The short answer
A roof make-safe is an urgent visit to stop further damage or danger after a roof failure, such as a leak, storm damage or a loose chimney or tiles. It usually means securing or covering the damaged area, removing anything about to fall and stopping water entering. It is not a permanent repair, and the lasting repair is quoted separately after the roof has been surveyed.
What a make-safe covers
A make-safe deals with whatever could hurt someone or let water in before the roof can be properly repaired. In practice, that is a short list of jobs, and which ones are needed depends on what has happened.
- Taking down loose or hanging tiles, slates or ridge pieces that could fall.
- Covering a hole with a tarpaulin or board, fixed so it will not lift in a gust.
- Securing a leaning or cracked chimney pot or stack, or cordoning off the area below it.
- Clearing a blocked outlet or gutter causing water to back up.
- Photographing the damage and recording what was found.
The aim is to leave the property safe and dry enough to wait. Leaks and storm damage take priority for that reason, and the make-safe tends to be the first visit. For water already coming in, our page on an emergency roof leak describes what you can do while you wait.
What it does not include
A make-safe differs from a repair, and it helps to know where the line falls before anyone arrives. It will not replace broken rafters, renew lead flashing, rebuild a chimney stack or re-lay a section of roof. Those are repairs, and they are planned and priced separately once the damage can be seen properly.
It also does not diagnose every cause. A stain on a ceiling may begin metres away from the hole, because water travels along timbers and felt before it shows itself. Working out the true source takes time and sometimes a dry spell. Telling a leak from condensation is among the first checks we make, since moisture on a ceiling does not always mean a hole in the roof.
Finally, a make-safe is not a promise that the roof will stay as it is. Temporary covers wear out, and the sooner the permanent work is booked, the less strain is put on the cover. For the reasons behind that, see our answer on tarpaulin life.
How it is usually charged
Make-safe visits are generally charged for the call-out, the time on the roof and any materials used, such as boards, sheeting and fixings. If the damage sits high up, a tower or scaffold may be needed to reach it, and it is worth asking about that before work begins.
Typical UK cost guides give a broad picture of roof repair pricing. MyBuilder's 2026 guide reports £100 to £300 for a minor repair, for a small leak or a few tiles, and £500 to £1,500 for storm-damage fixes. Those are typical UK ranges from an outside cost guide and say nothing about what we charge. A make-safe is a limited job, so it tends to sit toward the lower end. The lasting repair is priced separately, with your own fixed quote coming after the survey.
Some visits are over quickly, such as taking down a loose ridge tile or fixing a sheet over a small hole. Others take longer, particularly where a stack has to be made secure or a large area needs covering. The charge follows the work needed, not a fixed rate for the word make-safe.
Ask any roofer how the visit will be charged before they climb up. A clear answer on call-out, labour and materials is reasonable to expect.
When a make-safe is the right call
Timing matters because water does damage out of sight. Wet insulation loses its value, plasterboard softens and timbers that stay damp can start to rot, so a few days of rain through a hole can add to the eventual repair. A make-safe cuts that off while the lasting work is arranged.
Not every roof problem needs one. A cracked tile with no water coming in can wait for a normal booking. A make-safe is for the situations where waiting makes things worse or puts someone at risk.
- Water coming through a ceiling, particularly near light fittings or the electrics.
- Tiles, slates or a ridge visibly moving or hanging after a storm.
- A chimney stack that has shifted, cracked or is leaning.
- A tree or large branch resting on the roof.
- A neighbour's roof dropping debris onto your property or the pavement.
For water near electrics, turn that circuit off at the fuse board before anything else. The steps are laid out in our light fitting answer. Stay off a damaged roof yourself.
What happens afterwards
Once the roof is safe, we survey it properly, from the ground, a ladder or a tower as the job requires, and take photographs of the damage on your own roof. The complete repair is then priced as a set sum on paper. Where the access is awkward, our advice on repairing a roof without scaffolding helps you see when the job can be done without it and when it cannot.
Mention early if your house is listed or sits in Bath's conservation area. Urgent work to remove a danger is treated differently from permanent changes to the covering, which may need the council's agreement, and we explain what applies. Materials on older roofs are matched to the original wherever we can.
Keep any temporary covering free of loose debris until the permanent repair is booked, and tell us if the wind shifts it, because a lifted sheet can channel water straight in. The wider roof repairs in Bath hub covers the repair types that usually follow a make-safe.
