Haverhill Roofers fits new pitched roofs for homeowners in Saffron Walden and the surrounding villages - here's exactly what happens from the first visit to the final clean-up.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
A new roof is one of the larger jobs a homeowner is likely to commission, and it's reasonable to want to know what's involved before you commit. This page walks through the process in order - what we look at, what decisions need to be made and when, and what the finished job should include.
Before any work is scoped or priced, the roof needs to be physically inspected. A look from the ground tells you very little. A proper survey means getting onto the roof and into the loft space.
On the roof, we check the condition of the existing tiles or slates, the state of the ridge and verge mortar or dry-fix system, the flashings around chimneys and abutments, and the guttering and fascia boards. In the loft, we look at the rafter structure for signs of spread, rot or previous botched repairs, and check whether the existing underlay is intact or has failed.
This survey is what a quote should be based on. Any roofer who prices a job from photos or a description without physically getting up on the roof is guessing - and those guesses tend to get revised upwards once work starts.
Once the survey is done, we talk through what we found and what the job involves. For a full re-roof this means agreeing the tile or slate material (concrete tiles, clay tiles, natural slate or Suffolk pantiles), the underlay specification, whether any structural timber needs to be replaced, and how ridges and verges will be finished.
If the property is in a conservation area or there's any planning consideration, that needs to be confirmed before materials are ordered. It's worth checking with the local planning authority early - not after materials have been delivered.
A written scope of work protects you. Before work starts, you should have a clear document listing what will be stripped, what will be replaced, what materials will be used and what the agreed price is. Ask for this if it isn't offered.
For any pitched roof above single-storey height, scaffold is required for safe access and to comply with working at height regulations. The scaffold is normally erected before the roofing crew arrives and stays in place until the job is complete and any snagging is done.
On the ground, a skip or large bags should be positioned to take the stripped material. Old tiles are heavy and can't simply be dropped into a garden - expect a skip to take up space on the drive or roadway for the duration. If you need to arrange a skip permit for the public highway, your roofer should flag this in advance.
Roof work generates noise and dust. If you have neighbours in close proximity, it's courteous to give them a few days' notice before work begins. A good roofer will take care around guttering, windows and anything beneath the working area, but it's worth having any vehicles moved clear of the drop zone.
The existing tiles, slates or other covering come off first. This is the point where the full extent of the job becomes clear. Battens that looked sound from outside sometimes show rot once stripped, and rafter ends at the eaves are a common place to find decay caused by years of gutter overflow.
Any rotten or damaged timber is cut out and new treated timber spliced in or sistered alongside the existing rafters. This structural work is not optional - laying new tiles over compromised timbers shortens the life of the new roof and can create a safety issue. If additional timber work is found beyond what was anticipated in the survey, a good roofer will show you what they found before doing the work and agree the cost with you.
Once the structure is sound, a new underlay is laid across the roof deck before any battens go on. Modern roofs use a breathable membrane rather than the old bitumen felt. A breathable membrane allows moisture vapour from inside the house to escape while keeping wind-driven rain out. This matters because trapped moisture causes the batten rot and rafter decay that shortens roof life.
New pressure-treated battens are then fixed across the rafters at the correct gauge for the tile or slate being used. The gauge - the spacing between battens - is critical. It determines the headlap on each tile course, which controls how much overlap there is between rows. Too little headlap and the roof will leak in wind-driven rain. The correct gauge is calculated from the tile manufacturer's specification for the roof pitch, not guessed at.
Tiles are fixed from the eaves upward. The first course overhangs the fascia board by the correct amount to throw water into the gutter rather than behind it. Each tile is clipped or nailed according to the manufacturer's fixing specification - which varies depending on the pitch, exposure and tile type. Tiles at the verge, eaves and ridge are always fully fixed; in sheltered lower-slope areas some manufacturers allow every other tile to be clipped rather than nailed, but in exposed positions all tiles should be individually fixed.
Valleys - where two roof slopes meet - require particular care. Cut tiles in a valley must be supported on valley boards and the junction must be adequately weathered. This is one of the details that's easiest to cut corners on and one of the most common sources of later leaks.
Lead flashings are dressed around every chimney, soil pipe, skylight and abutment before the ridge is completed. Lead is the material of choice for flashings because it conforms to irregular shapes, can be re-dressed if disturbed, and lasts many decades when correctly installed. Step flashings at chimney sides and cover flashings at abutments must be correctly chased into the mortar joints of brickwork, not just stuck to the surface.
Ridge tiles are bedded on mortar or dry-fixed with a proprietary system. Dry-fix ridges have become standard on new roofs because mortar ridges can crack and lift over time, whereas a mechanically fixed dry system remains secure as the roof moves through seasonal temperature changes. The same applies to verge details - a dry-fix or mechanically clipped verge will outlast a mortar verge.
Once the ridge is complete, new fascia boards and guttering are often fitted at the same time if the originals are in poor condition - it makes sense to do this while the scaffold is up. The roof is then checked course by course for any tiles that aren't seated correctly, any gaps in the verge or ridge line, and any flashing that needs final dressing.
The scaffold comes down once any snagging is resolved. Waste material should be removed from site as part of the job - confirm this is included in your quote rather than assuming it. After the scaffold is gone, a final check from ground level and from inside the loft on the next rainy day is a reasonable thing to do before signing off the work as complete.
We carry out new roof installations for homeowners in Saffron Walden and the villages around it, working from Haverhill. The area we cover includes Great Sampford, Castle Camps, Steeple Bumpstead, Clare, Poslingford, Kedington, Sturmer, Ashen and Stoke by Clare. If you'd like us to come and survey your roof, call Haverhill Roofers and we'll arrange a visit.
No obligation · We'll call you to arrange a free visit
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
