What will a new roof cost?
A realistic budget before the roofer's up the ladder. Pick the covering — concrete tile, clay, slate or a flat roof — your house size and the condition of what's underneath, and we give you an indicative UK fitted price range with scaffolding, fascias and chimney work broken out. Roofing quotes vary wildly and access drives the cost; a number to plan around keeps you in control. Free, no sign-up.
A guide, not a quote. The ranges are typical 2025/26 UK fitted prices — strip, new membrane and battens, the covering, fitting and the trades, inclusive of VAT — drawn from published industry averages and a per-square-metre rate for the chosen covering. They exclude major structural rebuilds, asbestos (some old felts and slates contain it), planning for a listed building, and unusually complex roof shapes. Every roof is different and access is the wild card: the only real number is a measured, written quote from a roofer, and you should get at least three. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
The covering sets the price per metre; access and condition decide the rest.
The covering is the biggest lever. Concrete interlocking tiles are the cheapest mainstream choice and good for 50-plus years. Clay tiles cost more and look better on a period home. Man-made fibre-cement slate splits the difference. Natural and reclaimed slate are the most expensive — heavier, slower to lay and dearer per square metre — but a slate roof can last a century. Flat-roof coverings (felt, EPDM rubber, GRP fibreglass or a fully insulated warm roof) are priced separately because the job is completely different.
Strip and re-cover, or more. The baseline is stripping the old covering, laying new breathable membrane and battens and fitting the new tiles or slate on sound timbers. If the battens are rotten, a rafter has dropped or the ridge is sagging, that's extra labour and material — and you won't always know until the old covering is off, so keep a contingency.
Scaffolding and access are a real cost. A safe working platform on a two-storey roof can be £800 to £2,500 on its own, and it's largely fixed regardless of the covering. Because it's up anyway, renewing tired fascias, soffits and guttering, or repointing the chimney and renewing its flashing, is far cheaper done at the same time than as a separate visit later.
Where the money goes. Roughly: the covering and membrane, the labour to strip and re-lay, and the access (scaffold and skip). On a slate roof the material share rises; on a simple concrete-tile semi the labour and access share dominates. Spending more usually buys a longer-lasting covering and better detailing around valleys, ridges and the chimney rather than a bigger roof.
Get three quotes — and check the guarantee. Prices for the same roof vary enormously between a sole-trader roofer and a larger firm. Get three written quotes on a like-for-like spec, ask what membrane and fixings they'll use, confirm scaffolding and skip hire are included, and check the workmanship guarantee. A budget worked out in advance is your strongest negotiating position.
Keep your roof project in one place.
Stead's home improvements log tracks the budget against what you actually spend, holds the roofer's guarantee and its expiry date, and keeps the receipts and certificates you'll want at sale time — all alongside the rest of your home's record.