A re-roof quotation is easy to compare once you know what belongs on it. This is the list.
Two quotations for the same roof can differ substantially and both be honest, because they are pricing different scopes. The way to compare them is not by the total but by what is on the list.
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Insulation upgrade | Required by building regulations on a full re-roof |
| Building control certification | The paperwork a buyer's solicitor asks for later |
| New leadwork | Old lead re-dressed rarely lasts as long as the new roof |
| Ventilation | A well-sealed modern roof without it invites condensation |
| Scaffolding | Real money, and it appears later if it is not in the price |
Worth a moment because it is the item most likely to cause a problem that gets blamed on something else.
An old roof with no underlay ventilates itself through every gap. Put a modern covering and a membrane on the same building and you have made it far more airtight — which is the point, but it means the moisture that a household generates now needs somewhere to go.
Without adequate ventilation at eaves and ridge, that moisture condenses in the roof space, and the homeowner reasonably concludes the new roof leaks. It does not. It is condensation, and it is preventable at the design stage for very little money.
Traditional bitumen felt and modern breathable membranes are different products doing a similar job in different ways, and which one is used affects how the roof needs to be ventilated.
It is worth having the type named on the quotation. It is a small item that influences a large one.
Ridge tiles and verges have traditionally been bedded in mortar. Mortar cracks eventually, which is why so many roofs need ridge work long before they need re-covering.
Dry-fixed systems clamp mechanically instead, cost more up front, and do not depend on mortar staying sound. On a roof intended to last decades that is usually the better decision — but both are still used, so ask which is in the price.
Put the quotations side by side and check each one names: the covering product, the underlay type, the insulation and its U-value, the ventilation, whether ridge and verge are dry-fixed, the scaffold and hire period, the leadwork, the certification route and the guarantee.
Whichever names more of them is describing more of the job. That is usually the whole explanation for the difference in price.
Tell us about the property and we will set out exactly what the job includes, line by line.
Scaffolding, stripping and disposal, new battens and underlay, insulation with its U-value, the named covering product, ventilation, ridge and verge detail, valleys, flashings, making good, the certification route and the guarantee.
Insulation, building control certification, new leadwork, ventilation and scaffolding. Those five explain most of the gap between a cheap quote and a thorough one.
A new covering and membrane make a roof far more airtight than an old one. Without ventilation at eaves and ridge, household moisture condenses in the roof space — and gets blamed on the new roof leaking.
Dry-fixed clamps mechanically and does not depend on mortar staying sound. It costs more up front and usually lasts better. Both are still used, so ask which is in the price.
Structural repairs that cannot be seen until the roof is stripped, chimney rebuilding, fascias and guttering, and internal redecoration. All reasonable — but they should be stated as exclusions.
Apex Roofing covers Cheshire and the surrounding area for complete roof replacement, new slate and tiled roofs and re-roofing.
Tell us about the property and the roof, and we will come back to you — usually the same day.
Prefer to talk? Call 07377 461095 · WhatsApp +44 7465 861265 · Email apexroofing14@gmail.com
