Most people ringing a roofer want to know two things: how bad is it, and what's it going to cost. This page answers both as honestly as we can without seeing your roof — including the part most roofing companies never explain, which is why a "small" repair can still run into four figures.
Water coming in right now? Call 0117 905 9012. We run a 24 hour emergency service across Bristol and South Gloucestershire, and we'd rather talk to you than have you fill in a form while your ceiling gets worse.
Here's the thing nobody tells you before the quote arrives: on most repairs, the biggest single cost isn't the tiles or the labour. It's getting safely up there.
The Health and Safety Executive is clear that almost all domestic roof work requires scaffolding, with edge protection at the eaves and gable ends. On terraced properties that means front and back. Chimneys and roof windows need it too. Ladders are permitted to reach the roof and for genuinely brief tasks, but working from a ladder is a last resort, not a normal way to repair a roof.
Scaffolding on an average Bristol semi runs somewhere between £600 and £1,200 before anyone has touched a tile. That's why replacing two slipped tiles can cost £900 rather than £90 — and why a roofer who offers to nip up a ladder and do it for a hundred quid is either uninsured, cutting corners, or both.
One practical consequence worth knowing: because the access is the expensive part, it's almost always worth doing everything the roof needs while the scaffold is up. If we're there for a chimney flashing and the ridge mortar is also going, doing both now costs far less than doing them two years apart. We'll always tell you what we can see, and you decide.
These are honest working ranges for domestic properties around Bristol and South Gloucestershire. They are not quotes — every roof is different, and the only way to get a real number is for someone to look at it.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Gutter clearing or minor work at eaves level | £120 – £300 |
| Emergency make-safe and temporary sheeting | £250 – £600 |
| Small repair using a mobile tower | £400 – £900 |
| Scaffolding hire, typical domestic property | £600 – £1,200 |
| Slipped or broken tiles, scaffolded | £800 – £1,600 |
| Ridge re-bedding or dry ridge system | £900 – £1,900 |
| Chimney flashing replacement | £900 – £1,800 |
| Valley replacement | £1,200 – £2,400 |
| Small flat roof in EPDM, garage or porch | £1,500 – £3,000 |
| Chimney repointing or full rebuild | £1,200 – £4,500 |
| Storm damage across multiple areas | £1,500 – £4,000+ |
On storm damage in particular: every emergency repair is its own puzzle. High winds rarely damage one thing neatly — you might have lost ridge tiles, torn the flashing and cracked a valley all in the same night, and some of it won't be visible until someone is up there. Anyone quoting you a firm price for storm damage over the phone is guessing. The only sensible route is to get us out, look properly, and give you a real figure.
Nobody wants to be talked into a new roof they didn't need. Equally, nobody wants to spend £1,200 three years running on a roof that was finished five years ago.
We'll tell you honestly which side of that line your roof sits on. Sometimes that means talking you out of work you'd already decided to have done.
If you'd rather know what's actually wrong before committing to scaffolding, we can carry out a drone roof inspection. You get clear photographs of the real problem, which means you're making a decision based on evidence rather than someone's word for it.
A free quote with no obligation, a fixed price agreed before we start, and no hidden extras once the scaffold is up. All work is covered by insurance-backed guarantees of up to 20 years through the Confederation of Roofing Contractors, which means your deposit is protected and the guarantee stands whatever happens to us. We're also fully insured and members of TrustMark, HomePro and Fair Trades.
Tell us your postcode and what's happening, and we'll arrange a time to come and look properly.
Call 0117 905 9012 Request a Free QuoteBecause HSE guidance requires safe access with edge protection for almost all domestic roof work, and working from a ladder is only permitted as a last resort for very brief tasks. It isn't us being awkward. A roofer working off a ladder on your roof slope is putting themselves at risk and may well invalidate their insurance — and yours if something goes wrong.
Sometimes, yes. If a temporary repair genuinely buys you useful time we'll say so and price it accordingly. What we won't do is take money for a patch we know will fail in three months without telling you that's what it is.
The work itself is often a day or less. The scaffold usually goes up the day before and comes down a day or two after, so allow three to four days end to end for a typical scaffolded repair.
Often, yes, if the damage is sudden and storm-related rather than gradual wear. We're used to providing the photographs and written detail insurers ask for. We can't deal with your insurer on your behalf, but we can make sure you have what you need.
For emergencies across Bristol and South Gloucestershire, usually the same day. For a routine quote, generally within a few days. Call 0117 905 9012 and we'll tell you honestly rather than promise something we can't do.
No. Quotes are free and there's no obligation, wherever you are in our coverage area.
We'll stop, tell you, and give you a revised price before doing anything extra. You won't get a bill that's larger than the quote without having agreed to it first.
We carry out repairs throughout the area, including Brislington, Fishponds, Clifton, Downend, Yate, Thornbury and Bradley Stoke. See the full list on our areas we cover page, or read more about our roofing services across Bristol.
