Newmarket Roofers handles new roofs in Histon from the first inspection right through to final clean-up, working with slate, concrete tiles and clay tiles on self-builds, extensions and full re-roofs.
A new roof is one of the largest single investments you will make on a property. Whether you are stripping back an old, failing roof and starting again, putting a roof on a new extension, or covering a self-build from scratch, the process follows a clear sequence of stages. Understanding those stages helps you ask the right questions, judge whether a quote is realistic, and know what to expect on site each day.
We work with slate, concrete tiles and clay tiles across Histon and the wider area around Newmarket, including Cambridge, Ely and Haverhill. The material you choose affects every stage below, so we have noted where the process differs depending on what goes on the roof.
Before any work is priced or planned, the roof needs a proper look. On a re-roof, that means assessing the existing structure: checking rafters and purlins for rot or movement, looking at the ridge board, and identifying any sections of sarking board or underfelt that will need replacing rather than re-using. On a new build or extension, the survey is about confirming the pitch, the span, and the load the proposed material will place on the structure.
The pitch of your roof matters more than most homeowners realise. Natural slate needs a minimum pitch of around 25 degrees to shed water reliably. Plain clay tiles typically need 35 degrees or more. Concrete interlocking tiles can go lower, sometimes down to 17.5 degrees depending on the profile. If the pitch falls below what a material needs, water will eventually back up under the laps and find its way in, even on a new roof. A good survey establishes this before anything is ordered.
The specification produced at this stage should list materials, underlay type, batten size, ridge and hip detail, ventilation provision and any flashings required. If a quote you receive does not break these items out, ask for them to be specified. A lump-sum price with no detail leaves you with no way of comparing one roofer against another.
A new roof cannot be done safely from ladders alone. Independent scaffold needs to go up before stripping begins. On a typical semi-detached or terraced property in Histon, scaffold usually takes a morning to erect. The scaffolders will need vehicle access and a clear area around the perimeter of the house.
A skip or large waste bags will be positioned at ground level before stripping starts. Old tiles, broken battens, damaged underfelt and any debris from the existing roof structure all come off the scaffold by hand or in bags and go straight into the skip. This stage generates more waste than most homeowners expect, particularly if the old roof had multiple layers of felt or a previous re-batten job on top of the original structure.
On a re-roof, the tiles or slates come off first, sorted into any that can be reused (if you are matching an existing material elsewhere on the property) and those that go to waste. Old nails and clips are removed. Then the battens come off. If there is an existing underlay, it is stripped back too.
What is sometimes found at strip-off stage is rot in the ends of rafters where they meet the fascia, or in sections of ridge board. If the rot is localised, those sections can be cut out and sistered with new timber. If it has spread further into the structure, the job becomes a partial or full rafter replacement rather than a straightforward re-roof, and the price and programme will change. Any roofer who gives a fixed price for a re-roof without having opened up part of the roof first is making an assumption about the structure underneath.
On a new build or extension where the structure is already in place, there is no strip-off stage. Work begins directly at the underlay and batten stage.
Modern roofing underlay is a breathable membrane, which allows moisture vapour from inside the building to escape through the roof without allowing rain or wind-driven water in. Older properties sometimes still have the original non-breathable black bitumen felt. On a re-roof, this is replaced with a breathable underlay as standard. The underlay is laid horizontally from eaves to ridge, with each course lapping over the one below, and is stapled to the rafters or sarking boards.
Battens are then fixed over the underlay. Batten size is not arbitrary: it is calculated based on the tile or slate being used, the rafter centres, and the pitch. The spacing of the battens (the gauge) determines how much of each tile is exposed to the weather. Get the gauge wrong and tiles will not interlock properly, or water will run back under the head laps in heavy rain.
At this stage, any ventilation provision is also installed. Current building regulations require adequate ventilation at eaves and ridge level to prevent condensation in the roof void. The method varies depending on whether the property has a cold loft, a warm roof, or a room-in-roof arrangement.
Tiles and slates are loaded onto the scaffold and worked up from the eaves. The first course is set on a tilt fillet or purpose-made eaves course to bring it up to the correct angle. Every tile or slate is fixed according to the specification: nailed, clipped or a combination of both depending on the material, pitch and exposure.
Natural Welsh slate is fixed with two nails per slate as standard, with additional clips on exposed elevations. Concrete or clay interlocking tiles are typically nailed at every tile on pitches above 45 degrees or on roofs exposed to strong winds, and nailed at every other tile on lower pitches. The roof manufacturer's fixing specification should always be followed and is part of the documentation you should be able to ask for.
Hips and valleys are the most detail-intensive parts of the job. A hip is the external angle where two roof slopes meet. A valley is the internal angle. Both require careful cutting and bedding of tiles or, in the case of open valleys, lead or purpose-made valley troughs. Lead work is also required around chimneys, abutments with walls, and any pipe penetrations. The quality of the lead detailing is where many roofs eventually fail: lead that is not properly dressed, clipped and pointed will lift in frost and allow water in.
The ridge is the apex of the roof. Traditional ridges are bedded in mortar and pointed. Dry-fix ridge systems use a mechanical clip and mortar-free caps. Dry-fix has become more common because mortar eventually cracks as the roof moves with temperature changes, whereas a dry-fix system is designed to accommodate movement. Either approach can be used; what matters is that the ridge is fully secured and that no open joints are left.
Verges are the edges of the roof at the gable ends. These can be finished with a mortar bed and point, or with a dry verge system. As with ridges, dry verge is now widely used because it eliminates the long-term maintenance issue of re-pointing.
All lead flashings are dressed into place after the tiling is complete. Step flashings at chimney and wall abutments are cut, dressed and wedged into mortar joints. Any new or replaced guttering is fixed to the fascia boards at this stage, along with new fascia and soffit boards if these are being replaced as part of the contract.
Check that your quote specifies whether fascia, soffit and guttering replacement is included. On older properties, painted timber fascias are frequently found to be soft or rotten once the old tiles come off. If this is not in the price, it can add several hundred pounds to the final bill.
Once tiling, lead work and guttering are complete, the roof should be walked and checked from scaffold level. Every tile and slate should be tapped to confirm it is bedded or fixed. Ridge and verge joints should be checked for gaps. Flashings should be pressed fully into place and any pointing inspected.
Scaffold comes down after sign-off. The site should be cleared of all tile off-cuts, batten ends, old nails and packaging. The skip is removed. What you should be left with is a finished roof with no debris on site and no sharp material in the garden or on the path.
For most properties in and around Histon, the choice comes down to three materials:
The right material depends on your roof pitch, your budget, the character of the property and any planning or conservation requirements. If you are in a conservation area or have a listed building, contact the local planning authority before deciding on a material, as you may be required to match the existing.
When you are getting quotes for a new roof, these are the questions that will separate a thorough contractor from one cutting corners:
A roofer who can answer all of these without hesitation has almost certainly done the work before, understood your roof, and priced for what actually needs doing.
When comparing roofers, look for verifiable evidence of their work rather than simply the lowest price. Ask to see photos of completed new roofs they have done in the area. Look at independent review platforms to read what previous customers say about quality of work and how the job was managed on site. A roofer with a pattern of detailed, positive reviews from named customers in your area is a stronger signal than one with a single glowing testimonial.
Be cautious of any quote that is significantly lower than the others without explanation. A new roof cannot be done cheaply by skipping materials: the tile count is fixed, the lead cannot be thinned out, and the scaffold has to go up regardless. Low prices usually mean fewer fixings, lighter lead, cheaper underlay, or labour that moves too fast through the detail stages.
Newmarket Roofers is based in Newmarket and covers Histon, Cambridge, Ely, Haverhill and the surrounding villages. Call us to arrange a roof survey and a detailed written specification before any price is agreed.
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