A new roof is one of the most significant investments you will make in your home, and choosing the right contractor in Bawdeswell makes all the difference to how long it lasts and how much trouble it causes you along the way.
A full roof replacement means stripping back everything down to the bare timber structure, inspecting and repairing that structure where needed, then installing new underlay, battens and your chosen covering material. It is not a job that can be rushed or cut short. Done properly, a new roof on a standard semi-detached or detached house in mid-Norfolk should protect your home for forty years or more, depending on the material chosen.
The work typically takes three to five days on a straightforward pitched roof, longer if the roof has multiple valleys, dormers, chimneys or complex flashings. Before any tiles go on, the existing felt or underlay is removed, the rafters and ridge board are checked for rot or movement, and any damaged timber is replaced. This stage matters enormously - covering failing timbers with new tiles simply delays the next problem.
At Dereham Roofers we cover Bawdeswell and the surrounding mid-Norfolk villages, installing new roofs using materials suited to the local climate and to the character of the property.
The material you choose affects the cost, the weight the structure must carry, the look of the finished roof and how long it will last before needing attention again. There is no single right answer - the best choice depends on your budget, your property and what you want from the roof.
Concrete tiles are the most commonly used covering on new roofs across mid-Norfolk. They are durable, widely available and relatively affordable. A standard concrete interlocking tile roof costs roughly £70-£100 per square metre installed, including materials and labour, though this varies with the complexity of the roof. Clay plain tiles are generally heavier than concrete interlocking tiles, and the structure must be adequate to support the chosen covering - something a competent roofer checks before the job starts.
Clay tiles have a warmer, more traditional appearance and tend to last longer than concrete, often well beyond fifty years with proper maintenance. They cost more - typically £100-£150 per square metre installed - and require closer-spaced battens and a steeper pitch to drain properly. If your property originally had clay tiles, replacing like-for-like is usually the right choice both visually and structurally.
Welsh or Spanish natural slate is one of the most durable roofing materials available, with lifespans that can exceed a century on well-maintained properties. It is also the most expensive option, typically £150-£200 per square metre installed, and requires a roofer experienced in working with natural stone rather than man-made tiles. Slate is lighter than concrete tile and sits well on older properties with slender roof timbers.
Man-made or reconstituted slate tiles offer the look of natural slate at a lower price point, typically £100-£130 per square metre installed. Quality varies considerably between manufacturers, so ask any contractor which product they are specifying and what the manufacturer quotes as an expected lifespan.
A new roof is not a purchase you make often. Most homeowners do it once, possibly twice in a lifetime of living in the same property. That makes choosing the right contractor genuinely difficult - there is no personal experience to draw on, the work is technical, and the consequences of getting it wrong are serious and expensive.
What follows is a practical guide to vetting roofers before you commit, and the specific questions worth asking at the quotation stage.
Three quotes is the standard advice, and it is good advice. A single quote gives you no sense of whether the price is reasonable or whether the specification matches what your roof actually needs. Quotes that vary dramatically in price - say by thirty or forty per cent - are usually a sign that contractors are not quoting for the same scope of work. When you receive quotes, compare them line by line: what materials are specified, what is included in terms of scaffolding, disposal of old materials, ridge tiles, flashings and lead work.
Be cautious of any quote that is significantly cheaper than the others. Common reasons for a low quote include thinner underlay, cheaper tile grades, skipping the structural inspection or leaving the scaffolding hire to you to arrange separately.
A professional roofing contractor should be able to provide a written specification setting out exactly what they intend to do. This should include:
If a contractor is reluctant to put this in writing, that tells you something. Any serious professional is accustomed to giving written specifications and will not find the request unusual.
This is the question most homeowners do not think to ask, and it is one of the most important. When the old covering is stripped back, rotten or damaged timber is sometimes found that was not visible during the initial survey. How a contractor handles this discovery says a great deal about how they work.
Ask them directly: if you find rotten rafters or a damaged ridge board once the roof is stripped, what happens? A trustworthy answer is that they will stop, show you the problem, explain what needs doing and agree an additional cost before proceeding. Be wary of any contractor who either says they will just sort it out without discussing cost, or who seems to have no plan for this scenario at all.
A new roof on a two-storey property requires scaffolding. Full stop. Any contractor suggesting otherwise is cutting corners that affect the safety of their workers and the quality of the finished job. The scaffolding should go up before work starts and come down only when the roof is fully finished and signed off.
Ask who erects the scaffolding - whether the contractor arranges it or whether you are expected to hire it independently. Ask how long the scaffold will be in place and what happens if the job overruns. These are practical details that affect your daily life while the work is happening.
Stripping a roof leaves your home exposed to the weather. Ask the contractor what they do if rain is forecast while the roof is open. The standard approach is to work in sections, sheeting over the open section at the end of each day with heavy-duty polythene. Ask to see evidence that this is how they work - photos of previous jobs, or a clear explanation of their daily practice.
Also ask about protection for your garden, paths and any conservatory or extension roof that sits below the main roof. Falling debris and tile shards cause damage that is preventable with adequate protection boards and netting.
A contractor who has been doing this work properly for any length of time will have customers willing to speak to you. Ask for two or three references from jobs completed in the last twelve months, on properties similar to yours. When you contact those references, ask specifically whether the work was completed on time, whether the price agreed at the start matched the final invoice, and whether any problems arose and how they were handled.
Online reviews on Google or Checkatrade are useful but not sufficient on their own. A personal conversation with a previous customer tells you far more.
Before the scaffolding comes down, there should be a final walkover inspection of the completed roof. Ask whether you will be invited to see the finished work while it is still accessible, or whether the scaffold comes down first. A contractor confident in their work will walk the roof with you before signing off.
Ask also about the point of contact if you notice a problem in the weeks or months after completion. Roofing problems sometimes show up after the first heavy rain. Know in advance who to call and what the process is.
Some warning signs are obvious; others less so. Watch out for:
A new roof on a typical three-bedroom detached house in mid-Norfolk will cost somewhere in the range of £7,000-£15,000 depending on the size and complexity of the roof and the materials chosen. Those figures assume a straightforward pitched roof with one or two chimneys and no dormers. A more complex roof with multiple valleys, hips, skylights and substantial lead work will cost more.
The main cost drivers are:
Prices for new roofs in mid-Norfolk typically sit in the ranges described above, though any specific quote depends on the exact specification and the current cost of materials at the time of the job.
If your property includes a flat-roofed extension, garage or porch, the specification and questions are different. Flat roofs in the UK are typically replaced using either traditional built-up felt or EPDM rubber membrane systems. EPDM is a single-layer rubber membrane that, when installed correctly, typically performs for twenty-five years or more before needing attention. Traditional built-up felt is cheaper to install but generally has a shorter service life.
For a flat roof replacement, ask the contractor which system they are proposing and why - the answer should reflect the size and use of the roof, not simply what they prefer to fit. Flat roof replacement costs in mid-Norfolk typically range from £60-£100 per square metre installed, depending on the system and the condition of the deck beneath.
A new roof is the right time to address chimney condition and all lead flashings. Flashings are the strips of lead (or occasionally other materials) that seal the junction between the roof covering and vertical surfaces - chimneys, party walls, skylights and dormer cheeks. Failed flashings are one of the most common causes of water ingress in houses, and replacing the roof covering while leaving old flashings in place is a false economy.
If a chimney stack is no longer in use, a new roof installation is also the practical time to consider whether it is worth keeping. Redundant chimneys are a maintenance liability - they require ongoing attention to the lead flashing, the pointing and the chimney pot. Removing a chimney stack and making good the roof at the same time saves cost compared to doing the two jobs separately.
In most cases, a straight like-for-like roof replacement on a standard residential property does not require planning permission. However, if you live in a conservation area or your home is a listed building, different rules apply and you should check with the local planning authority before work starts. Changing the material - for example, going from concrete tile to natural slate - may also require approval in sensitive areas.
Building Regulations do apply to new roof work in terms of structural adequacy and, where insulation is being improved as part of the project, thermal performance. A competent contractor should be aware of these requirements and factor them into their specification.
A full roof replacement is the most cost-effective point at which to improve your roof insulation, because the roof is already stripped back. If your loft insulation is thin, absent or in poor condition, adding or upgrading it while the roof is open adds relatively little cost compared to doing it as a separate job.
Current Building Regulations require a minimum level of thermal performance for any significant roof work, but going beyond the minimum is worth considering if you are heating the space below. A roofer should be able to advise on the options, from increasing the depth of mineral wool between and above joists to installing rigid insulation boards between or beneath rafters in a room-in-roof situation.
No contractor should price a new roof from the ground or from a quick look at the property from the kerb. A proper survey means getting onto the roof, checking the structure from the loft space where accessible, and identifying any existing problems - blocked valleys, failing hip irons, deteriorated underlay, damaged timbers - that need to be factored into the specification and the price.
If a contractor quotes without carrying out this level of inspection, any price they give you is not reliable. Surprises found once the job has started will be charged as extras. A thorough survey at the outset reduces the chance of unexpected additional costs appearing mid-job.
If you are in Bawdeswell or nearby and would like Dereham Roofers to carry out a proper roof survey and provide a written specification and price, call us directly and we will arrange to visit the property and go through everything with you in detail.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
