Newmarket Roofers installs new roofs in Sawston for self-builds, extensions and full re-roofs, using slate, concrete tiles and clay tiles, with clear pricing and no hidden extras.
A full re-roof cost depends on the roof area, the material chosen, the condition of the existing structure and the lead work required. New roofs on extensions are smaller in area, so costs are proportionally lower, commonly £3,000 to £7,000 for a single-storey rear extension. Self-build roofs vary too widely to quote a range without a survey, because the span, pitch and complexity differ on every project.
Any figures given are broad starting points, not fixed prices. Every new roof quote should be built up from a measured survey, not from a rule of thumb applied over the phone. What follows explains the specific factors that push a quote higher or lower, so you can read a price realistically when it arrives.
The single biggest driver of cost is the area of roof to be covered, measured in square metres at the slope, not the floor area below. A steeply pitched roof covers more surface area than a shallow one over the same footprint, so it uses more tiles, more underlay and more battens. The pitch also affects which materials can be used and how many fixings are needed per tile, both of which affect labour time.
As a guide, natural slate typically costs between £80 and £130 per square metre supply and fix, concrete interlocking tiles between £50 and £90 per square metre, and clay plain tiles between £90 and £150 per square metre. These ranges reflect national averages and will vary depending on the specific product specified and the complexity of the individual roof. They are useful for sense-checking a quote but should never replace a proper site survey.
The tile or slate you choose is one of the clearest cost variables. Concrete interlocking tiles are the most cost-effective option at supply stage. Natural Welsh slate is at the higher end. Spanish slate sits between the two. Clay plain tiles vary widely depending on whether they are machine-made or handmade: handmade clay tiles are significantly more expensive per tile and also require more tiles per square metre because the coverage per tile is smaller than an interlocking product.
The choice is not only about upfront cost. Natural slate and good-quality clay tiles tend to have longer service lives than concrete tiles, so the lifetime cost calculation looks different. Concrete tile surfaces can fade and, in some products, the surface can degrade over decades. Whether the longer life of slate or clay justifies the higher upfront spend depends on how long you plan to stay in the property and what your budget allows.
On a re-roof, what is found under the existing tiles can change the final cost significantly. Rafter ends that are soft or rotten where they sit in the wall plate, ridge boards with spread or rot, or purlins that have moved, all require timber repairs before the new roof can go on. A good roofer will flag the possibility of structural timber work in advance and price it separately, so you are not surprised mid-job.
A structural timber repair on a typical semi can add £500 to £2,000 to the bill depending on how much needs replacing. If a quote you receive makes no mention of this risk at all, ask directly what happens if rotten timber is found. The answer will tell you a great deal about how the roofer manages their pricing.
A simple gable-ended roof with no hips, no chimneys and no valleys is the cheapest to tile. Each additional feature adds time and material cost. Lead flashings around a chimney, step flashings where a roof meets a wall, lead-lined or tiled valleys, and hip tiles all require careful cutting, fitting and in some cases bedding. Lead is priced by weight and does not lend itself to shortcuts: a poorly dressed flashing will lift in frost and allow water in within a few years.
A roof with two hips and a chimney stack will cost more to complete than a plain gable roof of the same area. When you are comparing quotes, check whether the lead work and hip and valley detail are itemised. A quote that lumps everything into a single figure makes comparison difficult.
Scaffold is a fixed cost that does not scale much with roof size. For a typical two-storey property, independent scaffold costs roughly £800 to £1,500 to erect and dismantle, including the weekly hire period for a standard re-roof. This cost should always be included in a roofing quote rather than treated as an extra. If it is listed separately, that is fine, but it must be there. Any quote that does not mention scaffold for a two-storey re-roof is either omitting it or assuming something unsafe.
On older properties, the fascia boards and soffit panels are often found to be soft or rotten once the old tiles are removed. Replacement UPVC fascia and soffit, plus new guttering, will typically add £1,000 to £2,500 on a semi-detached property depending on the perimeter run and whether the bargeboard gable ends also need doing. Some roofers include this as standard on a full re-roof; others price it separately. Make sure you know which applies to your quote.
A full strip-off on a semi-detached house produces a significant volume of waste, typically a large builders skip or equivalent. Skip hire varies by location and duration but adds £250 to £450 in most areas. This should be included in any re-roof quote. If it is not, the roofer is either absorbing the cost (unlikely at the lower end of the market) or expecting you to arrange it.
On a new-build extension or self-build, there is no strip-off cost and no uncertainty about what is under the existing surface. The job starts at the underlay and batten stage. This makes pricing more predictable, because the roofer can see the structure, confirm the pitch and measure the area before ordering materials.
For extension roofs, the complexity of the junction where the new roof meets the existing house is the main variable. A simple lean-to with a straight abutment to a wall is straightforward. A pitched extension roof that ties into the main roof with a valley or an internal hip is more involved, with more lead work and more cutting. The pitch and span of the extension also determine which tiles can be used, which affects both material cost and the appearance of the finished roof.
A useful roofing quote is a document, not a number on a piece of paper or a verbal estimate. It should specify the material being used (manufacturer or type, not just
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