Roof Repairs in Reading
Roof repairs, re-roofing and flat roofs across Reading and the Thames valley. Free surveys, fixed written quotes, tidy workmanship.
Reading Roofing Company carries out roof repairs across Reading ā slipped slates, cracked tiles, split valley linings, blocked parapet gutters, failed chimney flashings and storm damage. Repairs are done in the material already on the roof, so the finished work does not announce itself from the pavement.
The right repair depends far more on the age of the roof than on the size of the house. A slate terrace, an Edwardian tiled semi and a 1970s estate roof each go wrong in a way of their own, so it is worth knowing which one you own.
What goes wrong, roof by roof age
Victorian slate, roughly 1860ā1905
Slates drop one at a time because the nails have rusted through, not because the slate has failed. Individual slates go back with a copper tingle or a slate hook; a slope losing several a year is telling you something bigger.
Edwardian and inter-war tile, 1905ā1939
Clay plain tiles and early concrete tiles outlast their bedding. Mortar verges crack and fall, ridge tiles rock underfoot, and the cement fillets at abutments open up where lead should have been.
Postwar estate roofs, 1950sā1980s
Concrete interlocking tile over bitumen felt. The tiles are usually sound; the felt underneath is brittle, torn at the eaves, and no longer catching the water that gets past the tile.
Flat sections and back additions
Every era in Reading has a flat bit somewhere ā a rear outrigger, a dormer top, a porch. Felt at an upstand is the single most common leak point we are called to.
Repair prices for Reading houses
| Repair | Guide price | What that covers |
|---|---|---|
| Slipped or broken slates and tiles (1ā6) | Ā£160 ā Ā£450 | Matched material, copper tingles or hooks, tower or ladder access |
| Chimney flashing renewed | Ā£350 ā Ā£900 | Code 4 lead, chased into the joint and pointed, apron and soakers |
| Valley re-lined | Ā£600 ā Ā£1,500 | Per valley ā strip out, new code 5 lead, tiles or slates re-set |
| Parapet or box gutter repair | Ā£450 ā Ā£1,600 | Failed section cut out, new lining, outlet cleared and tested |
| Ridge line re-bedded or dry-fixed | Ā£500 ā Ā£1,600 | Whole run ā dry ridge is mechanically fixed and ends the re-pointing cycle |
Reading guide prices for 2026. We look at the roof for free, photograph what we find, then put a fixed price in writing before anything is touched.
Getting to the roof without taking the street apart
On a terrace the cheapest repair is often the one planned properly. A single slipped slate two courses up does not need a full scaffold; a roof ladder hooked over a padded ridge does the job in an afternoon. Anything involving a chimney, a valley or more than a few square metres does need staging, and where that stands on the pavement it needs a licence from Reading Borough Council. We tell you which of those applies before quoting, because access can be a third of the price on a narrow frontage.
We also say when a repair is not worth doing. Nail-sick slate shedding across a whole slope, or an original felt that tears every time a tile is lifted, is a roof spending your money in instalments. In that case you get both figures ā the repair and the replacement ā and you decide.
Leak not obvious?
Tracing where water actually enters, which is rarely where it shows.
Water coming in now
Storm damage and active leaks made safe first.
Terraced house?
Party walls, shared valleys and parapet gutters explained.
Frequently asked questions
Ready for a free, no-obligation quote?
Call 0118 230 9278