Which roofing quote to go with?

Nostromo2022

I have had 3 quotes with quite a big difference in cost between them to replace my main roof and also the extension. The recommendations I received where from people who have had their roofs replaced by the firms

I'm not sure which one to go with and what follow on questions I should ask - what would you do?

1st quote = £11940
2nd quote = £8544
3rd quote = £7380


These are plus vat




These are plus vat



These are including vat

FreeBear

A couple of comments.... Do not use a dry ridge system. The plastic degrades and turns brittle. Within 10-15 years, you'll need scaffolding up to bed the ridge tiles in properly - A number of roofers I have spoken to recently are having to rework the ridges on (10-15 y.o.) new builds where the dry ridge system has failed.

Dry verge - There is a new estate just across the way from me. The dry verges look piggin' ugly and will need replacing once the plastic has turned brittle.

Concrete tiles - Unless you already have them on your roof, check to see that the rafters & upper wall can support the additional weight. Depending on the age of the property, replacing clay tiles or slate with concrete could result in the roof spreading and pushing the top of the walls out - If in doubt, get a second opinion from a structural engineer, not a roofer.

Flat roof - I see no mention of upgrading the insulation in any of the quotes - Building Regs require a minimum level of insulation when you strip the original roof off over a habitable room (so the garage is not a problem).

While the scaffolding is up, it is well worth doing fascia, soffit, and gutters at the same time. Also make use of it if there is any painting & repairs to the walls that need doing.

daveyjp

There is no such thing as a building system which lasts forever, so maintenance has to be expected.

If you don't dry ridge and dry verge within 10-15 years you will need to undertake repairs to the mortar.   I've just had the mortar ridges rebedded on my property ready for winter and there was no scaffolding required.

I do agree to check weight of new v old tiles.  Overloading can result in expensive problems after a few years.

DRP

Honest question from a layman. We’re currently getting quotes to reroof our tiled garage and the existing tiles/ridge will have to be broken out, which is quite a bit of work and destroys the existing materials (roof is about 18 years old). 

In comparison, Replacing the plastic in a dry ridge system in 10-15 years+ seems quite a simple task…what’s the issue?

FreeBear

DRP said: In comparison, Replacing the plastic in a dry ridge system in 10-15 years+ seems quite a simple task…what’s the issue?

Working at height usually involves scaffolding, which can get expensive - Yes, there are some roofers that will work off ladders, but they are getting fewer and harder to find. If done properly, ridge tiles shouldn't need anything doing to them for 50 years or more - Mine are still (were) in good condition and tenaciously stuck to the mortar for some 95 years. On a garage roof, you could probably get away with ladders & small scaffold tower to make any repairs to the ridge.

Whilst I agree that buildings do require regular maintenance, apart from dealing with a few slipped tiles after a storm, a pitched roof shouldn't need anything doing to it for 50+ years. So why use a system such as dry ridge that inherently has a short life expectancy.

stuart45

I've just replaced a couple of slates at the eaves on my daughter's house that came off in the wind a few weeks. It was over the porch so a scaff was needed. Next door had a similar job done last year, although it was about 30 slates along the eaves and it cost her £2000.
The traditional method of sand/cement works well if done properly. Unfortunately a lot of them weren't done properly so there have been issues with a few of them.
If going for a dry ridge use a clay ridge tile, not plastic.