Understanding exactly what happens on the day of your roof repair in Sudbury helps you ask the right questions and know whether the job has been done properly.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
A lot of homeowners have had a roofer arrive, go up a ladder, and come back down with a price - with very little explanation of what they actually found or what the repair involves. We work differently. We carry out roof repairs across Sudbury and the surrounding area, covering slipped tiles and slates, failed flashings, leaking valleys, ridge and hip tile repairs, and chimney work. Here is exactly what a proper roof repair job looks like, step by step.
Before any price is agreed, someone needs to get eyes on the actual problem. A photo from the ground or a description of where the water is appearing inside the house is useful starting information, but it rarely tells the whole story. Water that appears on a bedroom ceiling can be entering the roof at a point several metres away and tracking along a rafter or the sarking felt before it drips.
A proper inspection involves getting onto the roof or at least reaching roof level with a ladder to examine the specific area of concern. We check the tiles or slates in and around that area for cracks, slippage, or missing nibs. We check the condition of the underlying felt if it is visible at the eaves. We examine any flashings, valleys, or mortar joints in the vicinity. On a chimney repair, we look at the lead flashing, the pointing between the bricks, and the flaunching (the mortar cap around the chimney pots).
We find where the water is getting in before we quote. That step is not optional - quoting without inspecting is guesswork, and guesswork leads to a repair that does not solve the problem.
After the inspection, we explain what we found in plain terms. Not every homeowner wants a technical walkthrough, but everyone should at minimum understand:
If a roofer cannot explain what is wrong in plain language, that is a reason to be cautious. Repairs should make sense when described simply.
How the roof is accessed depends on the height of the property, the pitch of the roof, and the nature of the repair. Many minor tile and flashing repairs on single- or two-storey properties can be carried out from a ladder or a combination of a ladder and roof ladders (also called cat ladders), which hook over the ridge and allow the roofer to move across the slope without standing on the tiles.
For larger repairs, chimney work, or anything involving the ridge or hips at height, scaffolding provides a safer and more stable working platform. Scaffold also makes it easier to carry materials up and debris down, which improves the quality of the finished work. Where scaffold is needed, it is erected before we arrive to start the repair itself, and it stays in place until the work is complete and inspected.
Before starting, we protect any surfaces below the working area. Broken tiles, old mortar, and offcuts of lead should not be left to fall wherever they land.
On a tile repair, the damaged or slipped tiles are carefully lifted, starting from the course above the problem area and working down. Tiles are interlocking or overlapping, so getting to the one that has failed often means temporarily lifting several surrounding tiles. Each one is checked as it comes off - a cracked tile that looks intact from below may be more damaged than it appeared.
On a flashing repair at a chimney or abutment wall, the old lead or mortar is removed from the chase (the groove cut into the brickwork or pointing joint that holds the flashing). Old, hardened mortar pointing on a ridge or hip is chipped back to sound material before any new mortar is applied. If you repoint over failed mortar without removing it, the new pointing fails quickly.
If we find additional damage during strip-out that was not visible at inspection - for example, a rotten batten beneath a slipped tile - we stop and discuss it with you before proceeding. We do not carry out additional work without agreement.
Tile and slate repairs involve fitting new tiles or slates on sound battens, fixing them correctly (nailing where required or clipping on slates), and re-laying the surrounding tiles so the interlocking or overlapping pattern is correctly re-established. A tile that is simply pushed back into position without being properly fixed will slip again.
Lead flashing repairs involve either patching a crack or split in an existing lead sheet, or cutting and fitting new lead into the chase. New lead is dressed (shaped) tightly to the abutment surface and the chase is sealed with mortar or a compatible pointing compound. On a valley, the old lead or mortar is removed and new lead is cut, dressed, and lapped correctly to shed water down the slope.
Mortar work on ridge tiles, hips, or chimney flaunching is mixed to the correct consistency for the application. Repointing that is applied too wet or too dry will shrink or crack prematurely. The joint is finished neatly and flush - not built up proud of the tile, which holds water rather than shedding it.
Once the repair is done, the area is checked again before coming down from the roof. Tiles are pressed to confirm they are seated and fixed correctly. Lead is checked for any gaps at the edges or at the chase. Mortar joints are checked for continuity. If anything does not look right at this point, it is corrected on the day rather than left.
All broken tiles, off-cuts of lead, old mortar debris, and packaging are cleared from the roof and from around the property before we leave. Gutters immediately below the working area are checked for debris and cleared if needed. The garden or driveway is left as it was found.
As a guide to what roof repairs currently cost in the UK:
The price you are quoted should reflect the actual work described above. If a quote seems unusually low, ask whether scaffold is included, what material is being used, and whether the price covers disposal of old material.
A straightforward repair - a handful of tiles and some repointing - typically takes half a day to a full day. Flashing and valley work usually takes a day. Larger chimney repairs or extensive ridge work may take two to three days. Any job requiring scaffolding will have additional setup and strike time either side.
Repair is the right approach when the fault is localised and the rest of the roof structure and covering is sound. If the sarking felt is failing across the whole slope, the battens are rotten in multiple areas, or tiles are degraded and porous throughout, a full re-roof is the more honest recommendation. A roofer who only ever recommends repairs, regardless of what they find, is not giving you the full picture.
If you need a roof repair in Sudbury and want to know exactly what is involved before you commit, call us to arrange a survey. We will walk you through what we find and give you a clear price for the work required.
No obligation · We'll call you to arrange a free visit
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
