Homebuyer survey - ballpark for roof work?

markrichardson

markrichardson

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We've just had the survey back for the house we're purchasing, and it identified issues with the roof. We've arranged for a roofer to take a closer look and price up the repairs, but that's obviously going to take a few days so wondered if anyone could interpret/give us a ballpark figure:

The main, sloping roof:

The roof is covered with tiles and is in need of some repairs.

Numerous tiles have slipped out of place or are broken and need replacing. A fullinspection of the roof by a roofing contractor is recommended prior to exchange ofcontracts.

The valley gutter lining which was constructed of lead has obvioulsy failed and hasbeen over-coated with a tar like material as a short-term repair. The original lining should be replaced with a more durable material.

Generally, the main roof including the valley gutter requires extensive
repair/overhaul or possible renewal.

As this is likely to be costly, you should instruct a reputable and experienced
contractor to inspect and quote for the work before exchange of contracts.

The extension flat roof

This roof is covered in traditional mineral felt.

Part of the roof covering has been over-coated with a tar like material. This is ashort-term measure to improve weather-tightness and suggests that the coveringis at the end of its serviceable life. It should be replaced as soon as possible.
When this is carried out, the supporting structure should be checked for defectsand repaired or improved, as found necessary upon closer inspection.

There are no external openings to ventilate the flat roof structure. The need forventilation should be investigated when the roof covering is replaced.

As this is urgent you should instruct a reputable and experienced contractor toinspect and quote for the work before exchange of contracts.

These include such items as fascias and bargeboards which are fixed to the
external elements of the property.

The timber fascia and bargeboards are partly affected by wet rot rot and needrepair or renewal. A closer inspection is recommended by a contractor prior toexchange of contracts.

As this is likely to be costly, you should instruct a reputable and experienced
contractor to inspect and quote for the work before exchange of contracts.

External Finishes

The external decorations are beginning to deteriorate and will need renewing in the
next 1-2 years.

Garage Roof
The garage is built in brick with a felt covered roof. It is in need of attention and repair.

The roof coverings have been overcoated and are generally defective and require replacement.
The door between the garage and the kitchen does not close automatically and as this is a potential fire hazard, an effective automatic closer should be fitted.
The garage flat and felted roof has a typical life of 10-15 years. It is also prone to sudden failure and leakage. Periodic re-covering and repair will therefore be necessary. When this is undertaken, the supporting structure may also need some attention.
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Quite a lot. From the sounds of it, the main roof needs quite an overhaul replacing tiles etc. depending on the tiles and how they're fitted this could be a quick easy job or a long drawn out one. The extension and garage pretty much needs replacing but thankfully as they're felt it should be straight forward and simple, meaning they'll be cheap compared to the main roof.

It's so hard to give a ballpark figure, as prices aren't based on a table of rates. It's heavily influenced by the size of the roof, accessibility and cost of materials.

But assuming the tiled roof and additional fittings are quite knackered and its a standard sort of size 3 bed house, a couple of thousand.. At least. It wouldn't surprise me if you get quotes nearing double that though.
 
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Personally, I would be tempted to go for a complete roof renovation - membrane, laths and tiles. If there are loads of knackered tiles, the others are probably not far behind and a partial repair could mean another is needed before too long.

Flat roofs are a PITA and have a limited life even when done properly. Don't be tempted to get a cheap fix - it'll almost certainly be a false ecomomy. Once it's fixed, stay off it! If there are any jobs that need doing that require the flat roofs to be used as an access (maybe a stage for the main roofers' scaffolding?), do them from the old roof covering.

Cost? Impossible to give even a ballpark guestimate without much more info (a 2up/2down terrace? A 5 bed detatched?) and I'm not a roofer!
 
That link is also nonsense. 50p for a sheet of lead?! If that was the case I'd have bought all the stock and taken it down to the scrappers.

An entire roof overhaul for £350?! I think that website was put together by someone wish listing prices.
 
Ex roofing contractor.

Roofing materials are not that expensive, buy from a specialist roofing merchant or next best a general builders merchant not B&Q or suchlike.

Have you allowed for scaffolding?

Get a professional estimator to give you a good idea of overall costings shouldn't cost that much.

Get at least 3 estimates off reputable contractors preferably not home improvement firms. (sorry if that offends some)

Ask to see previous work they have done and ask the clients for recommendation.

Google for local/national building federations who can supply information of trusted contractors.

Being asked to pay for materials up front seems the way these days.

Get everything agreed on paper in case there is a dispute later, word of mouth is useless. Make sure any written estimate/quotes covers what you actually want done.

Make a schedule of payments and stick to it decide if you want to keep a small retention until your sure the job has been done ok...again get it all on paper so both parties know.

Be prepared for unseen problems after work commences, rotten rafters joists duff wallplate timbers or brickwork etc that may cost extra to fix, although many contractors will set a certain amount by in their estimate to cover themselves for such eventualities.

Do the work in summer to avoid bad weather delays (yes last summer was a washout)

If I was 20 years younger I'd give you an estimate.:lol:
 
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Pretty much agree with Bill here. I am a roofer but couldn't really give you any sort of estimate without actually seeing the shape and size of the property.
By the sounds of it, there has been a few attempts to temporarily resolve issues. More often than not that shows the previous owner(s) have had patch repairs to avoid replacing the roof.
It's good the surveyor has picked up on these patch repairs, but there are some things you just can't confirm until the roof is in pieces.
Your best bet for piece of mind is to get a quote to re felt and batten the whole lot, replacing tiles as required (or replace all tiles if you prefer), and include a new flat roof (these are generally a nightmare and patching is never a good move).

To give you a rough idea, down here in Bristol, re felt and batten an average terrace (excluding new tiles, but including scaffolding) would be 3 - 4.5k. Larger or more detailed roofs, like a 4 face hipped detatched for example could reach anything up to 8k, sometimes more.
Flat roofs of around 10m x 8m, I have just quoted a single ply solution of this size for 4k inc scaffolding, though this is the roles royce of flat roofing, so you should be able to get a significantly cheaper quote for a roof that size using torch on SBS felt.

I would go a step further than Bill and say, not only don't use a home improvements company, probably don't use a builder either, you want a roof specialist IMO, potentially a seperate flat roofing speaclist if you want to be sure of the best outcome.

Also, make sure whoever you go with offer a guarantee of at least 10 years (insurance backed if possible), just in case.

Prices obviously vary up and down the country, but hopefully that will give you an idea. if you have any questions regarding the quotes you get, feel free to get in touch.

Once last thing - regarding Alex's comment, I haven't checked the link, but those prices sound crazy. 50p would buy you a piece of lead no bigger than the palm of your hand :bonk:
 
The Which consumer organization used to give out a booklet on building works and how to go about it do's and don'ts etc. Try you local library for it, mine used to have it on their shelves last time I went in there.

Most good roofing contractors will be able to put you in touch with other reputable tradesmen if you ask.



Good luck with your project
 
Thanks guys - all useful feedback! We've got a roofing specialist providing us with a report and quote by the end of the week so we'll see!
 
Hi Mark

Any news on this? Just being nosy really :)
 
I've had a quote through for just shy of 2k - suspect I could negotiate that down to nearer 1.5k when we are actually ready for the work to be done.
 
2K? You need to get some more quotes. If this is to do all that is required in the survey it seems a very small cost. Watch out for the extras.
 
dekeyboy said:
2K? You need to get some more quotes. If this is to do all that is required in the survey it seems a very small cost. Watch out for the extras.
Click to expand...

Just to be clear, the roofer said he thought that the main sloped roof didn't need a full overhaul, just the more minor works (replacing a small number of tiles, repointing the chimney, replacing the valley gutter) but did include full refelting of the the flat roofs (one of which is very small).
 
I'm also surprised at the low quote given the list of issues.

I know what I would do for peace of mind in your situation - walk away.
 
Gary Coyle said:
Get the vendors to sort it out
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I'm trying, but we negotiated pretty hard on the sale price which makes this a more difficult negotiation (persuading them to reject a higher offer) for them still to make a profit.

Slightly surprised that the tone here is so strongly shocked at the quote. The other forum I discussed this on expected a reasonably small quote based on their experiences of ultra cautious surveyors.
 
If the vendor isn't prepared to sort it out you need to ask yourself why and more importantly why they have tried to market the house in the first place with such works needing to be done, seems they just want shot of it.

If the vendor doesn't sort it themselves then walk away
 
Slightly surprised that the tone here is so strongly shocked at the quote. The other forum I discussed this on expected a reasonably small quote based on their experiences of ultra cautious surveyors.[/QUOTE]


Quite plainly then, the survey does not mean the same as the ammount of work that has to be done. What has to be done in order to go ahead with the sale? A lot of things are mentioned but obviously don't apply.
I would be dissapointed with the seller if these things need doing. Normally this type of thing is done to get it ready for selling.
 
Walk away.
 
Make sure any insurance policy will cover a flat roof. We found out the hard way when we needed to make a claim on one! Sounds like quite major work needs doing. Good luck.
 
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