The short answer
A small repair, such as refixing a few tiles or renewing a flashing, is normally finished within one visit. Lead gutters, valleys and rotten timbers can take a day or more, and scaffold adds time at both ends. Weather can hold up any roof job. We give no fixed arrival promises, but we do prioritise leaks and storm damage.
Small repairs: usually one visit
Putting back a few tiles or slates is the quickest roof job there is. Once a ladder or tower is in place, the work is a matter of lifting the course, checking the batten and underlay, fixing the new tile and lowering the rest. That is commonly done in part of a day, and the whole visit includes setting up and tidying away.
The same goes for re-bedding a loose ridge tile, clearing a blocked outlet, or sealing a gap where a flashing has lifted. These are short jobs when the cause is simple and the area is easy to reach. Our page on slipped tile repair follows the steps of the commonest one.
Short does not mean careless. A quick job done properly still involves looking at what lies beneath the visible fault, because a repair that ignores a rotten batten will fail within a season.
Lead, valleys and gutters: more time at height
Work in lead is slower because the metal has to be measured, cut, shaped and dressed to fit the structure. A new flashing at a chimney may mean raking out the old mortar joint, forming the lead in steps, and pointing it back in. Where a roof drains behind a parapet, the lead channel there may need sections renewed and laid to a fall so that water drains. Those jobs are more often counted in days than hours, particularly when the work is done in sections to keep the house watertight overnight.
Valleys, where two slopes meet, are similar. The tiles on either side must be lifted to reach the lining beneath, then relaid, and the cuts have to be accurate to keep water in the channel.
Timber repair enters the picture once a leak has been running for some time. Replacing a rotten batten is quick, and replacing a section of board or a rafter end takes longer because it must be cut back to sound wood and made good.
What stretches a repair beyond the estimate
Several things can move a finish time. Understanding them is more useful than a number, because a roofer who promises an exact hour for every job is guessing.
- Access. Erecting scaffold takes time before any repair starts, and taking it down takes time afterwards. A job that is fifty minutes of roofing can need a day with scaffold.
- What lies under the covering. Rotten timber or a torn underlay is found only once the tiles are off. We photograph it and tell you before going further.
- Materials. Matching clay, stone or slate for an older roof sometimes means sourcing reclaimed pieces, which can mean waiting.
- Weather. Wet or windy conditions can make work unsafe or impractical. A roof left open to rain is a worse problem than a delay.
- Neighbours and access rights. Terraced and semi-detached homes sometimes need access across a neighbour's property, which has to be agreed first.
Where any of these apply, we flag them at the survey so that the timing you plan around is realistic.
Emergency work and make-safe visits
Making a leaking roof safe comes before anything else. That may mean a temporary cover, a sheet laid across the damaged area, or a repair to stop the worst of the water, with the full job following when conditions allow. See temporary roof repairs for how this works and what it is meant to achieve.
We prioritise leaks and storm damage over routine work. That is different from promising a specific arrival time, which no honest roofer can do when storms produce many calls at once, so we do not make that promise. What we can tell you is the order of work: stop the water, assess the damage, then agree the repair.
If your ceiling is already stained, our explanation of what a ceiling water stain means helps you describe the problem when you call.
Timings to expect, in ordinary language
| Job | Rough time on site |
|---|---|
| A few slipped or cracked tiles | Part of a day |
| Loose ridge tile re-bedded | Part of a day |
| Chimney flashing renewed in lead | Usually a day, longer with scaffold |
| Valley or lead gutter section | A day or more |
| Rotten batten or board replaced | Adds time to the job above |
These are rough guides from the way such jobs generally run, not commitments. The survey gives a firmer idea for your own roof. Money is a separate question, and what a single leak costs to put right deals with it.
Doing the work in the right order
A repair done quickly in the wrong order creates new faults. Lead has to be fitted before the tiles around it are relaid, and boarding has to be sound before felt goes down. Birds are a separate matter, and bird-proofing roofs deals with keeping them out without harm.
On completion we leave the property tidy and carry off our rubbish, and we point out from the ground which tiles, lead or battens were renewed, so you know where to look after the next heavy rain. A survey can be arranged on 01225 285181, by WhatsApp or through the form, and the wider service sits under roof repairs in Bath. A tidy finish also lets you see exactly what was done. The point of the order is simple: each layer protects the one beneath it, and skipping ahead leaves a weak spot that only shows up later in a storm.
