Tile, slate and zinc roofing
Renewal or replacement of roof coverings, including battens, sarking membranes and the details: ridges, verges, valleys and flashings.
Construction & works
Roofing and waterproofing: pitched roofs, flat roofs and cladding for businesses
Roof renewal, flat roof waterproofing, flashings and guttering, roof structures or cladding: describe your building and compare quotes from roofing firms.
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The roof protects everything else in the building: a badly dealt-with leak damages insulation, suspended ceilings, electrical installations and sometimes stock or workstations. Roofing and waterproofing is a trade where the quality of the installation matters more than the choice of product, and where a mistake often shows only months after the project ends.
Firms fall into several broad families. The roofer and leadworker works on pitched roofs (tiles, slate, zinc, steel sheeting) and on flashings and rainwater goods: gutters, valleys, parapet gutters, soakers. The waterproofing contractor deals with flat roofs and low-pitch roofs using membranes or waterproof coatings. The carpenter builds, strengthens or repairs the timber or metal structure, and some firms also fit façade cladding.
Whether you manage commercial or industrial buildings, or are a managing agent, landlord, owner-occupier shopkeeper or public body, this page helps you describe your roof, understand what makes the price vary and ask the right questions before choosing a firm.
Common services
Steel sheeting and sandwich panels
Metal roofing and cladding for business premises, warehouses and shops: profiled sheets, insulated trays or sandwich panels, with fixings, closures and waterproofing accessories.
Flat roof waterproofing
Bituminous waterproofing systems, synthetic membranes or resins, over insulation: upstands, rainwater outlets, expansion joints and protection suited to how the roof is used.
Flashings and rainwater goods
Gutters, downpipes, parapet gutters, valleys and soakers in zinc, aluminium, copper or PVC: discreet but decisive elements, since a blocked outlet puts even the most carefully installed waterproofing to the test.
Roof structures and structural repairs
Traditional roof structure, trussed rafters, steel frame or glulam: strengthening, replacement of damaged members, timber treatment and repair of supports before a new roof covering.
Façade cladding
Metal, timber, composite or fibre-cement cladding fixed to a framework with or without insulation, to renew the look of a building, insulate it or protect it.
Maintenance, leak detection and safety
Inspection, gutter cleaning, moss removal, repair of detail points, leak detection, installation of lifelines and guardrails to make future work safe.
Materials and systems used
Clay and concrete tilesNatural slateZinc, copper and aluminiumSteel sheeting, profiled sheets and sandwich panelsBituminous membranes (elastomeric bitumen)Synthetic membranes (PVC, TPO, EPDM)Roof insulation (mineral wool, PIR, cellular glass)Structural timber, glulam and steel frames
Types of building and project
- Renewing the roof of an office building, a shop or a block of flats under joint ownership
- Waterproofing a flat roof that is leaking or at the end of its life
- Replacing the roofs of industrial buildings and warehouses
- Repairs after a storm, hail or water damage
- Replacing gutters and downpipes across a portfolio of buildings
- Renovating façades with cladding, with or without insulation
What affects the price
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1
Area, pitch and accessibility
The developed area of the roof, its pitch, its height and the means of access (cherry picker, scaffolding, lifting equipment) change the installation time and the resources needed. A broken-up roof with many detail points costs more for the same area.
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2
Type of material and system
Slate, zinc, tile, steel sheeting, bituminous or synthetic waterproofing: supplies and installation times differ greatly. The expected lifespan matters as much as the purchase price.
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3
Condition of the substrate and strip-out
Stripping the old roof covering, remaking the substrate, replacing wet insulation: this work sometimes appears only once the roof is opened up. A good quote sets out how it will be handled, subject to your prior approval.
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4
Equipment and detail points
Rooflights, smoke vents, lifelines, supports for plant or photovoltaic panels: each addition creates penetrations and joints to seal.
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5
Safety, timetable and operations
Collective fall protection, hire of a cherry picker, season and weather risk, occupied building: these site constraints affect the price and the programme.
Tips for a successful request
Post a request- State the type of roof (pitched or flat), the nature of the current covering, the age of the building and the area, with plans or photos.
- Describe the defects: location of leaks, damp marks, the weather event that triggered them, interior damage already noted.
- Indicate how the roof is accessed and the equipment present (rooflights, air conditioning, solar panels) to be removed or repositioned.
- Say whether the building is occupied, whether activity can be interrupted and whether planning constraints apply (protected area, mandatory materials).
- Ask for a roof inspection before pricing and insist on a quote that details strip-out, disposal, upstands and flashings.
Flat roof waterproofing: understanding the systems
A flat roof is never strictly flat: it must have enough fall to drain water. Waterproofing relies on a build-up made up of the substrate, a vapour barrier where appropriate, the insulation, the waterproof covering and its protection. Coverings fall into three families.
- Bituminous membranes, laid in one or more layers, torch-applied, self-adhesive or mechanically fixed depending on the substrate. They are proven and suit many roofs.
- Synthetic membranes (PVC, TPO, EPDM), delivered in sheets joined by welding or bonding, favoured on large areas and plant roofs.
- Liquid waterproofing systems (resins), useful for complex shapes, upstands and localised repairs.
Protection depends on use: light for an inaccessible roof, reinforced for a plant roof carrying equipment, heavy for an accessible or green roof. The detail points (upstands, parapets, outlets, penetrations, expansion joints) are where leaks most often start: ask how the firm deals with them. In France, good practice is set out in the NF DTU 43 series; a serious firm can tell you which one applies to your roof.
Roof renewal: survey, asbestos and safety
Before replacing a roof covering, have a condition survey carried out: roof structure, substrate, insulation, flashings, fixings. A site visit, supplemented if necessary by leak detection, tells a local repair from a full renewal and stops an emergency job turning into unplanned work. Three points deserve attention.
- Asbestos. Corrugated sheets and some fibre-cement slates laid before asbestos was banned (in France, in 1997) may contain it. A pre-works survey is mandatory and removal is for firms certified for this work.
- Work at height. Collective protection (guardrails, scaffolding, nets) takes priority over personal protection. Ask how the firm plans for it and whether the quote includes it.
- Hot work. The torch used for bituminous waterproofing calls for fire precautions, often formalised by a hot work permit and fire watch after the work.
On the planning side, rules vary with the location and the nature of the work: a change of appearance (material, colour, roof openings, cladding) generally requires prior notification to the local authority in France, and protected areas add requirements. Find out before you consult firms. A roof that rests on deteriorated walls or cracked parapets may need masonry work first.
Insurance, guarantees and project monitoring
A badly executed roof often shows its faults after handover: it is better to have the paperwork in place before you sign. Require the ten-year liability insurance certificate (assurance décennale in France), which lists the roofing, waterproofing or flashing activities covered, the professional liability certificate and the list of products used (references, data sheets, any technical approvals). Leaks that make the works unfit for their purpose are in principle covered by the ten-year guarantee, which runs for ten years from handover.
During the project, ask for photographs of the stages that will be hidden (substrate, insulation, upstands, before closing up) and keep them. At handover, walk the roof with the firm, record snags in the handover report and keep it with the invoices. After handover, follow the maintenance instructions: clearing outlets, an annual inspection, a check after a storm. Many manufacturers make their guarantees conditional on this follow-up.
The general framework for the contract, handover and guarantees is set out on our page on building works. For a roof to be insulated from the inside, see plastering and insulation. Ready to get quotes? Post your request.
Related expertise
Masonry & structural work
Foundations, walls, slabs, openings, building extensions
Plastering & insulation
Partitions, false ceilings, dry lining, thermal and acoustic insulation
Joinery & closures
Doors, windows, shutters, gates, roller shutters
Premises refurbishment
Refurbishment and fit-out of offices, shops and workshops
Frequently asked questions
A question not answered here? Visit the help centre or write to us.
What insurance should a roofing or waterproofing firm be able to show?
Ask for the ten-year liability insurance certificate (assurance décennale in France), compulsory for builders, currently valid and listing the roofing, waterproofing or flashing activities covered. Also ask for the professional liability certificate, which covers damage caused during the project. Compare the company name and SIRET number (the French company registration number) with those on the quote.
Should I repair the roof or replace the whole of it?
Repair suits a localised defect on a sound substrate and a roof covering in good overall condition. If there are several leaks, if the insulation is wet, if the roof structure is affected or if the materials are at the end of their life, renewal is often more economical in the medium term. An inspection by a professional and, if needed, leak detection will settle the question.
Do I need planning permission to redo a roof or cladding?
It depends on the project and the location. A change to the external appearance (material, colour, roof openings, cladding) generally requires prior notification to the local authority in France, and a protected area often imposes requirements. Ask the local planning department before you start consulting firms.
When does the ten-year guarantee apply to a roof?
In France, the ten-year guarantee (garantie décennale) covers, for ten years from handover, damage that compromises the soundness of the works or makes them unfit for their purpose: significant leaks may fall within it. It requires formal handover and valid insurance held by the firm. Keep the handover report, the invoices and the certificates.
Can a flat roof be re-waterproofed without interrupting business?
Often yes: the work takes place on the roof, without entering the premises. It may, however, create noise, smells or hot-work risks, and require air intakes to be protected or equipment to be switched off. Flag that the building is occupied and any sensitive equipment: the firm will adapt its method and phasing.
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