How much does a new roof cost?

BigAunty

Reviving this thread because I'm still reeling from the shock of a new quote.

I've paid 6k for a re-roof of an entire 3 bed terrace property in the south-east and now just got a quote in Glasgow for £4.4k just to replace the roof and gutter of a small utility room/outhouse. The guttering is around 12 metres in length around the 3 sides of this single storey extension to give you some idea of the size. I simply can't believe such a piddly size roof of a small extension could cost almost as much as a family size home roof.

Also, I've been quoted £2.2k to repair the main roof (along one side of the front of the roof, the roofer that the previous owners had employed to refit the lead flashing had stuffed in felt and used tiles too small for the gaps so there are lots of short and slipped tiles which has led to water ingress, plus repoint the part of the chimney). I even wonder if the quote has accidentally transposed the costs for these two pieces of work.

I asked the roofers to provide one quote to repair the main and utility roof and one quote to replace the main roof and repair the utility roof so I could see if I could afford a full replacement now - the roofers who visited the property mentioned that I might get some more years out of it 5 - 10 years but that it would need replacing in the medium term. They've not done this - just a single quote where the replacement cost of a new roof was not mentioned.

What I got from them was not what I asked for- they gave me a quote to replace the utility roof that seems okay to me apart from slipped tiles and nails that were popping up from the straps holding down the ridge tiles flashing, and a quote for a repair to the main roof when I also wanted to know how much a full replacement would cost.

I will, of course, seek more quotes because I can't understand why I would pay more for what seems to be less work than before and in an area where maintenance work generally tends to be less costly compared to London.

If its the replacement of 12 metres of plastic guttering on the ground floor extension that is causing such a huge inflation in price, I may just get a handyman to do this piece for a couple of hundred quid.

BigAunty

Please could someone recommend a good roofing/guttering company in Glasgow, one accredited to a professional body, such as the master builders or federation of roofing organisations?

The first roofing company that provided a quote for my period house wanted 4.4k just to replace the roof of the single storey extension when I'd paid 6k a couple of years ago in London to replace the roof of an entire 3 bed terrace and single storey extension with a company that belonged to the NFRC.

My current property is also a terraced property but the roof size is perhaps a quarter or a third size bigger and has a couple of dormer windows and a skylight so I did anticipate higher quotes, just not this high.

A second company has quoted 16k plus VAT for modern concrete tiles or 22k plus VAT for spanish slate.

That sum also excludes the estimated £1200 to move the scaffolding, repair and clean the cast iron gutters or 3k to replace them if the leaking joints can't be fixed, and an additional £800 to repoint the masonry on the chimney stack. A worse case scenario from the quotes is that the guttering,chimey and roofing repairs won't leave any change out of 30k.

I will be seeking more quotes in the meantime (and not from guys advertising on the Gumtree...)

Northbird

Hi, BigAunty, have you found somebody to do your roof finally? I am a new member join this forum. We have a 2 bedroom bunglow which need repair or reroof in Glasgow. No idea where I can find the roof man's information. Please advice me. Thanks.

hazyjo

Call me cynical, but am wondering if a new member might come along next, recommending some Glasgow roofing company

(Sorry Northbird if not! You do tend to get a bit cynical re spam on these forums!)

Jx

BigAunty

No, still struggling with getting acceptable quotes after receiving those initial two and getting knock backs from companies with good reputations who refused to come out to quote because they are too busy.

I lost my appetite to get further quotes after nearly fainting at those original quotes but have started to get back on the ball and have another 2 companies coming around to give quotes.

(Re-cap - one quote didn't address the work that I requested and the cost of replacing the small single storey annexe roof costs nearly as much as a complete London terrace house AND annexe re-roof). The second quote is problematic because I cannot work out what work they are proposing because of the complex way that that they've proposed various scenarios. However, the repair costs alone are approaching the cost of a previous complete re-roof that I undertook on my previous property in London and their proposed re-roof is approaching 20k-27k depending on the type of tiles I choose (and excludes the guttering work, chimney repointing).

It looks like the previous owners of this house employed a 'roofer' who did a roof 'repair' by sticking in tiles that were too small for the gaps and stuffed them with roofing felt, according to the feedback I've received so far. This is the type of roofer I am trying to avoid by arranging quotes with companies that have been in business for at least a decade (according to companies house records) or who belong to the FMB or NFRC.

I chatted to one company recently who explained he has a file containing hundreds of bodged fixes to roofs by cowboys in the city who go out of business shortly after starting. He says the problem is that good companies secure the commercial council/social housing landlor s and commercial leaving the less experienced/less professional companies targetting residential work. The issue is that this company won't provide a quote because of health and safety legislation until I pay them to install anchors for the roofers harnesses - they appreciate that other companies will provide a free quote by using a ladder or climbing out of the attic dormer windows but that they will understandably not risk the lives of their men. I am considering paying for the anchors (i.e. essentially paying for the quote) in the hope that their photographed survey and transparent pricing (they publish their hourly rates) makes me better off overall.


I did, for example, post my proposed project on the FMB website and they mailed it to local tradesmen but I was only contacted by one member who only founded their business this year and whose second company is in an unrelated field so I don't have enough confidence in their experience.

I won't use Ratedpeople for roofing quotes as that's where I found my spectacularly splashy decorator who ruined some of my furnishings by not putting down covers, the 'joiner' who fitted the doors wonky, installed a cat flap at their head height and who wouldn't come back to fix the snapped handles, the carpet fitter who fitted the stair rods wonky (yes, I'm not particularly assertive...).

Hopefully I will soon get an acceptable quote by a good tradesman. I accept its a supply/demand issue - the best roofers are very busy and can cherry pick their clients with high quotes while those issuing cheap quotes are much more likely to do a bad job because to a large extent, you get what you pay for. (My plumber/gas engineer, listed on the gas safety website, and my electrician, listed on the NICEIC website, are both fab and reliable, but haven't enjoyed similar experiences with many other trades).

hazyjo

BigAunty wrote: »

... installed a cat flap at their head height

I know it's a serious thread 'n' all, but OMG :eek: that did make me smile (to say the least). How funny. I will be quoting that to my builder on Monday!

Jx

BigAunty

hazyjo wrote: »

I know it's a serious thread 'n' all, but OMG :eek: that did make me smile (to say the least). How funny. I will be quoting that to my builder on Monday!

Jx

Yes, you get to see the cats compose themselves and gee themselves up for a few seconds before they leap up through the flap - they kind of have to hurdle or hop their way over.

But I see that as mainly my fault - though the 'joiners' did ask me which door panel (left or right) I wanted the cat-flap installed in, it didn't occur to me that they would not read the fitting instructions or that I needed to provide guidance on the height of my cats who hovered around them as they worked.

BTW, the joiners also damaged the lintel putting in the patio doors which they installed wonky, hence why the handle was stiff and sheared off - "Don't worry about the stiffness in locking the doors, it'll get easier over time..."). Their quote was a lot less than others so I'm now trying to learn the lesson of why cheap quotes can be bad quotes.

With the roofing, I'm trying to get that happy medium of getting good work while not crying as I pay the invoice. I'd love to find a long-term established local family firm but when I went through the yellow pages and then looked up companies in the Companies House website to filter out newly established ones or signs of 'phoenix' companies, many have only been running for a handful of years despite their websites claiming decades of experience. Some companies couldn't be found in the CH database. I assume they are either sole traders, gone bust, cash in hand merchants or they are artfully concealing their actual company name on their websites to thwart some basic due diligence.

Anyway, I've got 2 more decent sounding roofing companies giving me a quote, a third that I am considering and I enjoy watching my cats perform their dainty leaps through their high cat flap on the door that now scrapes the floor following a poor fitting.

Bluebonnie

If you are a member of the Consumers' Association (Which?) you have access to a helpful site giving others' recommendations for particular trades in or near your postcode.

There may be other sites like this, but I know that some websites actually take payment in return for giving publicity.

danzabout

lilyholland wrote: »

What a sad collection of posts! I am a (female) builder. The following information is accurate for London and represents the real cost of doing a slate roof. Please note that what you are looking at is the costing for a large detached house with an old slate roof measuring approximately 120 square metres with a little turret on the front side and a small extension to the back. I am going to break down the costs so that you can see what is involved in a proper job! None of the following costs include VAT or any profit margin for us - the builders!
Scaffolding and protection erected to stop water coming in once the roof is off £3400
Skips, permits, and removing waste in rubble bags £580
Battens: £280
Slates (Spanish slate is about half the cost of Welsh and is perfectly adequate for look and performance) £2,600
Breathable roofing membrane: £150
Nails, screws, silicon etc (fixings): £200
Labour £3120
Total: £10330
Given we don't do this for charity and have to cover overheads as well as supervision of the workmen etc, you should probably add a further £2500 to this and then VAT at 20%. (£15396)
Note: other forms of roofing may be cheaper, Spanish slate looks great. If I do 'mates rates' then I work for free. Not sure how I make a living at this, but hey, perhaps you will enlighten me!!!

Lead flashing to prevent leakage around chimneys etc £1200

========================================

I see whats happened here....You've accidentally added a zero to the cost of scaffolding, labour and buying new slates!!!
I had my whole roof taken off (2 bed terrace), repaired and put back on (including new brick wall about 3 feet high in the loft), several new rafters, 2 large wooden joists to hold the new roof up) 90% of roof had new Spanish slates on. Including labour, scaffolding and all other costs (including all fully insulated) came to a total of just over £6500 and that's in Kent. We used a waterproof sheet to cover the roof while work was carried out and had basic front, back and side scaffold instead of a full on over the top of roof scaffold which saved thousands and I sourced new slates myself and they weren't that expensive. it took no time really ( 1/2 to 3/4 of a day for 2 men to remove all the tiles), I paid for 1 large skip which cost less than £250, labour hours were not that great in total to strip off roof tiles and rafters, re build the brick wall, put back rafters and add 2 joists, fit waterproof membrane (now water tight), and then re tile roof took less than a week for 2 men. I don't know what you guys and gals earn but £500 per week per person is pretty good money I'd say. That's the labour sorted then at £1000 not £3000+ (ridiculous!). If we'd paid for a full over the roof scaffold then we'd had been finished even quicker as the weather would not have been an issue.
Be very aware of people who try to somehow justify hugely over inflated costs. A true professional has contacts that can get things done at fair prices and this is the real issue.....

mudgekin

BigAunty

Diod you ever get anywhere with the quotes for your roof.

I am in the central belt and really need to have my roof looked at. I am tired of paying to get a persostant leak fixed only to find water coming in each time there is really heavy rain.

I am in an upstairs flat (no factors) and none of my neighbours are prepared to fork out towards a new roof so it looks like I will need to pick up the tab myself.