Poorly fitted or failed lead flashing is one of the most common causes of roof leaks in Norwich homes. We carry out all types of lead work — flashings, valleys, soakers, and flat roof coverings — to traditional standards. Every job is done by hand using code-appropriate lead sheet for a weathertight, long-lasting finish.
Image: local lead work
Lead work is the craft element of roofing. It covers the junctions between your roof and any vertical surface — the chimney stack, a parapet wall, a dormer, or a roof valley — where water would otherwise find a way in. When lead flashing fails, either through poor original installation, thermal movement cracking, or simple age, the result is a leak that often doesn't show itself until damage has already been done to timbers, ceilings, and insulation.
The work involves cutting lead sheet to the correct code weight for the application — Code 4 for most flashings, Code 5 or 6 for valleys and flat roof sections — dressing it carefully by hand to follow the profile of the brickwork or tile, and securing it with lead wedges and appropriate pointing mortar. We do not use sealant as a substitute for properly fitted lead; it fails within a few years and is a false economy.
Norwich has a large stock of older properties — period terraces in Heigham, converted Victorian villas in Newmarket Road, and older bungalows across Thorpe St Andrew — where lead work has often been patched with mastic or fibreglass over the years. These patches mask the problem rather than fix it. A properly executed lead flashing, dressed correctly and stepped where needed, should last 50 to 70 years without attention.
We assess the condition of all surrounding masonry and tiles before starting, flagging up any related issues that could compromise the new lead. Small jobs such as re-dressing a chimney flashing typically take half a day; more involved valley replacements or flat roof lead work may take one to two days.
Lead flashing replacement around a standard chimney stack in Norwich costs between £250 and £550, depending on the number of faces and the condition of the pointing.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge — we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
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