Roofing · Chelmsford & Essex
New Roofs and Re-Roofsin Chelmsford & Essex,Priced Before We Start
A free inspection, a written fixed price, and a roof built to stop costing you money every winter. You get one team from strip-out to clean-up and a 3-year workmanship guarantee on new roofs in writing.
Seven years of hands-on Essex roofing · £1m public liability insured · Free quotes and roof inspections
7 years
Hands-on roofing experience
£1m
Public liability insurance
3 years
Workmanship guarantee on new roofs
Free
Quotes and roof inspections
Fixed
Written prices, never a day rate
The service
What a Full RoofReplacement Actually Involves
A new roof is not a covering laid over an old problem. When we re-roof a house, the existing tiles or slates come off, the battens and felt come off with them, and the timbers underneath get inspected while they are visible, which is the only moment in twenty or thirty years when anybody can see them. Anything soft, split or rotten gets flagged and priced before it is buried again. The roof then goes back together in the right order: breathable membrane, treated battens set to the correct gauge for the covering, tiles or slates fixed and clipped to suit the exposure, then ridge, hip, verge and valley details finished with lead or dry-fix systems as the design requires.
That sequence matters because almost every roof failure we are called out to is a detail failure, not a tile failure. Tiles rarely give up first. The felt tears at the eaves, the battens rot where water has been sitting, the lead in a valley splits along a fold, or a verge mortar bed cracks and lets wind under the covering. Replacing the whole covering while leaving those details as they were simply resets the clock on the visible part and leaves the failure point in place. We price the details in from the start, because they are what decides whether the roof lasts.
This service suits any Essex property where repairs have stopped being economic, where you are patching the same slope every year, where the loft shows daylight or damp staining, or where the roof has simply reached the end of its life. It also covers new roofs on extensions, garage conversions and outbuildings, where the new structure has to tie into an existing roof without creating a weak joint at the abutment.
Who this is for
- Homeowners patching the same slope repeatedly and getting nowhere
- Properties with sagging lines, slipped tiles or daylight visible in the loft
- Buyers or sellers with a roof flagged in a survey and needing a fixed figure
- Extensions, garages and outbuildings needing a new covering tied into an existing roof
- Landlords who want the roof off the maintenance list for years, not months
The cost of waiting
What a Tired RoofCosts You If You Wait
A roof that has started to fail does not stay at the same level of damage. Water follows the same route every time it rains, so each week the same timber gets wet, the same plaster absorbs it, and the same insulation flattens. The repair you could have had in autumn is a bigger job by spring, and the price difference is rarely in the tiles, it is in everything the water reached on its way through.
Structural timber decay
Rafters, battens and wall plates that stay damp lose strength and attract rot. Replacing a soft rafter foot means opening the eaves and re-forming the roof edge, which turns a covering job into a carpentry job.
Wet insulation and higher bills
Loft insulation that has taken water stops working and stays compressed. You keep paying to heat a house that is losing warmth through a roof you already thought was insulated.
Ceilings, decoration and mould
Once a stain shows on a ceiling, the plasterboard has already been wet for a while. Beyond redecoration, persistent damp creates mould in bedrooms directly under the affected slope.
Wind uplift on loose coverings
Slipped or unclipped tiles on an exposed Essex slope lift in a gale and take neighbouring tiles with them. A small area of movement becomes an open roof overnight, usually in the worst weather of the year.
Common mistakes we get called in to undo
- Paying for a fourth patch repair when the covering has clearly reached the end of its life.
- Accepting a price quoted from the pavement, with nobody having looked at the battens, felt or timbers.
- Agreeing to a day rate, so the cost of the job depends on how long it takes rather than what it is.
- Letting somebody re-tile over old battens and felt to save a day's labour.
- Ignoring a spreading damp patch through summer because it only shows during heavy rain.
Our process
Five Steps From First Call
to Guaranteed Finish
01
Free inspection
We come out, get up to the roof and look at the covering, the details and the loft side where access allows. No charge, no obligation, and no guessing from the ground.
02
Diagnosis and scope
We explain in plain terms what has failed and why, and whether a repair will genuinely hold or the covering has run out of life. If a repair is the honest answer, we say so.
03
Fixed written quote
One price covering labour, materials, access and waste removal. No day rates, no provisional sums, no pressure on the doorstep. Timber replacement is priced clearly so nothing appears mid-job.
04
Strip, rebuild and detail
Old covering, battens and felt come off, timbers are checked, then membrane, battens, tiles or slates and all lead and ridge details go back on in the correct order.
05
Check, clear and guarantee
We walk the finished roof, check falls, fixings and flashings, clear the site and hand over a 3-year workmanship guarantee in writing on new roofs.
What you get
The Difference It Makes
to Your Property
One fixed price
The written figure is the figure you pay unless you change the scope. We do not work on day rates, so slow weather is our problem, not your invoice.
Decades, not seasons
New membrane, new treated battens and correctly fixed coverings mean the roof is dealt with for the long term rather than kept alive one patch at a time.
Hidden damage found early
A strip-out is the one chance to see the timbers. Anything soft is identified and quoted while it is accessible instead of being covered up for another twenty years.
Warmer, drier rooms
A watertight roof over dry insulation stops heat leaving and stops the damp that ruins ceilings and decoration in the rooms directly beneath.
Insured throughout
£1,000,000 public liability insurance covers the work, and we are happy to show the documentation before anything starts.
Guaranteed in writing
New roofs carry a 3-year workmanship guarantee. You have a written record of it, not a verbal promise from somebody you cannot reach.
In detail
Materials, Methodsand Roof Types We Cover
Essex housing stock ranges from Victorian terraces with natural slate to sixties estates with concrete interlocking tiles and new-build extensions with low-pitch coverings. Each of those needs a different specification, and pricing a roof properly means starting with what the building actually has.
Tile and slate coverings
Concrete interlocking tiles are the most common covering across mid-Essex, and they are efficient to lay and hard-wearing, but they are heavy and unforgiving if the batten gauge is wrong. Plain clay tiles are double-lapped and need far more units per square metre, which changes both cost and loading. Natural slate is the longest-lived option and the most sensitive to fixing quality: a slate roof usually fails through nail fatigue long before the slate itself wears out, which is why re-slating with new copper or aluminium nails onto new battens is the honest fix rather than repeatedly refitting slipped slates with hooks and clips.
Whichever covering goes on, the batten gauge is set to the manufacturer's headlap for the roof pitch and exposure, and perimeter and every-course fixing is decided by exposure rather than habit. Verges are finished dry-fixed or bedded, ridges are dry-ridged with mechanical fixings where appropriate so they do not rely on mortar alone, and eaves are finished with an eaves protection tray so water reaches the gutter rather than the fascia.
Underlay, ventilation and battens
Modern breathable membrane replaces the old bitumen felt and lets water vapour out of the roof space while keeping wind-driven rain out. That change only works if ventilation is right: sealing an old roof up with a breathable membrane and blocking the eaves is how condensation problems start. We keep a clear air path at the eaves and add ridge or tile vents where the construction calls for it.
Battens are graded and treated, fixed to every rafter, and set out so joints fall over rafters rather than mid-span. It is the least visible part of a roof and the part that most often turns out to be the reason a covering slipped, so it is never reused from the old roof.
Details: valleys, abutments and verges
Where two slopes meet, where a roof meets a wall, or where a roof runs past a chimney, the covering is no longer doing the waterproofing, the detail is. Lead valleys, soakers, step and cover flashings and correctly sized upstands are what keep those junctions dry, and they are formed to the appropriate lead code for the run rather than patched with sealant.
Extensions and garage roofs are where those details matter most, because the new roof almost always abuts existing brickwork. Chasing a flashing properly into a mortar course, rather than surface-fixing it and mastic-ing over the top, is the difference between a joint that lasts and one that leaks in the first driving rain.
Residential and light commercial
Domestic re-roofs are our core work, terraces, semis, detached houses, bungalows, extensions, garages and outbuildings across Chelmsford, Witham, Braintree, Maldon and the surrounding Essex towns. The approach on a small commercial unit or a block of garages is the same, though access, phasing and keeping the building usable during the work usually shape the programme more than the roof itself.
If your property is a mix, pitched main roof with a flat rear extension, for example, we cover both, so the junction between the two is designed by one team rather than argued over by two trades. See our pitched roof and flat roof pages for how each part is built.
Common questions
Roofing Questions
People Ask First
How much does a new roof cost in Chelmsford?
It depends on the size and pitch of the roof, the covering you choose, the access needed and the condition of the timbers underneath. That is why we inspect first and then give a fixed written price rather than a range over the phone. Quotes and inspections are free, and the figure we write down is the figure you pay unless you change the scope.
How long does a full re-roof take?
A typical semi-detached house is usually a matter of days rather than weeks, but the timeline depends on the size of the roof, the weather and whether timber repairs are needed. We give you an expected duration with the quote and tell you straight away if anything on site changes it.
Do I need scaffolding?
For a full re-roof, yes, safe access is not optional and it also protects your property and anyone below. Access is included in the fixed price we quote, so it is not added later as an extra.
Is the work guaranteed?
New roofs come with a 3-year workmanship guarantee from us, provided in writing. Repairs are not sold with a workmanship guarantee, and we will always tell you clearly which category your job falls into before you commit.
How long should a new roof last?
That depends on the covering. Concrete and clay tile roofs are long-life coverings, and natural slate longer still, provided the battens, membrane and lead details are renewed at the same time. Re-covering without renewing what sits underneath is what shortens a roof's life.
Are you insured?
Yes. We hold £1,000,000 public liability insurance and we are happy to show the documentation before work starts.
Can you repair my roof instead of replacing it?
Often, yes, and we will say so if a repair will genuinely hold. We would rather do an honest repair than sell a re-roof somebody does not need, the inspection is free either way.
Do you cover emergencies and storm damage?
Call us and explain what has happened. If tiles have come off in a gale or water is getting in, tell us on the phone so we can prioritise getting the roof made safe before we talk about the wider job.
Which areas do you cover for roofing work?
Chelmsford, Witham, Southend-on-Sea, Braintree, Maldon, Billericay, Basildon, Brentwood, Wickford, Rayleigh, South Woodham Ferrers and the surrounding Essex villages.
How do I pay?
Card, cash or bank transfer. Everything is quoted as a fixed price, never a day rate.
Request your free quote
Tell us what is happening. We will arrange a free inspection and come back with a fixed written price, £1m public liability insured, no day rates.
Related work
Other Services That Often Go With This
Pitched Roofs
Tile and slate pitched roofing, from single-slope repairs to complete re-roofs.
View serviceFlat Roofs
Warm and cold flat roof systems built with proper falls, so water leaves the roof.
View serviceLeadwork
Code-correct lead flashings, valleys and soakers at every vulnerable joint.
View serviceRoofing Across Essex
- Roofing in Chelmsford
- Roofing in Witham
- Roofing in Southend-on-Sea
- Roofing in Braintree
- Roofing in Maldon
- Roofing in Billericay
- Roofing in Basildon
- Roofing in Brentwood
- Roofing in Wickford
- Roofing in Rayleigh
- Roofing in South Woodham Ferrers
More: roofers in Chelmsford & Essex · all roofing services · areas we cover · about the team · contact us
Get Your Roof Looked Atand Priced This Week
Free inspection, fixed written price, £1m insured, and a 3-year workmanship guarantee on new roofs. One call tells you exactly where you stand.
Free inspections · Fixed written prices, never a day rate · £1m public liability insurance · 3-year workmanship guarantee on new roofs