Question answered
How much does a roofer charge per day or per hour?
The short answer
Published UK guides put a roofer's rate at about £35 to £45 per hour or £280 to £360 per day (Checkatrade), and £250 to £300 per day (MyBuilder). Roofing work is rarely priced by the hour. A written quote gives one total for the whole job, covering labour, materials, access and clearing the site, and it follows a survey.
Published guides put a roofer's rate at roughly £35 to £45 an hour or £250 to £360 a day. Roofing jobs are not usually priced that way, because materials, access and scaffolding shape the total.
The published day and hourly ranges
Checkatrade's roof repair cost guide (updated October 2026) gives roofers' rates as £35 to £45 per hour or £280 to £360 per day. MyBuilder's new roof cost guide (updated 21 August 2026) gives a day rate of £250 to £300 for roofers, and labour of £50 to £130 per m² when a roof is re-covered. These are published national figures rather than a price list of ours, and Checkatrade's can exclude VAT, so check before you compare.
Rates vary with region, the trade involved, the height and difficulty of the roof and the season. A slater or a leadworker is usually a specialist and may charge more than a general roofer. A day rate also covers one person, so two or three people on a roof will cost more per day, though the job usually finishes sooner.
Why most roofing jobs are priced as a whole
An hourly figure tells you little because a roof job is more than hours. A ridge or flashing repair starts with finding the cause, which can mean time in the loft as well as on the slope, and the fix itself is only part of the day. Materials, getting to the roof safely, taking away waste and making good all sit around the labour.
For that reason a roofer should quote the job as a whole. Our price reaches you in writing as one sum after the survey, alongside pictures of the roof. You see the fault, the proposed work and the figure, and you can ask what sits inside it. This is the approach at Watertight Worthing Roofing, and it avoids the open-ended bill that an hourly rate can produce. If a roofer insists on charging by the hour with no limit, ask for a clear cap or a fixed total in writing before any work starts.
What moves the total up or down
Access is often the biggest variable. A low bungalow eaves line may be reached with a ladder or a small tower, whereas a tall terrace on a busy road needs a full scaffold, and that changes both the cost and the time. MyBuilder's scaffolding guide gives around £850 to £1,200 for a typical two-storey house, and Checkatrade's re-roof guide gives £700 to £1,300. Where poles or boards sit over the public footway, the highway authority issues a licence on the scaffold firm's application. Ask who is arranging it and when, because the council asks for notice.
The covering matters too. Slate, clay and concrete tiles, lead and single-ply membranes all take different skills and time. Steepness, how many valleys and chimneys there are, and how sound the timbers are beneath the covering all change the number of days. Typical repair costs run from £150 to £1,500 in MyBuilder's guide, which shows how wide the spread is.
How to compare a day rate with a quote
If a roofer quotes a day rate, ask how many days and how many people they expect, and what the materials will cost. Multiply, add scaffold and waste, and check whether VAT is on top. If a roofer gives a total price, ask what it covers instead: the materials by type, how ridges and verges are secured, and what cover comes with the work.
The aim is to compare the same work, not the same rate. Our guide on how many roofing quotes to get covers that, and the page on typical roofing costs gives ranges by job. Treat a very low rate with caution, and treat pressure to pay a large sum in advance as a red flag. Our page on doorstep roofers explains why.
Paying, paperwork and cancelling
Agree in writing what is being done, the total price, any payment stages and when the work will start. A staged payment tied to progress is normal on a larger job; a large deposit demanded up front is not. If you sign the contract in your own home, you usually have 14 days to change your mind, and our page on the roofing cooling-off period explains how that works and where it does not apply.
Check whether a quote includes VAT, since it can add a fifth to the figure. If you are looking for help with costs, see whether you can get a grant for a new roof, and for planning questions the roof planning permission guide. When we quote, the paper that follows our visit states the total in plain words, so there is nothing to decode. If a figure on any quote puzzles you, ask for it to be explained before you sign.
Roofer rates: two more questions
Is a day rate cheaper than a fixed quote?
Not necessarily. A day rate leaves the number of days open, so the final cost can drift upwards if the job runs long or the roof turns up extra faults. A fixed total fixes the price for the described work, as long as the scope is clear and any extras are agreed in writing.
Does the hourly rate include materials and scaffolding?
Usually not. Published hourly and day rates are for labour. Tiles, slates, lead, timber, scaffolding and waste disposal are extra, and VAT may be on top. Ask what a total price includes, and whether VAT and scaffold sit inside it, before comparing.
More quick answers
Tell us about your roof
Describe what is happening and we will call you back to arrange a visit.
- Photographs of what we find
- A written quote with one total price
- Or call 01903 299063
10-year workmanship guarantee, in writing.