Full strip-and-replace re-roof on a 1970s hipped detached — 142 m² of failed original concrete tiles taken back to the rafters, re-laid in Marley Modern interlocking tile, with full uPVC fascia and soffit upgrade and a Building Regs-compliant loft insulation top-up. Twelve working days, fixed price £14,200.
A young family who had bought their 1970s four-bed detached in Heaton Moor two years earlier had a clear picture of what they were buying: a sound house with a tired roof. Their homebuyer survey had flagged the roof as "approaching end of useful life", and two winters of small leaks into the back bedroom had confirmed it.
By the time they called us they had already received quotes from two larger regional roofers and one local one-man-band. The quotes ranged from £9,800 (no fascia work, mortar-bedded ridge) to £19,500 (premium plain-clay tile, full upgrade). Our brief was to come in, look at the actual roof, and put together a fixed-price scope that hit the right balance between cost, longevity and disruption to the family.
Our survey identified failing original concrete tiles across the entire pitch, perished bituminous Type 1F felt, batten decay in four localised sections, and rotten timber fascia at six junctions. We scoped a complete strip-and-replace in Marley Modern tile, dry-fix systems throughout, full uPVC fascia and soffit upgrade with proper roof ventilation, and a loft insulation top-up to current Building Regs as a separately-priced add-on. Twelve working days later it was finished, on programme, on price.
The client brief was practical rather than aesthetic. They wanted a roof that would still be on the house in thirty years and they wanted it dealt with once.
The contracted ceiling was £14,200 inclusive of VAT, scaffolding, materials, labour, waste and certification. The loft insulation add-on was priced at £350 fitted, decided on day 6 once the loft was clear of dust.
Six things made this re-roof more demanding than a quick suburban swap-out.
The original Type 1F bituminous underlay had reached the brittle stage. Lifting any tile broke the felt underneath. There was no question of patching or partial replacement — the entire 142 m² needed a full Klober breathable underlay layer specified into the contract from day one.
The original 38x19mm untreated softwood battens were marginal. Around 12% of total batten run showed visible decay or splitting, mostly along the rear hip and around the soil pipe penetration. Full batten replacement to current 50x25mm BS 5534 treated standard was scoped from day one rather than priced as a discovery.
Five separate hip lines, four valleys, two abutments. A simple gable roof of the same area would lay in eight working days; the hipped geometry needed an extra two days for the lead and dry-fix detail work alone. Programme built around the geometry, not against it.
Six fascia sections showed end-grain rot at hip-to-fascia junctions, classic 1970s detail failure. Painting was no longer an option. We scoped a full uPVC fascia and soffit replacement into the main contract rather than leaving it as a follow-up trade visit.
The original soffit ventilation was a thin, partially-blocked plastic strip. Current Approved Document F requires continuous 10mm equivalent eaves ventilation for a cold pitched roof. A re-roof is the right moment to bring it up to standard. The new uPVC soffit specification included a continuous vented strip with insect mesh.
Booked into an early-autumn slot with three contingency days built in. Tarp-and-go was the rule, not the exception. Two part-rain days called and worked through with weighted tarps over partially-stripped sections. No water in the loft at any point during the build.
Suburban re-roofs are won or lost on three things: scope honesty, speed of execution, and aftercare. Our approach was built around those.
Survey before quote, not after deposit. Two of the four quotes the client had received were ladder-tip estimates. Ours was an actual roof access survey, photographed, with a written scope letter explaining what we found and why each line item was on the quote. The client said afterwards it was the survey, not the price, that convinced them — they could finally see what was wrong with their roof.
Tile profile and colour matched on a physical sample. Marley Modern is available in five grey shades. We took three sample tiles to site before ordering, held them against the existing roof in different lights, and let the client choose the closest match. The chosen smooth-grey was within one shade of the original. No conservation officer needed; a heritage-sensitive choice anyway.
Dry-fix everything. Cement-bedded verges, ridges and hips are still the dominant approach in the trade. They look fine for five years and start cracking by year ten. Dry-fix systems use stainless steel screws and concealed clips: no maintenance, no future re-bedding, BS 8612 compliant. The cost premium is around £400 on a roof of this size. The maintenance saving is multiples of that across the warranty period.
Fascia and soffit done as one trade visit. Many roofing contractors quote a re-roof, then send a separate carpenter in for fascia work two months later. We scoped the uPVC upgrade into the main contract, did it on days 4 and 5 while the underlay was being laid, and saved the family a second round of scaffolding and disruption.
Loft insulation offered as opt-in mid-build. A re-roof is the only time in twenty years that the loft is fully clear and accessible. Offering a Building Regs-compliant insulation top-up at trade rates is honest value. The client took it. £350. Done in three hours by the same crew on day 11.
Twelve working days from scaffolding-up to scaffolding-down. Seven discrete stages, each photographed and signed off before the next began.
Insurance-grade tube-and-fitting scaffold erected to all four elevations of the hipped roof. Edge protection, ladder access, fall arrest, debris chute. Skip positioned on the driveway with permit. Front-garden plant beds protected with boards. Site induction recorded for the four-person crew.
Original concrete tiles stripped in controlled sequence, front pitch first, then sides and rear. Tiles broken on strip (most were unsalvageable) and skipped. Battens lifted, sarking and rafter zone inspected. Twelve percent of battens marked for replacement. Six fascia decay points photographed and confirmed against the contract scope.
Klober Permo Air breathable underlay installed across all 142 m² with 150mm laps. New 50x25mm BS 5534 graded treated battens fixed to gauge for Marley Modern (343mm gauge, 75mm lap). In parallel: timber fascia and soffit stripped off, replaced in 18mm uPVC fascia and 10mm vented uPVC soffit with continuous insect mesh. Photographed at every stage.
Marley Modern smooth-grey concrete interlocking tiles laid at 343mm gauge with 75mm headlap. Each tile clipped where required by BS 5534 wind-uplift calculation (every fifth tile in this exposure zone, every tile at perimeters). Approximately 1,400 tiles across four working days at a steady gauge of 35–40 m² per day.
SupaTile dry-fix verge system installed to all gable verges, mechanically fixed with stainless steel screws — no mortar bedding. Dry-fix ridge and hip system installed across all five hip lines and the main ridge, integrated with batten-end ventilation. BS 8612 compliant. Lead apron flashings hand-formed at the two abutments.
Original timber-fronted gutters stripped. Replacement 0.7mm seamless aluminium 125mm half-round gutters installed in black, with new 75mm round aluminium downpipes to four stacks. Loft insulation top-up (opt-in add-on): existing 100mm fibreglass topped with 170mm Knauf Earthwool to bring total depth to 270mm, current Approved Document L1B compliant.
Full roof access inspection by the project lead, drone photography of completed roof for the project file. Snagging walk-through with the client. Two minor items raised (one displaced soffit clip, one gutter clip alignment); both corrected in the same morning. Scaffolding struck. Site cleaned to broom-finish standard. Project file handed over: workmanship guarantee, manufacturer warranty, drone photographs, compliance notes.
Mid-market quality with the supporting numbers.
Marley Modern interlocking concrete tile, smooth-grey finish, 420 x 330mm. 343mm gauge, 75mm headlap. Approximately 9.7 tiles per m². 50-year manufacturer warranty.
Klober Permo Air vapour-permeable breathable underlay. 150mm horizontal laps, 100mm vertical, taped at all penetrations. Continuous over the entire pitched area.
50 x 25mm BS 5534 graded sawn softwood, factory-treated, gauge set to 343mm to suit Marley Modern. 100% replacement of original battens. Stainless steel ring-shank fixings.
SupaTile dry-fix verge, ridge and hip system, BS 8612 compliant. Stainless steel mechanical fixings throughout. Zero cement bedding. Integrated batten-end ventilation at ridge.
Each tile clipped per BS 5534 wind-uplift calculation for Stockport exposure zone. Every fifth tile in the field, every tile at perimeters and detail lines. Stainless steel tile clips.
Code 4 milled lead apron flashings to the two abutments and the front bay junction, hand-dressed on site. Lead soakers integrated with side-abutment tile courses.
18mm uPVC fascia in heritage black. 10mm vented uPVC soffit with continuous 10mm-equivalent ventilation strip and integrated insect mesh. Approved Document F compliant.
0.7mm seamless aluminium 125mm half-round gutters in heritage black. 75mm round aluminium downpipes to four stacks. All connections to existing gullies tested for fall and discharge.
Existing 100mm fibreglass retained, topped with 170mm Knauf Earthwool to bring total depth to 270mm. Approved Document L1B compliant. Three-hour fitting on day 11.
A fully re-roofed 1970s hipped detached with 142 m² of new Marley Modern concrete tile, dry-fix systems on every detail line, replaced uPVC fascia and soffit with current-Regs ventilation, replacement seamless aluminium gutters, and a Building Regs-compliant loft insulation upgrade — all delivered inside the contracted 12 working days at the contracted £14,200 plus the optional £350 insulation add-on.
The clients have now lived through one full winter under the new roof. Zero leaks reported. They tell us the back bedroom — previously the cold room of the house — now sits at the same temperature as the rest of upstairs, which they put down to the combination of the breathable underlay, sealed eaves, and the loft insulation top-up.
We had four quotes in the end and the prices were all over the place. What stood out about Building Group was the survey: they actually got up there and showed us photographs, then sent through a written scope explaining exactly what was wrong and why every line item was on the quote. Twelve days later we had a brand new roof, all the rotten fascia replaced, dry-fix everywhere, and we took up their offer to top up the loft insulation while they were already on site. The back bedroom went from being the coldest room in the house to a normal temperature overnight. Best money we have spent since we moved in.
If your roof is reaching end of life — cracked tiles, perished felt, sagging ridges, leaking gutters — we'll come out for a free roof access survey, take photographs of what's actually going on, and put a fixed-price re-roof contract on the table. No surprises, no escalation, fully warranted workmanship.
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