Last Updated on July 9, 2026
Most roofing spend is not a new roof. It is a repair. A slipped tile, a leak in the bedroom ceiling, a strip of flashing that has failed. Repairs are where you are most likely to be overcharged, because they feel urgent and the price is harder to sense check.
The mistake: accepting a flat fee with no detail
A roofer says “£400 for the repair” and you say yes because the ceiling is dripping. The problem is you have no idea what £400 buys, so you cannot tell if the next quote at £250 is a bargain or a bodge.
Roof repairs are priced by the material and the metre, not by a round number plucked from the air. Knowing the going rate turns you from a soft target into a fair customer.
What repairs cost in 2026
Replacing slipped or missing tiles and slates. Priced per square metre of the area worked: concrete tile around £90 to £120, clay tile around £110 to £160, natural slate around £150 to £220.
Re-bedding or replacing ridge tiles. Around £50 to £70 per metre.
Lead flashing repair. Standard flashing around £50 to £70 per metre. Stepped flashing, the kind against a chimney or wall, around £80 to £120 per metre.
Roofer rates. Around £35 to £45 an hour, or £280 to £360 a day. Many small repairs carry a minimum or half day charge, because the roofer still has to travel, set up access and work safely at height for a job that takes an hour.
Access. If the repair needs a tower or scaffold rather than a ladder, that is a real and separate cost. Do not be surprised by it, but do ask for it as its own line.
How to read the quote
A leak is a symptom, not a diagnosis. The honest roofer tells you what is actually failing, the flashing, the felt, a cracked tile, and prices the fix. The one to avoid is the one who reaches straight for “you need a new roof” without showing you why.
Ask what is causing the leak, ask for a photo if they have been up, and ask whether this is a repair or the first sign the roof is near the end.
The sharp takeaway
Know the per metre rates before you say yes. A repair quote you can break down is one you can trust. A round number with no detail, on an urgent job, is exactly when people overpay.
Whito verifies UK roofers against Companies House so you can check the firm before you let them up a ladder. Find a verified roofer near you.
Typical 2026 UK ranges from public cost data, confirm locally. Sources: Checkatrade, MyBuilder. See also our full roof cost guide.
