Do you need planning permission to change roof tiles?
For most houses, no. The exceptions are specific, and all four of them are worth two minutes of checking before the skip arrives.
The general rule
Re-covering a roof on a house is repair and maintenance rather than development, provided the new materials are of a similar appearance to the originals and you are not altering the shape or height of the roof. On that basis the overwhelming majority of re-roofs need no planning application at all.
"Similar appearance" does the work in that sentence. Swapping worn concrete tiles for new concrete tiles in a comparable colour is uncontroversial. Swapping natural slate for grey concrete interlocking tiles on a street of slate roofs is where councils start taking an interest.
The four exceptions
| Situation | What you need |
|---|---|
| Listed building | Listed building consent, even for like-for-like in many cases |
| Conservation area | Materials usually have to match; check with the council first |
| Article 4 direction | Permitted development rights removed; a planning application is required |
| Flat or maisonette | Permitted development rights do not apply in the same way |
A five minute call to the local planning department settles all four, and many councils will confirm by email, which is the version you want on file.
Changing the colour
Outside the four exceptions, colour is your choice. Inside them, it is often the whole issue: conservation officers care about the appearance of the street, and a roof is the most visible surface on the house. Where you are in a conservation area and want to change from red clay to grey slate, expect to be asked to justify it, and expect the answer to depend on what the neighbouring roofs look like.
What does need permission
- Raising the roof height or altering the shape, including hip-to-gable conversions.
- Dormer windows beyond the permitted development limits, and any dormer on a principal elevation facing a highway.
- Roof terraces and balconies.
- Extensions beyond the permitted volume allowances for loft conversions.
Roof windows fitted in the plane of the roof are generally permitted development within limits on projection, which is why so many loft conversions use them rather than dormers. Our roofing planning permission guide covers the full picture.
Building regulations still apply
Planning and building control are different systems. A re-roof that replaces more than a quarter of the roof area is generally notifiable work under the building regulations, because it triggers requirements for insulation and structural adequacy. A competent roofer either notifies the local authority or works under a competent person scheme, and you get the certificate at the end. That paperwork is what a buyer's solicitor asks for later.
Costs for each material are in the roof tile cost guide and new roof cost guide.
Get the re-roof priced properly
Three free quotes from vetted local roofers, itemised, including the materials and the waste.