The Short Answer
Replacing a few broken or missing tiles costs about £90 to £480, and re-fixing a loose ridge £60 to £85 a metre. A failed chimney flashing is £540 to £720 without scaffold. Add £250 to £450 for a tower or £500 to £1,000 for scaffold on one side when the work can't be done safely from a ladder.
Check the joins first: the ridge, the valleys and around the chimney. I'd pay for a proper look before paying for a fix, and get a written note of the cause.
Roof repair cost checker
Tick what's wrong. Most of the cost difference between quotes is access, so pick how the roofer will get up there.
Estimated total
£90 to £480
| Replace up to five slipped or broken tiles | £90 to £480 |
Roof repair prices
| Repair | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Replace up to five slipped or broken tiles or slates | £90 to £480 |
| Re-bed or dry-fix a ridge, per metre | £60 to £85 |
| Re-fix a hip, per metre | £85 to £120 |
| Lead flashing (Code 5, up to 150mm), per metre | £60 to £85 |
| Stepped lead flashing, per metre | £95 to £140 |
| GRP valley lining, per metre | £35 to £50 |
| Patch torn underlay under a few tiles | £200 to £500 |
| Flat roof patch repair, per m² | £120 to £170 |
| Chimney flashing, all four sides, no scaffold | £540 to £720 |
Access: ladder, tower or scaffold?
HSE's rule for anyone working at height: a ladder is only for low-risk, short jobs, and as a guide, if the work means staying up a ladder for more than 30 minutes at a time, other equipment should be used. So quick fixes on a low roof may be done from ladders; anything longer needs a tower (£250 to £450 a week) or scaffold (£500 to £1,000 for one side, £600 to £980 for a chimney).
Warning signs, and where leaks come from
Which?'s list of early warning signs is a good one to work through:
- Damp patches, stains or drips indoors: often a cracked or slipped tile.
- A missing tile: get it replaced quickly. The gap lets water at the felt underneath and makes it easier for the wind to lift more tiles.
- The joins: the ridge along the top, the valleys where two slopes meet, and around the chimney. Chimney flashing is one of the commonest leak points.
- Daylight through the roof: call a roofer straight away.
- Flat roofs: cracks or splits at the edges, lumps, sagging, or damp patches on the ceiling below.
Have the roof and gutters looked at once a year, especially once the roof is 25 years old or more, and look up after strong winds, heavy rain or snow.
Storm damage and insurance
Storm damage claims are often turned down as wear and tear. When a declined claim reaches the Financial Ombudsman, it asks three things: were there storm conditions around the date, does the damage look like storm damage, and was the storm the main cause or would it have happened anyway? So take photos before anything is moved, note the date, keep any tiles that came down, and ask the roofer for a short written report on the cause. Make temporary repairs to stop water getting in.
Repair or a new roof?
A repair is almost always cheaper, as long as it will actually fix the problem and last. Roofing quotes can fairly be estimates, because nobody can see the battens and underlay until tiles come off. If you're paying for scaffold again and again, compare against new roof costs. Flat roofs have their own page: flat roof repair and replacement.
A correction
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Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to replace a few roof tiles?
About £90 to £480 for one to six broken or missing tiles, more if a tower (£250 to £450) or scaffold is needed.
What's the cheapest way to fix a roof?
Fix the actual fault, not the symptom: a proper inspection first, then a targeted repair. Ask neighbours with the same roof for a roofer, get three written quotes, and check what each includes (materials, scaffolding, waste).
Am I liable if a roofer falls off my roof?
Under the construction health and safety regulations (CDM 2015), a homeowner's client duties normally pass to the contractor. Still, ask to see the roofer's insurance, including public liability and cover for working at height, before they start.
Can I get a grant to repair my roof?
There's no national grant for roof repairs. If heat loss is the issue, check whether you qualify for help with loft insulation (see our new roof guide for the Warm Homes: Local Grant).
How much does it cost to fix a roof leak?
It depends on the cause: a few tiles are about £90 to £480, a stretch of lead flashing £60 to £85 a metre, and chimney flashing £540 to £720.
How much does ridge tile repair cost?
£60 to £85 a metre to re-bed or dry-fix a ridge, and £85 to £120 a metre for hips.
Does house insurance cover roof leaks?
Storm damage can be covered; wear and tear usually isn't. The Financial Ombudsman looks at whether there were storm conditions, whether the damage is typical of a storm, and whether the storm was the main cause. Photograph the damage and get a written cause from the roofer.
Do I need scaffolding for a roof repair?
Not always. HSE guidance limits ladders to short, low-risk work (as a guide, under 30 minutes at a time up the ladder); longer work needs a tower (£250 to £450) or scaffold (£500 to £1,000 a side).
How we priced thisView sources (6, 4 official)
Rules come from the legislation and official guidance, read at source. Prices are our estimates: we check them against trade price data, retailer shelf prices and specialists' price lists, then build them up from their parts so the totals add up. Below are the sources behind the page; the trade price guides we only compare against aren’t listed. Where sources disagreed, we've said so. More on our method.
- IndustryHow much do roof repairs cost? (Which? Trusted Traders survey, November 2025), Which?. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- Trade guideRoof repair cost, Checkatrade. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialApproved Document C: Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture (roofs, paragraphs 6.10 to 6.12), GOV.UK. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialStorm damage (home buildings insurance complaints), Financial Ombudsman Service. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialSafe use of ladders and stepladders: when to use a ladder, Health and Safety Executive. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialDomestic clients: roles and responsibilities (CDM 2015), Health and Safety Executive. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
