Roofers in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire
New roof in Llanelli: one job, then decades of not thinking about it
If you are paying for repairs every winter, a re-roof may cost less in the long run. Say what the house is and what covers the roof now, and a local roofer will call about a free quote.
- Full strip and re-roof in slate, fibre cement or tile
- New felt, battens, ridge, verges and leadwork included
- Building regulations in Wales explained in plain words
- Published UK cost ranges to read before anyone visits
When every winter brings another bill
You know the roof is old. You have had slates put back, the ridge pointed, a patch of felt replaced over the bathroom. Each job was fair enough when it was done.
But add up the last five years. Add the painting afterwards, and the night you spent moving buckets. And think about the next gale warning on the forecast, and how you feel when you hear it.
There comes a point where the roof is taking more than it gives. A new one is a large sum in one go. In return you get a house that stays dry and a bill that stops coming.
From damp patch to a price, in three moves
Describe what you can see
Write down what you have noticed from the ground or from indoors: a slate in the gutter, a stain on a ceiling, water running down the wall behind a downpipe. Add your name, a phone number and the part of Llanelli you are in.
A roofer from your side of town rings
Your phone goes at the hour you asked for. Expect a few plain questions about the house and the roof, and for most jobs a time to come round and have a proper look.
You get a figure and think it over
Have the price put in writing, with a line on what it covers. Take as long as you like over it. If it does not suit you, say so and that is the end of it.
What a re-roof includes
- Scaffolding to the eaves on each side being worked on
- The old covering, felt and battens stripped and taken away
- Rafters checked, and any rotten timber cut out and replaced
- New breathable felt and treated battens
- The new covering laid and fixed
- New ridge, verges, valleys and lead flashing
- The site cleared and the gutters left clean
Ask for each of those to be named in the quote. Checkatrade's roof replacement guide says scaffolding is generally not included unless the quote says so, and gives £700 to £1,300 for putting it up, taking it down and weekly hire. It suggests £1,000 to £2,500 for removing the old roof if that is priced separately.
What a new roof tends to cost
The guide prices by roof shape. A gable roof has two slopes and a triangle of wall at each end. A hip roof slopes on every side. A survey is included here too, in case you want the roof checked first.
Every figure here is a typical UK guide price read from the published guide named with it. Not one is a quote for your roof. What your own job comes to depends on the size and height of the roof, how easy it is to reach, the materials and what turns up once the old covering is lifted. Most of the guides give their prices before VAT.
The whole price list in one table
| Job | UK guide price |
|---|---|
| Roof surveyA roof survey with a report. The guide's average is £375. It puts a simpler roof inspection at about £260. | £300 to £500typical about £375 |
| New roof on a house: Gable roof (two slopes)Replacing a gable roof of 64 square metres. The same guide puts a typical three-bedroom semi at around £12,000 and the UK average for all roof replacements at around £8,000. | £7,000 to £16,250 |
| New roof on a house: Hip roof (slopes on all sides)Replacing a hip roof of 64 square metres. The guide says slate and more complex shapes sit at the top of the range. | £9,250 to £18,000 |
Every figure here is a typical UK guide price read from the published guide named with it. Not one is a quote for your roof. What your own job comes to depends on the size and height of the roof, how easy it is to reach, the materials and what turns up once the old covering is lifted. Most of the guides give their prices before VAT.
The published guides these prices were read from
Choosing the covering
On an old Llanelli terrace the roof was built for slate. You have three realistic choices.
- Natural slate. New, or your own sound slates laid again and topped up. It keeps the look of the street and suits the frame. It costs the most.
- Fibre cement slate. Thin, light and uniform. Cheaper than natural slate, with a shorter life.
- Concrete or clay tile. Cheapest for materials. Heavier than slate, so the frame must be checked and may need strengthening.
The Welsh Government's guidance on re-roofing says that where the new covering is significantly heavier or lighter than the old one, the roof structure may need modifying or strengthening, and that you are advised to check with a structural engineer or surveyor first. Our article on slate or tile for a re-roof looks at the choice in more depth, and slate roofing in Llanelli explains re-laying old slate.
Approval and insulation in Wales
Wales has its own building regulations. The Welsh Government's guidance says re-roofing an existing building will need building regulations approval in most situations. It also treats the roof as a thermal element, which means a re-cover should include improving the insulation.
In practice a roofer either arranges approval through Carmarthenshire County Council's building control, or belongs to a competent person scheme and certifies the work. Ask which, and ask for the certificate at the end. You will want it when you sell.
Planning permission is a separate matter. The Welsh Government says it is not normally needed to re-roof a house, provided the new materials match the appearance of the old as far as possible. Listed buildings and homes in the Llanelli conservation area are the exceptions, so speak to the council first if that is you.
Roofing work in Llanelli
- Roof and leak repairsLeaks traced, slates and ridges re-fixed, lead put right.
- Emergency rooferRain coming in or roof damage after a gale.
- Slate roofingSlates replaced, slopes re-laid, old slate reused where sound.
- Flat roofsExtensions, garages and dormers patched or re-covered.
- Chimneys and leadworkRepointing, lead flashing, pots, rebuilds and removals.
- Guttering, fascias and soffitsGutters cleared and replaced, roofline boards renewed.
Llanelli and the places round it
Roofing help for the whole town, the villages on its edge and the coast as far as Burry Port.
- Town centre, Bigyn and Tyisha
- New Dock, Morfa and Machynys
- Sandy and Stradey
- Felinfoel
- Swiss Valley
- Dafen
- Pemberton and Trostre
- Llwynhendy and Bynea
- Pwll
- Burry Port and Pembrey
- Llangennech
- Trimsaran
- Kidwelly
- Loughor
Plain facts before you fill it in
- No bill for asking. There is no fee for sending the form and no fee for the call. Turning a price down costs nothing either.
- The form is brief. Your name, a number, your area and what is wrong. The number of your house and your email address are not asked for.
- The prices are not ours. Each figure on these pages was read from a published UK cost guide, and the guide is named and linked next to it. Use them to get your bearings. A real price needs someone to look at your own roof.
- Your details go no further than the job. They are used so a roofer can ring you about your roof. Nobody buys them, and you will not end up on a marketing list.
Common questions
What is the average cost of replacing a roof in the UK?
Checkatrade's roof replacement guide gives a UK average of around £8,000, with most homeowners spending between £4,000 and £19,000. It puts a typical three-bedroom semi at around £12,000 and a four-bedroom detached house at about £17,000. Larger, more complex slate roofs are at the top of the range. The guide's price table is given before VAT.
What is the best time of year to replace a roof?
Late spring to early autumn gives the longest dry spells, so the roof is open for the shortest time. Roofers work all year, though, and a roof that is leaking should not be left until summer. There is more in our article on the best time of year for roof work.
Can I stay in the house during a re-roof?
Yes, in nearly all cases. It is noisy and dusty in the loft, so cover or move anything stored there. The roof is stripped in sections and covered each night, so the house stays dry.
The roof will not hold its price
A worn roof costs you twice: once in repairs and again in the damage each leak leaves behind. Wet timber and ruined insulation add to the price of the re-roof when it finally comes. Getting a figure now means you can plan for it, in a dry month, on your own terms.
Say the type of house, what the roof is made of and where in Llanelli. Then send the form. Your quote comes without a fee.