When your roof in Long Stratton has reached the end of its life, a full replacement gives you a sound, watertight structure built to current standards rather than another round of patches that buy you a season or two at best.
A roof replacement is a significant investment, and it is worth taking time to understand what the work actually involves before you commit to anyone. Stripped back to its basics, a full re-roof means removing every existing tile, slate or covering, checking the timber structure beneath, dealing with any rot or damaged rafters, fitting new breathable underlay, re-battening, and laying new tiles or slates to current building standards. What you end up with is effectively a new roof from the rafters up.
A common pattern is a roof that has been patched multiple times over the years, where new pointing sits over old, where broken tiles have been swapped in piecemeal, and where the original underlay has perished completely. At some point, further repairs cost more per year than the repayments on a replacement would.
The material you choose affects the cost, the weight loading on your structure, the appearance and how long you can expect the covering to last. Understanding the main options helps you have an informed conversation with any contractor you speak to.
Clay roof tiles are a traditional choice. Handmade clay plain tiles and machine-made interlocking clay tiles both offer very long service lives. Natural clay weathers well, holds its colour without fading significantly, and is compatible with older roof structures where the pitch and batten spacing suit a plain tile format. Expect to pay more upfront for clay than for concrete, but the material itself can outlast several generations of owners.
Concrete roof tiles are the most widely used material for re-roofing in the UK today. They are consistent in size, straightforward to source, and cost less per tile than clay or natural slate. Concrete tiles do tend to lighten in colour as they age and shed their surface coating, though modern through-coloured concrete tiles handle this better than older products did. For most domestic pitched roofs, concrete interlocking tiles are a practical and cost-effective choice.
Natural slate is the premium option. Welsh slate tends to be harder and longer-lasting; Spanish slate is softer and more affordable. A well-laid natural slate roof can last fifty years or more if the fixings are sound and the valley and ridge details are properly executed. Slate is heavier than concrete tile, so your roofer should check that the rafters and wall plates can carry the load before specifying it.
Before you agree to any work, ask specifically what is included and what is not. The following are all elements that should be addressed in a proper roof replacement. If a quote leaves any of them out, ask why.
This is where many homeowners come unstuck. The difference between a satisfactory job and a poor one is rarely visible from the ground on the day the scaffolding comes down. You are largely trusting the quality of what is underneath. That makes choosing the right contractor the single most important step in the whole process.
A quote that says "re-roof, supply and fix, £X" tells you almost nothing. A proper written quote should list the area of roof in square metres, the tile or slate specification (manufacturer, product name, colour), the underlay specification, what ridge and hip system is being used, what lead code is being used for flashings, whether battens are included, and what the waste disposal arrangement is. If two quotes are priced differently and you cannot compare them line by line, you cannot make a sensible decision.
This is the question most homeowners forget. Almost every re-roof uncovers at least some timber decay, particularly at the eaves, around any chimney stacks, and at valley junctions. Some contractors include an allowance for minor timber repairs in their price; others charge separately per metre of rafter replaced. Ask upfront which approach they use, and ask what their hourly or per-metre rate is for additional timber work. An honest contractor will explain this clearly and will show you any decayed timber before disposing of it.
Scaffolding is a legal requirement for almost all pitched roof work. Some roofing contractors include it in their price; others quote the roof work only and expect you to source a scaffolding company separately. Either arrangement can work, but you need to know which applies before you compare quotes. If you are sourcing scaffolding separately, make sure the roofing contractor has confirmed the scaffold design meets their requirements before it goes up.
A typical detached house re-roof in this part of Norfolk takes between three and seven working days once scaffolding is in place, depending on roof complexity, materials being used, and whether significant timber repairs are needed. If a contractor quotes you a timescale significantly outside that range in either direction, ask for an explanation. Very short timescales can mean corners are cut; very long ones may indicate resourcing problems.
Ask whether the contractor has recently completed a re-roof of a similar size and type to yours, and whether you can speak to or visit that customer. Most reputable roofers are happy to provide this. If a contractor cannot offer any references from the past twelve months, treat that as a flag.
Roof lights (Velux-type windows), solar panels, chimney stack repointing, and guttering are often excluded from a re-roofing quote unless you ask specifically. If your guttering is nearing the end of its life, it makes sense to replace it while the scaffold is up because the access cost is already paid. Ask what the contractor charges to include it rather than finding out after the scaffold has gone.
Roof replacement costs in Norfolk typically range from around £5,000 for a small, straightforward terraced or semi-detached house up to £15,000 or more for a large detached property with hips, valleys, a chimney stack, and complex details. The material you choose makes a meaningful difference: concrete tiles are the most affordable per square metre, natural Welsh slate the most expensive. As a rough guide, expect to pay in the region of £50-£90 per square metre for supply and fit of concrete interlocking tiles, and £80-£140 per square metre for natural slate, both excluding scaffolding. These are indicative figures based on current UK market conditions and will vary depending on roof complexity and access.
Scaffolding for a typical semi-detached house in this area typically adds £800-£1,500 to the overall cost. Timber repairs are additional and are genuinely difficult to price until the old covering is stripped.
We carry out roof replacements across Norwich and the surrounding villages, including Long Stratton and the wider south Norfolk area. We strip back to the rafters, assess the structure honestly, and re-roof using materials suited to your property and budget. We will give you a clear, itemised written quote so you can compare it properly against any other prices you have received.
If you are at the stage of getting prices together, call us to arrange a roof survey and a written quote. We will explain what we find, what the options are, and what each will cost before any commitment on your part.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
