Edinburgh Roof Maintenance


Regular Edinburgh roof maintenance prevents small issues becoming costly problems.


Arranging a free Edinburgh Roof Maintenance health check by an accredited roofer.

When it comes to roof maintenance all too often out-of-sight means out-of-mind. That is until water marks appear on the ceiling.

A roof maintenance check will catch small repairs before they become costly problems.

Contact HomeForce on 0131 315 0000, email us at info@homeforce.co.uk or submit a request online.

In this article we cover:

  • What does an Edinburgh roof maintenance check include.
  • Example costs for roof repairs identified.
  • Recommendations for checking the validity of roofers and the health checks they offer.

What would a roof maintenance health check in Edinburgh include?

It’s important to understand that a roof health check will be a purely visual inspection.

Nothing invasive would be done without the consent of the property owner and only then if there appeared to be a problem that warranted further investigation.

Areas that would be checked would (subject to specific circumstances) include:

Gutters & Down Pipes

  • Clear from debris
  • Seals are intact
  • No obvious signs of cracking or of leaks
  • Brackets properly attached / providing support

Tiles / Slates

  • See if any have slipped or cracked
  • Visual check for signs of slates becoming porous
  • Inspect nails and hangers for signs of corrosion (“Nail Sickness”)
  • Check for moss or plants becoming established

Skews and / or Flashing

  • Look for degradation of cement in skews
  • Careful inspection of pointing around flashing
  • Check integrity of lead

Chimneys

  • Stability of pots and cowls
  • Check render / harling
  • Inspect pointing

Flat roofs

  • Ponding / pooling of water,
  • Splitting, ridging or blistering
  • Plant growth

Loft / Attic Spaces (if readily accessible)

  • Signs of water ingress
  • Survey for timber decay

How much do roof repairs cost?

Part of roof maintenance is, of course, actually doing the work. However, doing the work can often be less expensive that access costs (i.e. scaffolding) on taller buildings, especially Edinburgh tenements.

One word of warning would be to always get a written quote following a roof maintenance inspection. No roof work is ever so urgent that there isn’t time to get a quote. Any quote from a reputable roofer will be free of charge.

Also note that some roof maintenance were access is possible by ladder could be more cost effectively done by a HomeForce Handyman. Gutter clearing, repointing or gutter repairs are just some examples.

When access by ladders to carry out roof work is not possible then access platforms or cherry picker may be more cost effective. A tower scaffold for an Edinburgh tenement will cost from around £500 + VAT, cherry picker hire costs from £180 with no VAT.

Guidance labour charges for common roof repair jobs are shown in the table below. Note that these are only for guidance.

HomeForce roofers make a minimum charge of £85 + VAT. HomeForce handymen make a minimum charge of £40.

Many smaller jobs, or a combination of smaller jobs, can often be covered by minimum charges.

The charges shown below are exclusive of VAT, parking charges and materials.

Gutters & Downpipes

Clearing Gutters Allow £40 - £100
Repair joint sealsFrom £40
Replace section of gutterFrom £70
Replace / Repair BracketsFrom £40
Replace section of cast iron downpipeFrom £60

Tiles and Slates

Replace slipped tiles or slatesFrom £85 (minimum charge)
Clear moss / cleanQuote following site visit
Nail sick Quote following site visit

Skews & Flashing

Replace cement skews£5 - £8 / meter
(Minimum charge of £85 for roofing work)
Replace lead flashing£15 - £25 / meter

Chimneys

Re-bed Chimney Pot£85 (Minimum Charge)
Replace render From £10 per sq meter
Re-pointingFrom £25 - £50 per sq meter

Flat roof

RepairsFrom £85 (Minimum charge)

Avoid rogue roofers

A survey of consumers by “Which?” found that roofers were the least trusted of all tradespeople.

This is perhaps for two reasons:

  • Firstly a roof is out of sight. Unless a property owner goes onto the roof with the roofer it is almost impossible to actually see exactly what a roofer is trying to explain or do.
  • Secondly, roofing is a trade that has attracted rogue traders. This is probably for the same reason, that property owners won’t go onto a roof themselves, especially if they are elderly.

How then can you avoid rogue roofers?

  • Decline Door Knockers / Cold Callers
    • Opening lines by scam roofers will often be something like:
      • “We were just in the area and…”
      • “We are working on a roof near by and saw…wrong with your roof”
    • They will tell you that the issue they have “found” needs urgent attention
  • Get Photos
    • You may not be able to go on your roof yourself but a roofer should be able and willing to give you photos of any issue they find.
    • If you have in your possession photos that show an issue and that issue is not clearly apparent in the photo then show them to someone, anyone. Even if the person is not qualified they will be separate from the situation and be able to sense check it.
  • Keep a watchful eye
    • You may not be able to go on the roof but keep an eye on anyone checking your roof. It is not unheard of for scam roofers to cause deliberate damage.
  • Get a second opinion (And or quote)
    • If a roofer offers to do a fix there and then for under £200 (or possibly under £100) then that is perhaps OK. But once over £200, from a roofer you don’t know, seek a second quote or opinion.
    • Unless water is pouring through a roof then no roof problem is so urgent that it doesn’t allow time to get a second opinion.
    • Roofers, like any profession, can disagree with each other about roof maintenance required or how that work should be done. If you have questions, HomeForce are here to help.

Any other advice?

  • A roof maintenance check is no guarantee that a roof won’t leak or suffer other issues. Not every nook and cranny can be explored, storms and strong winds can lift tiles and slates or dislodge cowls, birds can take a liking to lead on your roof.
  • Building Insurance is more likely to pay out in full for roof storm damage if it can be demonstrated that a roof has been properly maintained. Proof that a regular roof check has taken place would be sufficient.
  • On some new build properties roof warranties may become invalid if roof maintenance is not carried out annually.

Book a free Edinburgh roof maintenance health check, by an accredited roofer now: