I just had a quote for a job to fix the bathroom roof where it joins the back of the house, there has been a little water coming in during very heavy rain, apparently the six foot or so section where the back section of roof joins the rear wall of the house has not got lead soakers on the slates and so needs sorting, I was quoted £495 plus scaffolding, around £200. I have scaffolding but apparently it has to be put up by a registered firm for insurance etc.

Does this all sound fair? I thought it sounded a bit toppy, Cardiff based if that makes any difference.

I wouldn’t go up scaffolding that wasn’t put up by a qualified scaffolder.

Fair enough on the scaffolding just wondering if the job quote was fair.

I think there’s a lot of variables, eg, how much scaffolding, what height, how easy or difficult the access is. £200 doesn’t sound like a lot of money to me.

Apologies for slight hijack, but I have a small leak in my own roof that’s only active in heavy rain and wind combined. I’m waiting for someone to come and sort it. Where the water’s come in and tracked along, there’s a foot long section of rafter and a similar length of truss that have become a bit wet. Not sure if soaked through or not. Should I let them dry naturally or get a blow heater pointed at them for a few hours to help? The loft is well insulated so it’s absolutely freezing up there.

or get a blow heater pointed at them for a few hours to help?

FFS don’t leave a fan heater in your loft for a few hours to “help it” dry.

I dunno ernie, I could sit up there with a beer and a book for a few hours to keep an eye on it. 🙂

On a serious note, I get your point. I’m just wondering if leaving it to dry naturally is the best solution or should I look into something else.

Scaffolding is two story easy access, I think the £200 for the scaffolding is fine, it is the £500 for the job I was wondering about.

Have you seen the price of a roll of lead flashing…

its probably a days work ..(early day) ..plus lead ..you dont say how big the roof is ?….
I would say its about £150 over priced …but I havent seen the job.

a lot of roofers do seem to take the **** when lead is mentioned.

code 4 3m x 300 is about £34

That is about what I and my builder neighbour thought, a bit over, the section to be done is the seam between roof and wall about six foot long.

I’m just wondering if leaving it to dry naturally is the best solution

Well it isn’t going to rot in the short time that it will take to dry naturally. Obviously if it’s getting continuously wet then that’s a different matter, but a fan heater in the loft isn’t the solution 🙂

Ask your neighbour builder to do it?

If you have scaffolding, can’t you do it yourself? You seem to know what your talking about……

“Any roofers ON the house” surely?

Is the roof not covered on your building insurance ?

Where abouts are you? I’ve got a great roofer, I had my ridge tiles replaced, chimney stack repaired, various other tiles all over the roof replaced all without scaffolding. Really goodo workmanship too.

My flat roof on the extension started leaked last year and same roofer fixed with lead flashing for £90, again no scaffolding.

It it a legal requirement now, or just down to the roofer?

I am in Cardiff Crumpo. I dunno if scaffolding is a legal requirement, I imagine its down to what he thinks he needs to do the job.

No it’s not.

@catfood Ahh to far for him, but if its ladder access, then flat and walkable up there £200 does sounds a lot!

Not £200 Crazcumpo, £500, on top of the scaffolding price, so about £700 all in.

I would guess prices are higher than average now given all the storms we’ve had. If I were in that line of business and working flat out I’d quote a bit higher than normal, supply and demand.

Is it the abutment of a sloping roof to a vertical leaf of brickwork. If so a fair bit of work as you’ll have to strip the tiles to put soakers in.

If its only 6ft ..its prob less than a day still
(that includes a breakfast stop)

Price sounds sensible to me.

If you want any more advice give me a shout.

petecole.com

Wrighty it is a sloping roof against a rendered wall, there is a strip of lead the length of the tiles attached to the wall and simply sitting about six inches across the tiles, so when it rains hard combined with wind, we are getting water coming in.

Joebones I may email you but am working for the next 36 hours or so.

Feel free to email and send me a pic if you can. Stay safe if you are taking a picture at height.

Slates or tiles? What exactly his he planning to do, Re do the raggle and/or fit new lead?

Need to expand on what the quote is for.

Yep so therefore he’s going to remove that lead. Strip all the tiles up against that elevation, relay the tiles putting a soaker over each. These lap up the wall partially then your apron lead that is already there laps back down onto the full run of soakers.
Standard detail for any abutment flashing.
However I would suggest a days labour for two men, so as there’s not a lot of material costs the price does seem a bit steep.

two men …. 😯

Yeah two men . Or one to hand one the stripped tiles and then one to pass the other the little lead soakers. Go away re evaluate and see how much easier it would be at height with two men.

but its 6 feet of roof ..and off scaffold…..all the soakers will be the same length…and you can do one at at time while sitting right next to the tiles… 😯

A guy came round who comes highly recommended from a friend, £350 all in using ladders, much happier bunny.