Ely Roofers installs new pitched and flat roofs for homeowners in Downham Market, and we can help you work out whether a full replacement or targeted repair is the right call for your property.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
Replacing a roof means stripping the old covering down to the deck or rafters, inspecting the structure beneath, repairing any damaged timber, and then building back up with a new underlay, new battens and a new tile, slate or flat roof membrane. The process applies whether you are replacing the covering on an existing house, roofing an extension, or starting from scratch on a new build.
We work with concrete interlocking tiles, natural slate, clay plain tiles and fibre cement slates on pitched roofs, and EPDM rubber and modern reinforced felt on flat roof sections. Choosing the right system for your property depends on the roof pitch, the condition of the structure and, in some cases, planning constraints on materials.
When a roof starts causing problems, whether that is a leak, missing tiles, damp patches on the ceiling or crumbling mortar around a chimney, the first question is whether to repair or replace. The answer is not always obvious, and the honest truth is that it depends on several factors specific to your roof. The sections below cover the main ones.
Repair is the right call when the underlying structure is sound and the problem is isolated. A few slipped or cracked tiles, a section of failed flashing, a cracked chimney pot or a small area of perished flat roof felt can all be fixed without touching the rest of the covering. If 90% of a roof is performing well and the leak is traceable to one specific point, a targeted repair is sensible and cost-effective.
Repairs also make sense as a holding measure when a full replacement is planned but not yet budgeted. Keeping water out of the property protects the structure inside, which reduces the cost and complexity of the eventual full job. A patch repair on a flat roof or a handful of replacement tiles is a legitimate short-term decision, not a sign of cutting corners, as long as everyone understands that it is not a permanent fix.
On a pitched roof, individual slate or tile replacement is straightforward provided matching material is available. A skilled roofer can lift surrounding tiles, remove and replace a cracked or slipped one, and re-fix without disturbing the rest of the roof. On older natural slate roofs, single slate replacement is common and keeps a sound roof in service for many more years.
Some roofs have reached the point where repair is no longer cost-effective or structurally sensible. The signs that point toward full replacement rather than patching include:
The age of the roof covering is relevant but not the whole story. Concrete interlocking tiles laid in the 1970s or 1980s are now 40-50 years old and are commonly showing signs of lamination and porosity. Natural slate in good condition can last well over a century. Modern felt flat roofs, properly installed, can give 20-25 years of service or more. EPDM rubber systems are relatively new but have a strong track record on correctly installed projects.
If your roof covering is over 30 years old and showing any of the signs above, it is worth having a proper inspection rather than continuing to repair individual faults. An honest roofer should be able to tell you clearly whether the covering has more useful life in it or whether you are at the point where replacement is the sensible decision.
A survey to decide between repair and replacement should cover the roof covering itself, the condition of the underlay (visible from the loft if it is accessible), the fascias and soffits, any flashings, the chimney stack if there is one, and the gutters and downpipes. An inspection that only looks at the tiles from the ground is not enough to give you a reliable recommendation.
From inside the loft, daylight visible through the underlay, damp staining on the rafters or felt, and sagging underlay between battens are all indicators of how the roof is performing. A roofer who does not look from inside the roof space is missing important information.
Individual tile or slate replacement typically costs £100-£300 depending on access, scaffold requirements and the number of tiles involved. Small flat roof patch repairs run from £150 to several hundred pounds depending on the area and system.
Full pitched roof replacement on a typical semi-detached house in concrete tiles runs broadly from £4,500 to £8,000, covering strip, disposal, scaffold, underlay, battens and new tiles. A larger detached property in natural Welsh slate can reach £15,000-£25,000. These are indicative ranges for current UK pricing; your actual quote will reflect your specific roof size, pitch, material choice and access.
Flat roof replacement on an extension is typically £70-£120 per square metre installed, depending on the system and specification. A sound EPDM installation on a 20 square metre extension roof should therefore fall somewhere in the range of £1,400-£2,400, though scaffold and associated roofline work will add to the overall project cost.
A common problem is that damage is not visible from street level. Missing mortar on a chimney, a slipped undercloak on a verge, failed lead soakers behind a chimney stack or perished underlay are all causes of leaks that you would not see without getting up close. If you have a leak and cannot identify the source, a hands-on inspection from above is necessary before deciding whether to repair or replace.
Trying to diagnose a roof leak from inside the loft is also unreliable, because water can travel along a rafter or a batten before dripping, meaning the wet patch on the ceiling may not be directly below the entry point.
Whether you are repairing or replacing, some associated works are best done while access is already in place. Fascias, soffits and gutters should be inspected and replaced if they are failing, because the cost of erecting scaffold a second time outweighs the cost of doing the work once. Leadwork at chimneys and parapet walls should be checked and replaced where it is failing. Ridge tiles should be inspected and re-bedded or dry-fixed if the mortar has cracked or the tiles are loose.
On a flat roof replacement, the upstand detail where the roof meets a wall is critical. A poorly dressed upstand is one of the most common sources of flat roof leaks, and it should be part of any replacement specification.
Modern reinforced felt flat roofing is a well-established multi-layer system, heat-welded to form a continuous membrane. It is widely understood, straightforward to repair if damage does occur, and performs well when installed with proper falls. EPDM rubber membrane is a single-ply system that handles thermal movement particularly well, produces fewer seams on smaller roofs and is increasingly the default choice on new and replacement extension roofs.
Both systems need adequate drainage. A flat roof that sits level will pond water regardless of the membrane, and ponding accelerates deterioration. Correct falls toward the outlet are a specification requirement, not an optional extra.
Timber fascia boards rot from the back face before the damage is visible from the front. When they fail, gutter brackets pull away and gutters overflow or run down the wall. uPVC replacement fascias and soffits, fitted while scaffold is already in place, are a practical addition to either a repair or replacement project. The same goes for cast-iron gutters on older properties, where the joints have failed and the brackets have corroded.
Chimneys are a frequent source of leaks on older properties. The mortar that holds chimney pots in place (the flaunching) cracks with frost and lets water in around the base of the pot. Joint pointing erodes over time. Lead flashings lift when their mortar fixings fail. All of these are repairable in isolation, and all of them should be checked as part of any inspection, whether you are repairing or replacing the main roof covering.
From our base in Ely we cover Downham Market and the surrounding area, as well as nearby towns and villages including Littleport, March, Soham, Prickwillow, Witchford, Stretham, Sutton and Wilburton. We also work across to Cambridge and Newmarket. Call us to arrange a proper roof inspection and a clear recommendation on whether repair or replacement is the right decision for your property.
No obligation · We'll call you to arrange a free visit
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
