Roofing FAQs
Straight answers to the questions we get asked most often by Plymouth homeowners.
Do you charge for a quote?
No. Quotes are free and carry no obligation. We will come and look at the roof properly rather than pricing it from the pavement or from photographs alone.
My roof is leaking. Do I need a whole new roof?
Usually not. Most leaks we attend are a specific failure — a slipped slate, tired lead around a stack, a blocked valley — rather than a roof at the end of its life. We will tell you honestly which one you have, and show you what we found.
Why does my ceiling stain in one place but the roof is damaged somewhere else?
Because water travels. It runs along battens, rafters and lead before it drops, so the stain marks where it fell, not where it got in. Tracing the real entry point is most of the diagnostic work.
I live in a conservation area. Does that change things?
Yes, and it is worth knowing before you plan anything. Plymouth has 15 conservation areas. A dormer or roof enlargement is never permitted development in one — it always needs planning permission. Rooflights are still permitted development but must not protrude more than 0.15 metres beyond the plane of the existing roof slope. We check the constraints on your address before quoting.
Why do roofs seem to lose slates so often here?
Because Plymouth is genuinely exposed. The Met Office records around 16 gale days a year at Plymouth, against about 7 at Yeovilton and 4 at Long Ashton near Bristol, with the prevailing wind coming in from the south-west — straight off the Sound. On older nailed roofs the fixings corrode long before the slate itself fails, so a strong blow tends to find several at once.
Can you work on flat roofs as well as slate?
Yes, and in this city you need to. The post-war rebuild of the centre produced a large stock of deliberately flat-roofed buildings — the council’s own conservation area appraisal describes most buildings there as having flat roofs. We work on both that and the pitched slate stock that survived the war.
How long will the work take?
It depends entirely on the job and the weather. A repair is often a few hours; a full re-roof is measured in days. We will give you a realistic window when we quote and tell you if the forecast changes it, rather than leaving you guessing.
What guarantee do I get?
A 20 year written company guarantee covering all workmanship and all materials, issued as a document when the job is signed off. Full details on our guarantee page.
Do you have a premises I can visit?
No — we are a service-area business covering Plymouth and the surrounding areas. We come to you. Please phone or email rather than calling in.
Should I go up and look at the damage myself?
Please do not. More people are hurt inspecting storm damage than by the storm itself. Tell us what you can see from the ground and we will do the rest.
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Request a Free QuoteRoofer Plymouth
Roofing contractors covering Plymouth and the surrounding areas. Service-area business — we come to you.