Most full re-roofs on houses in and around Bridgend fall somewhere between £5,500 and £14,000, but that range is wide for good reasons. The size and shape of the roof, the covering you choose and what is found once the old slates or tiles come off all move the figure. Here is how the numbers break down, so you can judge a quote with some confidence.
These are ballpark figures for a full strip and re-roof, including scaffolding, new breathable membrane, treated battens, the new covering, ridge and waste removal. They are a guide for budgeting, not a quote, and your own roof may sit outside them.
Covering is the biggest single choice. Concrete interlocking tiles are the most economical and suit most post-war estates. Man-made or imported slate costs more, and genuine Welsh slate costs considerably more again, both for the material and the slower labour of fixing it. On an older valleys terrace that still has its original slate, some sound slates can sometimes be salvaged and reused on one slope, which helps.
Access matters as much as area. A terrace with no rear lane, a house hard against the pavement, or a roof over a conservatory all need more scaffolding, and scaffolding alone often runs from £800 to £1,800. Chimneys, roof windows, valleys and awkward abutments add time and leadwork.
Then there is what cannot be seen until the roof is stripped. Rotten rafter ends, sagging purlins or perished felt are common on roofs of 60 years and more. A fair quote will say how extra timber work is priced, usually per metre, so you are not handed an open-ended bill.
Bridgend gets a lot of wind-driven rain off the Bristol Channel, and exposed spots such as Porthcawl, Kenfig Hill and the higher ground up the Llynfi, Garw and Ogmore valleys take the worst of it. Roofs there need tighter fixing, with every tile nailed or clipped and mechanically fixed dry ridge and verge systems in place of mortar alone. That adds a little to materials and labour, but it is what stops tiles lifting in a winter gale.
Building regulations apply too. Replacing more than a quarter of the roof covering normally means notifying Bridgend County Borough Council building control and bringing the loft insulation up to current standard where practical. Expect a building control fee in the low hundreds, plus insulation if yours is thin. If the property is listed or in a conservation area, such as parts of Newcastle Hill or Nottage, check with the council before changing the roof covering, because like-for-like materials may be required.
Not always. A few slipped slates, a failed valley or cracked ridge mortar can often be repaired for a few hundred pounds. Replacement starts to make sense when the felt has perished across the roof, the battens are rotting, slates are slipping in numbers because the nails have corroded, or you are paying for repairs every winter.
A decent roofer should be willing to tell you when a repair will do, and to show you photographs from the roof so you can see the problem yourself.
Ask two or three local roofers for written, itemised quotes and check each one covers the same things. The cheapest figure often leaves something out.
A typical terrace or semi in the Bridgend area takes around three to six working days once the scaffolding is up. Larger or more complex roofs, and spells of bad weather, can stretch that to two weeks.
Usually not, provided you use similar materials and do not change the roof's shape or height. Listed buildings and homes in conservation areas are different, so check with Bridgend County Borough Council first, and remember that building regulations approval is a separate requirement.
Yes, in almost all cases. The roof is stripped and covered in sections so the house stays watertight overnight, though you should expect noise and some dust in the loft.
Got a roof job in mind after reading this? Give Paul a call or send a photo, and you will get a straight answer and a free quote.