Roof replacement in progress on a scaffolded UK house, half stripped and half newly tiled

Roof replacement without the guesswork

What a full re-roof actually involves, what it should cost in 2026, and up to three free quotes from vetted local roofers.

Quick answer: a full roof replacement on a typical UK semi-detached house costs £5,500 to £14,000 in 2026, including scaffolding and waste removal, and takes 3 to 7 working days. Vetted local roofers quote free through Expert Roofers.

Roof replacement is the biggest single job most homeowners will ever commission on their house, and the one where the gap between a good firm and a bad one costs the most. A proper re-roof is a system: membrane, battens, covering, leadwork and ventilation all renewed together, signed off against building regulations and guaranteed in writing.

What roof replacement covers

A full replacement strips the old covering back to the rafters, then rebuilds: new breathable membrane, new treated battens, the new covering in tile or slate with matching ridges and hips, renewed leadwork and flashings around chimneys and valleys, and ventilation to current regulations. Waste removal, scaffolding and the building regs sign-off should all be inside the quote, not extras discovered later. If only one section of the roof has failed, a repair or partial re-tile may be the smarter spend; if it is a flat roof you are replacing, see flat roof replacement instead.

When replacement is the right call

Tiles crumbling or delaminating across the roof, not just in one spot.
Repairs recurring every year, each one chasing the last.
Widespread nail fatigue: tiles slipping in different places because the fixings have corroded.
Daylight or water staining across the loft, with brittle or torn underfelt.
A survey flagging the roof when buying or selling, which usually means a five-figure negotiation point.

If you are not sure which side of the line you are on, the signs you need a new roof guide walks through it symptom by symptom.

How a re-roof is done

Survey and itemised quote. Roof measured, condition assessed, materials specified in writing.
Scaffolding up. Usually a day or two before the strip starts.
Strip and inspect. Old covering off, timbers checked; any structural repairs priced before they are done.
Membrane and battens. New breathable membrane and treated battens across the whole roof.
Covering, leadwork and ventilation. Tiles or slates laid, ridges and hips fixed, flashings renewed, vents fitted to regulation.
Sign-off and guarantee. Building regs completion through a competent person scheme, plus a written, ideally insurance-backed guarantee.

Most re-roofs take 3 to 7 working days on site: nearer 3 for a terrace, nearer 7 for a large detached house.

What a roof replacement costs

Property	Typical roof area	Total cost range
Mid-terrace	45 – 60 m²	£4,500 – £9,500
Semi-detached	70 – 90 m²	£5,500 – £14,000
Detached	100 – 140 m²	£8,000 – £20,000

Material choice sets where you land in each range: concrete tiles at the bottom, natural slate at the top. The full new roof cost guide breaks prices down by material, region and everything a quote should include.

Red flag: a quote thousands below the others usually means something is missing: no membrane, no scaffold, no written guarantee, or cash only. Our guide to reading roofing quotes shows what a complete quote looks like line by line.

Why use a vetted roofer

On a five-figure job, vetting is not optional. Every roofer in the Expert Roofers network is checked for insurance, trading history and real customer feedback, and each quote is itemised so you can compare like with like against the fair rates above rather than guessing which number to trust.

Get real prices for your re-roof

Up to three itemised quotes from vetted local roofers, checked against the fair rates on this page. Free, no obligation.

Get my free quotes

Roof replacement FAQs

Roof replacement questions, answered

A full roof replacement on a typical UK semi-detached house costs £5,500 to £14,000 in 2026, including scaffolding and waste removal. A mid-terrace runs £4,500 to £9,500 and a large detached house £8,000 to £20,000. The material is the biggest single variable: concrete tiles sit at the bottom of each range and natural slate at the top. See the new roof cost guide for the full breakdown.

Most UK re-roofs take 3 to 7 working days once scaffolding is up: around 3 to 4 days for a terrace or small semi, 5 to 7 for a detached house, longer if structural timber repairs are found or the weather turns. Scaffolding usually goes up a day or two before work starts.

Yes. All the work happens outside and the roof is protected with temporary coverings between shifts, so the house stays weathertight. Expect noise during working hours, some dust in the loft, and scaffolding around the property for the duration of the job.

Usually not for a like-for-like replacement, which falls under permitted development. You will need building regulations approval, normally handled by the roofer through a competent person scheme, and permission may be needed in conservation areas, on listed buildings, or if you change the roof's height or materials significantly. See our planning permission guide.

Replacement is the right call when the covering itself has failed rather than a few tiles: crumbling or delaminating tiles across the roof, widespread nail fatigue, daylight visible through the loft, or repairs recurring every year. If repairs would cost more than about a quarter of a re-roof, replacing usually works out cheaper over time. The signs you need a new roof guide walks through it.