🏠 Melton Mowbray Roof Replacement Specialists
Roof Replacement & Re-Roofing in Melton Mowbray — Fix What’s Failing Underneath, Not Just What’s on Top
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An old roof rarely fails because of one bad tile. It fails because the covering, the felt, and sometimes the timber underneath have all worn out together, and patching one part just exposes the next. Roof replacement in Melton Mowbray means stripping that worn-out roof back to the structure, fixing what’s genuinely wrong, and fitting a new covering that’s built to outlast the one it replaces.
This is different from starting from scratch. Where a brand-new build gets a roof from bare timber up, a re-roof means working with (and correcting) whatever forty or eighty years of weather off the Wolds has already done to your home. Tate & Sons Roofing carries out strip-and-recover re-roofs and full structural replacements across Melton Mowbray as part of the wider work we do as a roofing contractor across Melton Mowbray. If your roof is new-build or an empty structure rather than a tired existing covering, our new roof installation page covers that job instead.
Below, you’ll find how to tell a re-roof from a simple repair, what turns up once the old covering comes off, the planning and Building Regulations rules that apply, real cost ranges, and what to expect from us on-site. A free drone survey and a written quote come before anything is agreed, with no charge either way.
Know When Your Existing Roof Has Reached the End of the Road
Most roofs give warning before they fail outright. The signs are easy to miss from the ground, though, and by the time they show up indoors, water has usually already reached the timber.
Watch for these:
- Tiles or slates that slip, crack, or go missing after every windy spell
- Felt visible through gaps, or felt that’s brittle and torn where you can see it
- Repairs to the same section of roof more than once in a few years
- A roof covering past 20 to 25 years old with a growing repair bill
- Sagging along the ridge or roofline, seen from the street
- Damp patches on ceilings that spread a little further after each downpour
- Daylight through the roof timbers when you look up from the loft
We see this pattern often on the older hillside properties around Thorpe Arnold and Burton Lazars, where a roof has been patched every couple of years without anyone dealing with the covering or felt actually failing beneath the surface. A free drone survey settles the question with real footage of your roof in Melton Mowbray, not a guess from the pavement.
Repair, Re-Roof, or Full Replacement — Which Call Is Right for Your Roof
Not every tired roof needs stripping. A cracked ridge tile or one damaged section on an otherwise sound roof is a straightforward repair, and our roof repairs and restorations service handles exactly that. Widespread wear across most of the roof, failing felt, or a covering nearing the end of its working life points toward a full strip-and-recover instead.
The distinction matters because the wrong call costs you twice. Repairing a roof that genuinely needs re-covering just delays the bigger job while your money disappears into short-term fixes. Re-roofing a section that only needed a repair is money you didn’t need to spend. Here’s how the three options compare in practice.
| Option | Typical cost | What it involves | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repair | £150–£1,200 | Fixing or replacing damaged tiles, flashing, or a localised leak on an otherwise sound roof | Isolated damage on a roof still within its working life |
| Re-Roof (strip and re-cover) | £6,000–£14,000 | Stripping the old covering to bare timber, new felt and battens, new covering fitted, any rot found repaired along the way | A roof past 20–25 years old with wear spread across most of the surface |
| Full Replacement (structural rebuild) | £12,000–£25,000+ | Everything a re-roof involves, plus significant rafter or truss replacement, or a change to the roof’s shape | Roofs with real structural failure, heavy sagging, or a planned redesign |
We check the whole roof, not just the part you can see, before recommending any of the three. A free drone survey shows the ridge, valleys, and flashings a look from the road always misses.
What We Find Once the Old Covering Comes Off
This is where re-roofing differs most from a new build. Once the tiles and felt are stripped away, the roof structure is finally visible, and on an older Melton Mowbray property, it doesn’t always tell a good story. Rotten battens at the eaves, split rafters near a chimney, or a ridge board that’s moved over decades are all common finds.
None of this is unusual, and it’s exactly why a re-roof price is a range rather than a fixed figure until the roof is opened up. What matters is what happens next. We photograph and explain anything we find before touching it, price the timber repair separately and clearly, and only proceed once you’ve agreed the cost. Nothing
gets covered up or quietly built into a bigger bill.
Larger, older family homes around Long Clawson tend to carry bigger roof areas and older timber, so a strip-out there often turns up more than a smaller mid-century roof in town. Properties nearer the River Eye and the Wreake Valley can also hold more moisture in older roof timbers than a drier, more exposed site, which is worth knowing before you budget for the job.
Planning Permission and Building Regulations for Re-Roofing — What Actually Applies
A straightforward, like-for-like re-roof rarely needs planning permission in England. Permission becomes more likely if the new covering changes the roof’s height or shape, or if the property is listed or sits within a conservation area.
Building Regulations approval is a separate matter, and it almost always applies to re-roofing work. Even a like-for-like recover has to meet current standards for weather resistance, fire spread, structural strength, thermal insulation, and ventilation once the roof is opened up. The Planning Portal’s guidance on Building Regulations for re-roofing sets this out in detail, and it notes that where the new covering weighs noticeably more or less than the old one, the roof structure itself may need strengthening. We handle the Building Control paperwork and sign-off as standard, so it never lands back on you.
Waltham on the Wolds sits within a conservation area, and several of the older properties around Melton Mowbray’s town centre near St Mary’s Church fall under similar scrutiny. Re-covering a roof there, even like-for-like, can call for materials that match the street rather than the cheapest option on the market. We check a property’s status before quoting, so the job doesn’t stall part-way through.
What Happens on Re-Roofing Day, Start to Finish
A full re-roof follows the same sequence on every job:
- Scaffold erected and the site made safe
- Old tiles or slates removed, with anything reusable set aside
- Old felt and battens stripped back to the bare rafters
- Timber inspected properly, with any rot or damage repaired
- New breathable membrane and treated battens fitted
- New covering laid from the eaves up to the ridge
- Flashings, valleys, and ridge details finished to shed water cleanly
- Site cleared and the roof checked before we leave
A standard semi-detached re-roof in concrete tile usually takes 4 to 7 working days, a little longer than a new-build installation because stripping and timber repairs add time before the new covering even starts. Clay tile
and natural slate re-roofs typically run 6 to 10 days. Weather has the final say, and we build a realistic allowance into the schedule rather than a date we can’t keep.
You don’t usually need to leave the property during a re-roof. Expect noise and activity overhead, and we protect driveways, borders, and anything stored beneath the working area for the duration.
What Re-Roofing Really Costs in Melton Mowbray
Cost depends on roof shape, material, access, and what’s found once the old covering comes off. As a general guide, a simple gable-end re-roof on a semi-detached home typically runs £6,500–£10,000. A hipped roof, with sloped sides all round, usually costs £10,000–£15,000 because there’s more cutting and detailing involved. A flat garage or extension re-cover typically runs £2,000–£5,000. Larger period roofs, especially natural slate on bigger or listed properties, can run £16,000–£25,000 or more.
What moves the price:
- Roof shape and size — hips, valleys, and dormers all add labour
- Material — concrete tile costs least, natural slate costs most
- Access — a detached roof scaffolds more cheaply than one boxed in by neighbours
- Timber condition — hidden rot typically adds £600–£3,000, and more on a roof needing a wider structural repair
- Strip-out and disposal — removing and disposing of the old roof usually adds £1,000–£2,500
- Insulation upgrade — bringing loft or rafter insulation up to current standard typically adds £500–£1,500
Exposed properties out toward Scalford and the higher ground on the ironstone ridge tend to show more weather-related wear in the timber than a sheltered street in Melton Mowbray itself, which can push the timber repair figure up. These are general market ranges, not a quote for your roof. A fixed price needs a survey.
Upgrade While You’re In There — Insulation, Ventilation, and Ridge Details
Once your roof is stripped back to the timber, you get one practical chance to fix things a repair never reaches. Old roofs are rarely insulated or ventilated to modern standards, and re-roofing is the moment to put that right without extra scaffold cost later.
Warm, moist air rising from inside your home meets a cold roof structure and turns to condensation if the ventilation isn’t right, and that damp sits against timber meant to stay dry for decades. Current Building Regulations expect a defined standard of insulation and adequate ventilation on any re-covered roof. Upgrading ridge and verge details at the same time also matters more than it sounds — a roof exposed to the wind-driven rain
coming off the Vale of Belvoir scarp needs stronger fixing and flashing detail than a sheltered roof in the town centre.
James Tate, our founder, built the business around exactly this kind of decision. Fifteen years working roofs across Melton Mowbray before starting Tate & Sons taught him that patching the visible problem while ignoring the cause underneath just costs the homeowner more later. On a re-roof, that means fixing the timber and the ventilation properly, not just laying a new covering over the same underlying issue.
Why Melton Mowbray Homeowners Trust Tate & Sons With Their Re-Roof
Re-roofing is a job where you’re trusting someone with what’s underneath your covering, not just what’s on top of it. James Tate still prices most jobs himself, and the philosophy he built the business on is simple: find out what’s genuinely wrong, use the right materials, and stand behind the result. That’s exactly the mindset a strip-and-recover job needs, where the real work often starts once the old tiles are already off.
Daniel Oakland, our project manager, runs the day-to-day execution of every full re-roof, with more than twenty years in the trade across EPDM, GRP, standing-seam, heritage slate, and lead detailing. He’s part of the crew on your roof, not just the person who quoted the job. Between the team, we hold over 40 years of combined experience, NVQ Level 2 and 3 qualifications in Roofing Occupations, and CSCS cards. Janice Whitmore, our office manager, keeps you posted from the first phone call through to final inspection. You can read more about the people behind the work on our About Tate & Sons Roofing page.
Areas We Serve Across Melton Mowbray and the Vale of Belvoir
We carry out roof replacement and re-roofing across Melton Mowbray and the surrounding villages. If your area isn’t listed below, call us anyway — there’s a strong chance we already cover you.
- Melton Mowbray (LE13)
- Asfordby (LE14 3)
- Old Dalby (LE14 3)
- Nether Broughton (LE14 3)
- Frisby on the Wreake (LE14 2)
- Wymondham (LE14 2)
- Long Clawson (LE14 4)
- Harby (LE14 4)
- Stathern (LE14 4)
- Waltham on the Wolds (LE14 4)
- Bottesford (NG13)
Got Questions?
Your Re-Roofing Questions, Answered Properly
What are the signs my roof needs full re-roofing rather than another repair?
Widespread wear is the main sign, not just one damaged area. If you’re patching different sections every year or two, if felt is visible and brittle through gaps in the tiles, or if the covering is past 20 to 25 years old with a rising repair bill, a full re-roof is usually more cost-effective than another round of patches. A sagging roofline or daylight through the loft timbers points the same way. A free drone survey settles it with real footage rather than a guess.
What’s the difference between re-roofing and a full roof replacement?
Re-roofing means stripping the old covering back to the existing timber structure, repairing anything damaged, and fitting a new covering on the same frame. A full replacement goes further, involving significant rafter or truss work, or changing the roof’s shape entirely. Most Melton Mowbray properties only need a re-roof; full structural replacement is reserved for roofs with genuine structural failure or a planned redesign.
How much does re-roofing cost in Melton Mowbray?
As a general guide, a gable-end re-roof runs £6,500–£10,000, a hipped roof £10,000–£15,000, and a flat garage or extension re-cover £2,000–£5,000. Larger period slate re-roofs can run £16,000–£25,000 or more. Timber condition, access, and material all move the final figure, and a fixed price always needs a survey first.
What happens if rotten timber turns up once the old roof covering comes off?
We stop, photograph what we’ve found, and explain exactly what needs repairing before any further work goes ahead. Hidden rot typically adds £600 to £3,000 depending on how much timber is affected, and we price it separately and clearly rather than folding it quietly into the job. You approve the repair before we proceed, so there’s never a surprise on the final invoice.
Do I need planning permission and Building Regulations approval to re-roof my house?
Planning permission usually isn’t needed for a like-for-like re-roof, though it becomes more likely if the roof’s height or shape changes, or the property is listed or in a conservation area. Building Regulations approval, on the other hand, almost always applies, covering weather resistance, fire spread, structural strength, insulation, and ventilation. We handle the Building Control sign-off as a standard part of every re-roof.
Can I just have new tiles overlaid on the old roof without stripping it first?
You can in some limited cases, but it’s rarely the right call. Overlaying hides the felt and any rotten battens underneath rather than fixing them, adds weight the original structure wasn’t designed to carry, and typically only buys 10 to 15 extra years compared to a proper re-roof. UK guidance generally limits roofs to two coverings before a full strip becomes necessary anyway, so overlaying often just delays the bigger job at a higher eventual cost.
Can I stay in my home while the roof is being re-covered?
Yes, in almost every case. You’ll notice noise and activity above for the duration, and we protect driveways, borders, and anything stored beneath the working area throughout. We talk you through what to expect day by day before the scaffold goes up.
Does re-roofing a period property near Waltham on the Wolds’ conservation area need extra consent?
It can. Waltham on the Wolds sits within a conservation area, and even a like-for-like re-roof there may need to use materials that match the surrounding street rather than the cheapest option available. Listed properties in and around Melton Mowbray need separate Listed Building Consent regardless of whether the work is like-for-like. We check a property’s status before quoting, so materials are agreed upfront and the job doesn’t stall part-way through.
Does the age of hillside village roofs around Thorpe Arnold and Burton Lazars change what a re-roof involves?
Often, yes. These are some of the older hillside properties we work on, and roofs there have frequently been patched repeatedly over the years rather than properly re-covered. That pattern usually means more timber repair once the old covering comes off, and sometimes older fixing methods that need fully replacing rather than just topping up. We factor a property’s age and repair history into the survey, not just its size.
Book Your Free Drone Roof Survey Before Small Problems Get Bigger
See exactly what’s happening under your roof covering before any work starts. No ladders, no pressure — just a clear picture from a local Melton Mowbray team.
Every season an ageing roof gets left alone, moisture works further into the felt and timber beneath it, and a job that could have been a straightforward re-roof turns into a bigger structural repair. A quick, free survey today tells you exactly where you stand, and often the honest answer costs less than you feared. Book now, get a clear written quote, and get your roof sorted properly — first time.
Get in Touch
Tate & Sons Roofing, Melton Mowbray
13 Cromwell Road, Melton Mowbray, LE13 0AD
📞 01664 490955
✉️ [email protected]