Question answered
What should a roof replacement quote include?
The short answer
A roof replacement quote should say in writing what is being stripped and replaced, the named covering, underlay, battens and fixings, what happens to damaged timbers, how Building Regulations are handled, what guarantee comes with the work, when it starts, and whether VAT, scaffold and waste are in the price. All of it should arrive as one total price after a survey.
A new roof is a big job, and a vague quote leaves gaps that surface halfway through the work. These are the points a good written quote settles before anything is stripped.
Scope: the extent of the stripping
Start with the extent. State whether the job is the full roof or chosen slopes, and what sits alongside the covering: ridges, hips, verges, the lead flashings at walls and chimneys, and whether gutters and fascias are part of the job or left alone. If something is not mentioned, ask whether it is in or out.
For a semi-detached house, MyBuilder's new roof guide (updated 21/08/2026) shows £5,000 to £8,000 for a gable roof and £8,000 to £12,000 for a hipped one. The shape of the roof, its size and the access move the price a long way, which is why a written quote can only follow a survey of your own roof.
For the wider picture and the factors behind it, read our page on new roof cost. The full service is described on the roof replacement page.
The covering, underlay and fixings
Look for a named product, not just the word tiles. The make and profile decide the lowest pitch the roof can take, and each product's own data sheet has the last word on that. A covering laid below its limit is a leak waiting for a gale.
The quote should also name the underlay and battens, and say how everything is fixed. Since the 2014 revision of BS 5534, ridge and hip tiles are clipped or screwed as well as bedded, and where a dry-fix system replaces mortar at ridges, hips and verges, ask for one made to BS 8612:2018. Where lead is used for flashings, ask which code.
The covering you choose sets how long the roof can be expected to last, a subject taken up in what roofing material lasts the longest. A written description of the exact materials also stops the specification drifting downwards once the work is underway.
Timbers: the unknown under the old covering
Rafters, battens and wall plates are hidden until the old covering comes off. If water has been getting in for years, some may be soft. A quote cannot see through tiles, so ask how the roofer will handle timber that turns out to be rotten.
The answer should be written down before the roof is opened: who tells you, how quickly, with what evidence, and how a change is agreed. We photograph what we find, so any change is something you have seen for yourself before a decision is made.
The condition of the structure also helps decide whether repair or full replacement is the better job, the question behind repair or replace. Sound timbers keep the job simple; rotten ones add work, and an honest roofer will say so early.
Ask, too, whether the old battens are reused or renewed. Fresh battens on a new roof are normal, and the quote should confirm it.
Building control, planning and the thermal upgrade
According to the Planning Portal, you will not normally need building control for re-covering a roof if under 25 per cent of the total building envelope and under 50 per cent of the roof is affected. Exceed either limit and approval is needed, and Part L may also ask for better roof insulation.
Approval is also needed where a heavier new covering adds 15 per cent or more to the loading on the roof. A good quote says who handles the notification, whether to the council or to a registered building control approver, and who is responsible for it. Where the work is notifiable, we explain the consent route and make the Building Regulations notification ourselves.
Replacing a roof like for like seldom needs planning permission, though a listed building or an Article 4 area can alter that, so ask the Adur and Worthing planning team. If a loft conversion is on the way, say so before the roof is done; reroof before a loft conversion explains why.
Start date, VAT and the paperwork
The quote should give a start date and an expected duration, and say how long its price holds. It should say whether the price includes VAT, which is charged at the standard 20 per cent on a re-roof, and whether it includes scaffold, a skip and clearing the site.
Ask any roofer to put the guarantee in writing as well. Check who gives it, what it covers (workmanship, materials or both), how long it runs and whether a policy stands behind it. A tile maker's warranty is a different thing from the roofer's own cover for the work.
If you plan to live in the house throughout, staying in your house during a re-roof covers what to expect, and it is worth asking the roofer how each stage will run.
Finally, keep the written quote, the survey photographs and any change you agreed in one place. They are your record if a question comes up later.
Scaffold and how long a price holds
Should a roof replacement quote include scaffolding?
Check, because some prices include it and some do not. MyBuilder's scaffolding guide gives about £850 to £1,200 for an ordinary two-storey house (updated 21/08/2026). If the scaffold will stand on the public highway, West Sussex County Council licenses it, and the scaffold firm does the applying.
How long should a roof quote stay valid?
A quote should state its own validity period in writing, because material prices and availability move. If the date has passed, ask for the price to be confirmed rather than assuming it still stands.
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.