With us, a new roof on a London terraced or semi-detached house costs about £180 to £250 per m² in fibre-cement slate and about £280 to £380 per m² in clay plain tiles, including scaffold, skip and VAT. On a roof of 60 to 90 m² that comes to roughly £11,000 to £22,000 in slate and £17,000 to £34,000 in clay tiles. National guides put new roof cost at £90 to £275 per m². In July 2026 one London roof was priced in both materials, four days apart, and the two quotes show where the money goes.
Our new roof prices in London
| New covering | About, including VAT |
|---|---|
| Fibre-cement slate | £180 to £250 per m², roughly £11,000 to £22,000 for a 60 to 90 m² roof |
| Clay plain tiles | £280 to £380 per m², roughly £17,000 to £34,000 for a 60 to 90 m² roof |
These are our own ranges for stripping the roof back to the rafters and re-covering it, with new membrane and battens, ridge, leadwork at chimneys and walls, scaffold and the skip. Natural slate, concrete tiles, flat roofs and detached houses are priced from a survey. New rafters, rooflights, chimney rebuilding and extra insulation are priced separately if the roof needs them.
One roof, priced in slate and in clay tiles
These quotations were prepared in July 2026 by our director's earlier business, before Vayton was set up, for a main contractor working on a house in outer London. The roof was about 80 m² gross across two main slopes, with two chimneys, two rooflights and two new rear dormers to frame and weather in. The main contractor supplied the scaffold and the skip, so neither is in these figures. The first quote, on 3 July, was for blue-black fibre-cement slates.
| Fibre-cement slate quote, 3 July 2026 | Excluding VAT, scaffold and skip |
|---|---|
| Site set-up and protection | £650 |
| Strip the old covering, underlay and battens back to the rafters | £1,050 |
| Breathable membrane, graded battens and eaves trays | £1,550 |
| Supply and fix fibre-cement slates to both slopes | £3,350 |
| Lead aprons, soakers and flashings around the two new dormers | £1,250 |
| Lead flashings at two chimneys and around two rooflights | £1,200 |
| Dry-fix ridge, final checks and gutter clearing | £650 |
| Nails, rivets, clips, sealants and deliveries | £300 |
| Frame and board the two rear dormer shells | £2,250 |
| Total | £12,200 (£14,640 with VAT) |
Four days later the specification changed to Marley clay plain tiles, with marine plywood in place of OSB on the dormer frames. The revised quote also took in re-covering a small front dormer roof and its two valleys, and came to £18,250 before VAT.
| Same house, two quotes | Slate, then clay plain tiles |
|---|---|
| Price excluding VAT | £12,200, then £18,250 |
| Per m² of roof | about £153, then about £228 |
| Pieces to fix per m² | about 13, then about 60 |
| Working days on the roof | 8 to 11, then 10 to 14 |
| Deposit before ordering | 40%, then 50% |
The clay version cost half as much again. A little of that was the front dormer, and most of it was the tiles: materials came to £10,750, close to 60% of the revised price. A plain tile is small, so a square metre takes about 60 of them against about 13 fibre-cement slates, and each one is nailed, cut or fitted around a valley by hand. The labour line hardly moved because the rate had already been agreed with the main contractor. On a homeowner's roof we allow for the slower laying in the price, which is one reason our clay-tile range sits well above our slate range. The bigger tile order also pushed the deposit up to half the price, because the tiles are bought before the old roof comes off.
The two dormer frames were a small part of either quote. Framing and boarding two bare timber shells came to £2,250 before VAT and about 3 working days. Windows, the flat roof covering, insulation, plaster and stairs were all outside it, which is why a finished dormer room costs many times more. Our guide to dormer loft conversions covers the full job.
How much does a new roof cost per m²?
About £180 to £250 per m² in fibre-cement slate and £280 to £380 per m² in clay plain tiles with us, scaffold and VAT included. The national figure of £90 to £275 per m² mixes cheap and dear materials and often leaves out scaffold. A per m² price also hides the fixed details. In the slate quote, the leadwork at the chimneys, rooflights and dormers came to £2,450, about £30 for every square metre of an 80 m² roof, and a roof with more valleys, chimneys or dormers carries more of it.
What the quote left out
Scaffold and its loading platform, the skip and any council permits came from the main contractor. Both quotes also excluded new rooflights, the dormer windows and their flat roof covering, chimney rebuilding or repointing, steelwork, the engineer, Building Control and planning. They allowed for checking the rafters once the old covering was off and reporting any defect before covering again. Rotten rafters or battens only show at that point, so a price for repairs found on the day is worth agreeing before work starts. In London the council has to license any scaffold on the pavement and give a permit for a skip on the road, and both take a few days' notice.
Do you need building regulations approval for a new roof?
Often, yes, when the material changes. The Planning Portal says approval is likely to be needed when a roof is re-covered in a different material, such as slate to tiles, so that Building Control can check the structure, fire safety and energy efficiency. A covering that is much heavier or lighter than the old one can mean strengthening the roof. Moving to clay plain tiles is that kind of change, so have an engineer check the rafters before the tiles are ordered. Replacing the whole covering can also mean the loft insulation has to be brought up to a reasonable standard. Re-roofing a house rarely needs planning permission, but check first if it is listed or in a conservation area.
How long does it take to replace a roof?
The slate quote allowed 5 to 8 working days for the main roof and about 3 more for the dormer frames, so 8 to 11 working days in all. The clay version allowed 10 to 14. Add a day or two at each end for the scaffold, and leave room for rain, because a stripped roof is only covered by membrane until the new tiles or slates are on.
Getting your new roof priced
We replace and repair roofs across London, and the first visit is free, with no obligation to order. Send us photographs of the roof from the street and from the garden, a photograph of the rafters from inside the loft, and say what the roof is covered in now if you know. We will tell you which of the ranges above your roof is likely to fall in before we visit. See our roof repairs page for smaller jobs, or send us the details.