is not
- Most policies expect you to take reasonable steps to limit further damage - keep the make-safe receipt
- Photograph everything before any work starts
- Check your excess before claiming - a small repair may cost less than your excess
What Goes Into a Re-Roof
A full re-roof is the big one, and the quote covers far more than just tiles. Knowing the components helps you read a quote and compare like for like.
- Stripping the old roof
- Removing and disposing of the old covering, including skip hire - a real cost on its own.
- Battens and membrane
- New treated battens and a breathable felt underlay sit beneath the tiles and are renewed as standard.
- Tiles or slates
- The visible cost. Reclaimed slate to match a period roof costs far more than modern concrete tiles.
- Access and labour
- Scaffolding for the duration plus the roofers' time - usually the largest single line on the quote.
How to Make a Repair Last
Roofs fail at the details - the flashing, the gutters, the valleys - long before the tiles wear out. A little upkeep stretches years out of a roof and heads off emergency call-outs.
- Clear the gutters twice a year - see our gutter cleaning cost guide
- Have loose or slipped tiles refixed promptly before water gets under them
- Check after every big storm - our storm damage checklist shows what to look for
- Book an inspection if your roof is over 20 years old and hasn't been looked at
Emergency vs Planned Pricing
An out-of-hours make-safe to stop water coming in tonight is priced for the urgency and the risk of working in bad weather. The permanent repair that follows, done in daylight with proper access, is usually the better-value part of the job - which is why the two are quoted separately.
Always Get More Than One Quote
For anything beyond a simple make-safe, it pays to get two or three written quotes. Roofing prices vary widely between firms, and an itemised quote - labour, materials and scaffolding listed separately - lets you compare like for like and spot anyone padding the bill or cutting a corner you'll pay for later.
Figures are typical 2026 UK ranges and shift with region, roof height and materials. Always confirm before work begins. Water coming in right now? Get an emergency roofer on the way to make it safe.