A new roof is one of the biggest single-ticket jobs a homeowner ever pays for, and one of the widest-ranging. In 2026, a full re-roof on an ordinary 3-bed semi — strip-out, new felt and battens, tiles, scaffolding and disposal of the old covering — typically costs £5,500–£11,500 in concrete tile, £7,000–£15,500 in clay tile, and £11,000–£18,500 in natural slate. A flat roof recover on a garage or single-storey extension is a smaller job, running £2,800–£7,500 depending on the membrane used. Larger, more complex or period roofs run well above all of these.
What actually moves the number, more than almost anything else, is roof shape and material rather than house size alone — a hipped roof with valleys and dormers costs meaningfully more per square metre than a simple gable of the same area, because there's more cutting, more waste and slower work. But the question that matters most, and the one a price-comparison table can't answer for you, is simpler: does the roof actually need replacing, or would a proper repair see out another decade at a fraction of the price?
I inspect roofs for a living, I don't reroof them — contractors do that end — so this is a straight read on 2026 pricing from someone who gets called in, more often than makes sense, after a homeowner has agreed to a full re-roof off the back of a five-minute look from the pavement.
The short answer
Figures below were checked on 28 July 2026 against Checkatrade, MyBuilder and bestbuilders.co.uk cost guides, cross-referenced against several roofing contractors' own published price lists. As with most trades in this series, Greater London and the South East trend 20–30% above the national figures quoted here, while Wales, Cumbria and parts of the North East sit below them.
| Job | Typical cost (2026) | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Independent roof condition inspection | £150–£400 | Diagnosis before any contractor quotes — a drone survey avoids scaffolding just to look |
| Full re-roof, concrete tile, 3-bed semi | £5,500–£11,500 | Strip-out, new felt and battens, tiles, scaffolding, disposal |
| Full re-roof, natural slate, 3-bed semi | £11,000–£18,500 | As above in Welsh or Spanish slate; reinforced battens if needed |
| Flat roof recover, garage or extension | £2,800–£7,500 | Felt, GRP or EPDM membrane, decking check, disposal |
Clay tile sits between the two, at roughly £7,000–£15,500 for the same 3-bed semi. Worked out per square metre of a typical 90 m² pitched roof, that's about £60–£130/m² in concrete tile, £80–£170/m² in clay, and £120–£205/m² in natural slate — and it's the strip-out, disposal and scaffolding as much as the tiles themselves that make up that figure, which is why two quotes for what sounds like the same job can land a long way apart.
What drives the price
Roof shape, not just area. A simple gable roof is the cheapest shape to cover. Valleys, hips, dormers and multiple pitches all slow the work and increase waste from cutting tiles or slates to fit, typically adding 10–25% over a plain roof of the same square footage.
Material. Concrete interlocking tile is the cheapest and most common covering. Clay plain tile costs more but suits period properties better. Natural slate costs the most upfront — Welsh slate roughly double the price of imported Spanish slate — but often lasts a century or more against 40–60 years for concrete tile, so the annualised cost gap is smaller than the headline figures suggest.
Structure. Natural slate is heavier than concrete tile. If the existing rafters or battens weren't specified for that load, reinforcing them adds roughly £600–£2,500.
Access and scaffolding. A two-storey scaffold typically adds £700–£1,500; three storeys, chimneys or awkward access push this higher. This should appear as its own line on the quote, not be folded invisibly into the headline price.
Waste disposal. Stripping a 90 m² roof generates several tonnes of old tiles, felt and battens. Skip hire and tipping typically runs £180–£280 per skip, and a full re-roof often needs more than one.
Region. Kent, Sussex, Surrey and London trend well above the national figures quoted here, in line with most trades in this series.
Do you actually need a full re-roof?
This is the section that matters more than any of the numbers above. A handful of cracked or slipped tiles, with a leak traced to one clear point of failure, is a classic repair scenario on a roof that's otherwise well within its expected life — patching costs a few hundred pounds and can hold for years. Full replacement earns its keep once the picture is different: roughly 20–30% or more of the tiles slipped, cracked or nail-sick, felt that's visibly perished or letting light through, leaks turning up in more than one part of the roof, or a sagging ridge line. A reasonable rule of thumb some roofers use is that if the repair cost exceeds around 40% of a full replacement quote and the roof is already past 30 years old, it's worth getting both a repair and a replacement quote and comparing the 10-year cost of each, rather than defaulting to the bigger job.
What I actually see, more often than the pricing above would suggest is necessary, is a full re-roof recommended after a five-minute inspection from the ground with binoculars, on the strength of one or two slipped tiles that a proper repair would have fixed for a fraction of the cost. The same firm doing the "free inspection" and quoting the treatment is a conflict of interest, not a bargain — there's no incentive for them to tell you a repair would do. A proper assessment gets up onto the roof, or over it, and checks tile condition across the whole area, felt condition, nail-head rust as the tell for nail sickness, and rafter and batten soundness, not just the bit you can see from the drive.
This is also where a drone roof survey earns its cost. Twenty minutes of flying gets a camera over every part of the roof — ridge, valleys, behind chimneys, the lot — without the expense or delay of scaffolding just to look, and it gives you an independent condition report before a contractor's quote arrives, not after. I've written separately about the drones worth using for this if you're weighing up the kit; the point that matters here is having that evidence in hand before you agree to anything.
Tile, slate or flat — and the planning permission catch
Re-covering a roof with the same or a similar material is normally permitted development in England, Wales and Scotland, meaning no planning application is needed. That changes if you're switching to a materially different material — concrete tile to slate, or the reverse — or altering the roof's shape or height, or if the property sits in a conservation area with an Article 4 direction removing permitted development rights for re-roofing specifically. Listed buildings are a different matter entirely: there are no permitted development rights within the curtilage of a listed building, so almost all re-roofing work needs Listed Building Consent, even a like-for-like covering, if the works touch the roof timbers or its appearance.
There's no dedicated grant for a roof covering itself in 2026, whatever a sales pitch might imply. Where a re-roof coincides with a loft insulation upgrade — and it's a sensible time to do both, since the loft's exposed with the tiles off — GBIS or ECO4 can fund the insulation element for an eligible household, which I've covered separately in the loft insulation cost guide. VAT on the roofing work itself stays at the standard 20% rate; there's no reduced rate for re-roofing alone.
What I'd watch for in a quote
- Who's doing the inspecting. A contractor who inspects for free and then quotes the work has every incentive to find a job. An independent condition report first, with nothing to sell you, is worth the £150–£400 it costs.
- NFRC membership and an insurance-backed guarantee. National Federation of Roofing Contractors membership and a guarantee that survives the firm folding matter more than the cheapest headline price.
- Scaffolding priced as its own line, not folded invisibly into a headline figure that then grows once access is arranged.
- A written, itemised quote covering strip-out, felt grade, batten treatment, ridge and verge detail, flashings, and disposal — not a single lump figure you can't compare against another quote.
- No pressure to sign on the day. A legitimate roofer doesn't need a same-visit signature; if that's the pitch, get a second opinion first.
Questions I get asked
How much does a new roof cost in 2026? On a typical 3-bed semi, a full re-roof costs roughly £5,500–£11,500 in concrete tile, £7,000–£15,500 in clay tile, and £11,000–£18,500 in natural slate, including strip-out, new felt and battens, and disposal. A flat roof recover on a garage or extension runs £2,800–£7,500. Larger or more complex roofs, and London or the South East, sit toward the top of these ranges or above.
How do I know if I need a full re-roof, or just a repair? A handful of cracked or slipped tiles with a leak traced to one point is usually a repair. Full replacement earns its keep once roughly 20–30% or more of the tiles are slipped, cracked or nail-sick, the felt has visibly perished, or leaks show up in more than one part of the roof. A roofer recommending a full re-roof after a five-minute look from the ground, without checking the felt and battens, hasn't actually surveyed it.
Do I need planning permission to replace my roof? Replacing a covering with the same or similar material is normally permitted development. You need permission for a materially different material, a change to the roof's shape or height, or in a conservation area with an Article 4 direction. Listed buildings have no permitted development rights at all, so almost any re-roofing needs Listed Building Consent.
Is scaffolding included in a roof quote, or is it extra? It should be included and shown as its own line, typically £700–£1,500 for a two-storey house. If a cheap verbal quote turns into a surprise scaffolding bill once you've committed, get a second written quote.
If a roof's condition is in question before you commit to a quote — whether it needs full replacement or a repair would do — a drone roof survey gets an independent, evidenced answer without the cost of scaffolding just to look, and a building survey puts it in the context of the whole property if you're buying or selling. Call 07946 618203 or get in touch and I'll give you a straight answer before you spend the money.
Small print. This guide is general information, not advice on a specific property, and it doesn’t replace a proper survey and quote for your own home. Prices were researched and correct to the best of my knowledge on 28 July 2026; costs move and vary by region and property. Always get at least three written quotes, and get an independent condition assessment before agreeing to a full re-roof.