A new roof can transform your home, provide better weather protection, damp-free living, and warm, comfortable rooms. It refreshes kerb appeal, can boost resale value, and creates the perfect moment to improve insulation or add solar to benefit from lowered energy bills.
If you’re considering a home upgrade this year, but are wondering how much does a new roof cost in the UK, our guide breaks down typical prices and explains what drives the cost.
For more information on installing a new roof or upgrading your old one, read our Ultimate Guide to Roofing.
At-a-glance new roof prices UK
These costs are only a guide, as prices can vary vastly, and depend on numerous factors, including where you live, the size and style of your home, and the materials you choose.
| Property type | Typical roof area | Approximate cost of stripping and retiling* |
|---|---|---|
| 2-bed terrace | 60m2 | £13,800 |
| 3-bed smi-detached | 80m2 | £18,400 |
| 4-bed detached | 120m2 | £27,600 |
* Prices based on Livingetc.
What drives roof costs in the UK?
Multiple factors drive up the price of a new roof, and a good builder will take the time to explain your options and how they affect the final cost.
Size, pitch, and complexity
Bigger properties generally have larger, more expansive roofs, which means more area to strip, lay membrane, batten, and retile. This takes time and materials, which increases the cost. The roof’s steepness, or pitch, and complexity can also increase the necessary budget.
Complexities can include:
- Hips: These are the sloping edges where two roof faces meet; they need extra cutting and purpose-made ridge or hip components.
- Abutments: An abutment is where a sloping roof meets an upright wall, and they require flashing – the thin, weatherproof material, usually lead, used to seal any gaps, to create a watertight join.
- Valleys: These are the channels where roof planes meet; they require precise lining, usually with flashing.
- Dormer windows: Dormers break up the roof surface, introducing extra junctions, flashing, and finishing work.
Roof materials
The materials you choose to construct and cover your new roof dictate how it looks, performs, and its longevity.
Slate tiles
Natural slate is a classic roof material often found on cottages or period town properties. It’s hard-wearing and can remain useful for over 100 years. Slate tiles are around 500 x 250 mm in size, and typically cost around £2.50 per tile, giving £53 per m².
Fibre-cement slates are a lighter, more cost-effective option to natural slate, providing the same look for £23 per m², with tiles costing around £1.70 each.
Clay tiles
Plain clay tiles deliver a traditional look and are frequently seen on cottages and period homes. They are smaller than concrete tiles, and you should expect to pay in the region of £0.80 each or £52 per m² (60 tiles).
Interlocking concrete tiles are durable and offer good value, priced at around £22 per m² (10 tiles) or £2.20 per tile.
Roof membranes
A tough, waterproof membrane, such as Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) or modified bitumen, provides the primary water barrier. EDPM costs around £12 per roll.
On flat roofs, puncture-resistant torch-on bituminous felt – a fibre mat impregnated with bitumen, is laid over the waterproof membrane and covered with a layer of slate chippings for UV protection. Bought in roll form, expect to pay around £5.70 per m² and £45 per roll.
Metal roofing
Steel is lightweight and economical, and typically available in box-profile sheets. Although a cheap option, the exact price depends on the sheet size and finish.
Zinc roofing sheets offer a sleek, contemporary look. Prices for zinc sheets vary depending on the thickness, or gauge, of the sheet.
Copper and aluminium offer premium aesthetics and longevity – copper giving an aged verdigris finish over time. However, it can be several times the price of steel, although, like zinc, the prices for each are gauge-dependent.
Specialist options
Sustainable green roofs are typically covered in meadow grass and wild flowers, or sedum – a self-propagating succulent, which is grown in modular trays. They create a beautiful roof and aid biodiversity. The plants cost around £45 per m², with the trays from around £80 per m². Green roofs may require structural checks due to their weight.
Wood shingles or a thatched roof offer country cottage appeal, but require specialists in traditional crafts to install, and as such, can be an expensive roofing choice.
Solar tiles or solar slates are more expensive than conventional tiles, but they integrate photovoltaics into your roof, eliminating the need for a separate framework. They provide free solar power, which helps lower your household bills.
Fixing systems
Corrosion-resistant nails or specialised clips are required to fix your roofing material to the battens. For ridges, hips, and abutments, dry-fix systems, such as mechanical screws, clamps, and ventilated strips, are often used, offering weatherproofing and durability.
Access and scaffolding
Safe access is an important consideration, with taller attached properties, chimney work, or full-height wraps (sheeted scaffolds) requiring more kit and time. Scaffolding hire can cost from £400 a day, and if it has to sit on a public footway or highway, you’ll usually need a scaffolding or pavement licence from the local authority. Fees vary by council, for example, Surrey County Council charges £200 per 28-day period, while Buckinghamshire Council’s fees are £383 for the same period.
Labour and location
Labour is often the most significant expense on a new roof project, and local market conditions can fluctuate, pushing prices up or down. Areas with higher demand or longer lead times tend to have firmer pricing, and extra skills, such as heritage slate work or thatching, attract higher craft input.
For a general guide to labour costs in London and the Home Counties, Aspect, one of our members, charges from £76.50 an hour for building projects.
Waste and recycling
Stripping the old roof generates significant waste, including tiles, underlay, battens, and flashings. You will likely be charged for handling time, skip hire, and compliant disposal by a licensed waste carrier . A good roofer will only use registered carriers and retain the waste transfer notes. Builders with their own waste carrier licence can remove waste directly, avoiding skip hire.
However, two cost-savvy tactics are:
- Segregate and salvage : Sound natural slate or certain tiles can be reused on the same job, or offset as a credit if agreed, and some metals, such as lead, are recyclable. Ask your roofer to identify salvageable materials during the survey.
- Correctly sized skips and timings : Book skips to match stripping phases and the quantity of waste generated, avoiding over-ordering.
Choosing one of our trusted members for your roofing project offers you peace of mind. Our members are rigorously vetted, inspected, and monitored, providing reassurance that you’ll have the best team on the job.
Add-ons that change the cost of a new roof
Aside from the roofing costs, several points also should be addressed, including extra insulation, guttering, and roof windows.
Insulation upgrades
Upgrading your insulation while the roof is open is one of the best value-adds, reducing energy demand and improving comfort.
Insulation generally falls into two types:
- Warm roofs: Continuous insulation is laid above the deck or rafters to cut heat loss and simplify condensation control.
- Cold roofs: Cold roofs rely on between-rafter insulation and effective cross-ventilation.
Gutters, fascia, and soffits
Refreshing eaves elements while scaffolding is up avoids a future call-back. Correctly sized gutters, sound fascia – the board running along the roof’s edge, soffits, which are the panels visible on the underside of the roof overhang, and clear outlets protect walls and foundations from rain run-off and help maintain roof ventilation.
UPVC fascia boards can cost around £35 for a five-metre length, soffits about £20, and guttering £15 for four metres.
Roof windows and skylights
Adding or replacing roof windows increases daylight and ventilation, but also increases the total cost. It also requires additional detailing time, including trimming and matching flashing kits to the roof type and pitch. Building Regulations approval is generally needed for new roof windows.
Structural repairs
Once stripped, defects sometimes emerge. Typical findings include rotted or delaminated decking, split rafters, and damaged fascia or soffits where gutters have overflowed.
Allow a contingency in your budget for these findings. Structural alterations beyond like-for-like usually require building control sign-off; your builder can advise and inform you of any necessary repairs and their cost.
Investing in a new roof is an investment in your family’s comfort and safety, while increasing kerb appeal. Take time to choose materials, plan details, and compare like-for-like quotes so the result is long-lasting and low-maintenance. When you’re ready, speak with local professionals to scope the work and deliver a finish that lasts.