How much does a new roof cost in the UK?
Real 2026 roof replacement prices by house type, material and region, plus exactly what a fair quote should include. Prices updated July 2026.
Those ranges are wide because three things move the price more than anything else: how big the roof is, what you put on it, and where you live. This guide breaks all three down so you can budget properly, then sanity-check every quote you receive. For a figure tailored to your own home, use our roof replacement cost calculator.
New roof cost by house type (2026)
| Property | Typical roof area | Total cost range |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-terrace | 45 – 60 m² | £4,500 – £9,500 |
| End-terrace | 55 – 70 m² | £5,000 – £11,000 |
| Semi-detached | 70 – 90 m² | £5,500 – £14,000 |
| Detached | 100 – 140 m² | £8,000 – £20,000 |
| Bungalow | 110 – 160 m² | £8,500 – £18,000 |
Bungalows surprise people: the footprint is the whole house, so the roof is often bigger than a two-storey semi's, even though the scaffold is cheaper.
Cost per square metre by material
| Material | Supplied & fitted per m² | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete tiles | £110 – £150 | 40 – 60 years |
| Synthetic slate | £120 – £160 | 40 – 60 years |
| Clay tiles | £130 – £180 | 60 – 90 years |
| Natural slate | £150 – £220 | 80 – 120 years |
Judge materials on cost per year of life, not the headline price. Natural slate costs roughly 50% more than concrete but lasts twice as long, which is why it dominates at the premium end. Replacing a flat roof instead? See the flat roof cost guide.
New roof cost by region
Labour is the biggest slice of a re-roof bill, and labour rates vary sharply across the UK. The same semi-detached re-roof prices out roughly like this:
| Region | Semi-detached re-roof (2026) |
|---|---|
| London | £6,700 – £17,100 |
| South East | £6,150 – £15,700 |
| South West | £5,800 – £14,700 |
| East of England | £5,800 – £14,700 |
| Midlands | £5,500 – £14,000 |
| North West | £5,350 – £13,600 |
| North East & Yorkshire | £5,200 – £13,300 |
| Wales | £5,350 – £13,600 |
| Scotland | £5,400 – £13,700 |
| Northern Ireland | £5,100 – £13,000 |
What a roof replacement quote should include
- Strip and dispose of the old covering, including skip or grab hire (£300 to £500).
- Scaffolding around the working elevations (£800 to £1,500; see the scaffolding cost guide).
- New breathable membrane and treated battens across the whole roof.
- The covering itself, supplied and fitted, with matching ridge and hip tiles.
- Leadwork and flashings around chimneys, valleys and abutments.
- Ventilation to current building regulations, plus the building regs sign-off itself.
- A written guarantee, ideally insurance-backed, not just the roofer's word.
What can push the price up
- Structural repairs: rotten rafters or sagging timbers, usually only visible once the roof is stripped. Budget a 10 to 15% contingency.
- Chimney work: repointing while the scaffold is up adds £400 to £900 but saves a separate scaffold bill later (see chimney repair costs).
- Conservation areas and listed buildings: matching reclaimed materials can double the material cost.
- Insulation upgrades: re-roofing more than a quarter of the roof triggers current thermal regulations in many cases.
- Access: no rear access, steep pitches and roofs over conservatories all add scaffold complexity.
Repair or replace?
If your roof is mid-life and the damage is local, a repair at £150 to £1,500 is almost always the right call; see the roof repair cost guide. Replacement wins when repairs would top about a quarter of a re-roof cost, when you are fixing the same roof every year, or when a survey shows the covering itself has failed rather than a few tiles. Not sure which side you are on? The signs you need a new roof guide walks through it, or book a roof inspection.
What happens during a roof replacement
Scaffolding goes up first, usually a day or two before the roofers arrive. The old covering and battens are stripped, the timbers are inspected while they are exposed, a breathable membrane and new battens go on, the roof is re-covered, and the ridge, verges and flashings are finished last. Most UK re-roofs run 3 to 7 working days once the scaffolding is up.
The inspection stage is the one that changes quotes. Rotten rafters or a failed valley are only visible once the covering is off, so a fair quote prices the known work and states a rate for timber repairs rather than pretending none will be needed.
Get real prices for your roof
Up to three itemised quotes from vetted local roofers, checked against the fair rates on this page. Free, no obligation.