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RoofCost UK

Last reviewed: 19 September 2026

New roof cost in the UK

A full pitched roof replacement on a typical UK house is often a five-figure job once scaffolding, strip-out, new underlay, battens and coverings are included. The spread is wide because slate is not concrete, and a simple gable is not a cut-up Victorian roof.

Typical UK cost range

Published 2026 guides commonly place a full re-roof between about £5,500 and £22,000 for ordinary houses, with many 3-bed semis landing near the middle of that spread in concrete tiles. Natural slate sits higher. These are planning bands, not quotes.

Illustrative pitched replacement totals (planning, typical UK, VAT-inclusive bands)
Property (typical roof area)Concrete tilesNatural slate
Mid-terrace (~45–65 m²)£5,000–£10,000£8,000–£16,000
3-bed semi (~60–90 m²)£6,500–£13,000£11,000–£22,000
Detached (~90–140 m²)£9,000–£18,000£15,000–£30,000
Bungalow (~50–95 m²)£5,500–£12,000£9,000–£20,000

Clay tiles usually sit between concrete and slate. London and the South East often quote above these national planning bands.

What usually drives the price

  • Roof area and pitch — more square metres, steeper work, more labour.
  • Covering — concrete is the budget workhorse; clay costs more to buy and lay; natural slate needs skilled labour.
  • Shape — hips, valleys, dormers and chimneys add cutting, flashing and time.
  • Scaffolding and access — a typical two-storey house often needs a full scaffold; parking or rear access can add hire days.
  • Strip-out and waste — old coverings, felt and battens have to leave the site.
  • What is found underneath — rotten timber, failed underlay or a deck that will not take a new covering.

What is normally included

A proper replacement quotation should say whether it includes scaffolding, skip, strip of the existing covering, new underlay and battens, new covering, ridge and verge detailing, flashing where disturbed, and VAT. If a line is missing, ask. Structural timber, insulation upgrades, fascias, guttering and rooflights are often extra.

Repair or replace?

A handful of slipped tiles or a short run of flashing is usually a repair. Replacement is more often considered when the covering is at the end of its life, leaks keep returning in different places, or the underlay and battens would not survive another winter of patching. That decision belongs to a competent inspection, not a webpage.

Flat coverings are a different product — see flat roof costs.

How to obtain actual quotes

Ask for written quotations that you can compare line by line. Check insurance, waste licences and whether the installer can self-certify relevant work. Do not work at height yourself to “save a survey”.

Sources and methodology

Last reviewed: 19 September 2026.

Cost bands on this page are paraphrased planning figures, cross-checked against published UK home-improvement and trade-marketplace guides. They are not copied from any one publisher and they are not quotations.