Re-roofing your home in Central Scotland: a guide to the whole job

Be clear about why you are replacing the roof

Some homeowners come to us after repeated leaks. Others are planning a renovation and want an assessment of a roof they have not had to think about before. Start with the findings, not the assumption that a particular age demands replacement.

If you are still choosing between repair and renewal, use our repair or replacement guide first. This article deals with the next stage: planning an agreed replacement so you know what will happen and what the quotation covers.

Tell us about future work that could affect the roof. Rooflights, solar panels, a loft project or chimney alterations can change the specification and the order of work. Discussing those plans early is easier than altering a newly finished roof later.

Define what “a new roof” includes

The term can describe very different jobs. A quotation should identify the covering being replaced and the components beneath and around it. Ask which existing timbers, sarking or other support will remain, and what can only be judged once exposed.

• Main covering: the slate or tile specification and appearance.
• Underlying layers: the proposed membranes, battens or relevant support arrangement.
• Roof details: ridges, verges, valleys and junctions with walls or chimneys.
• Eaves and drainage: how the covering meets the gutter and roofline.
• Associated work: any insulation, ventilation or rooflight changes.

A material sample helps with appearance, but it is not the whole specification. Ask what has been chosen for your property and why, especially where the new covering differs from the old.

Confirm permissions and shared responsibilities early

In Scotland, ask the council whether your proposed work requires a building warrant. A warrant that is needed must be obtained before the work starts. ^[1]

Planning permission and listed-building consent are separate questions. If a listed building’s character is affected, listed-building consent may be required; check with the planning authority. ^[2]

Tell us if the roof is shared or managed by a factor. Agree who can authorise the work and how access, notices and costs will be handled. Keep records of permissions or decisions that apply to the project rather than relying on an informal conversation about a similar property nearby.

The quotation should say which approvals or professional services are included. If someone else is responsible, identify them before a start date is treated as firm.

Prepare your home for access and disruption

Discuss where access equipment, materials and waste will go. We need to know about shared paths, difficult parking, extensions beneath the work and any areas that must stay usable. Let neighbours know about arrangements that affect them through the appropriate person.

Ask what should be moved from the loft or protected against dust. Explain whether anyone works from home, sleeps during the day or needs particular access. A realistic conversation about noise and disruption is more helpful than assuming the job will be unnoticeable.

Agree the contact person for the job, how progress will be communicated and what happens if weather alters the programme. Also ask how exposed areas will be managed between stages. The practical plan should be specific to the building and scope, rather than an unexplained promise to finish in a fixed number of days.

Understand the sequence without needing to supervise the roof

1. Set up: agreed access and protection are established.
2. Remove the specified covering: the work proceeds in a planned sequence suited to the job.
3. Assess what is exposed: concealed defects are explained and additional work agreed where necessary.
4. Prepare the roof: the specified supporting components and layers are installed or repaired.
5. Complete covering and details: junctions, edges and drainage connections are finished as part of the system.
6. Check and hand over: the agreed work, site clearance and relevant paperwork are reviewed.

You should not need to go onto the roof to follow this process. Ask for a plain explanation of progress and photographs where useful and safe. Keep questions with the agreed contact rather than trying to inspect a working area yourself.

Agree a fair process for concealed timber repairs

A quotation can identify known concerns, but it cannot make every hidden component visible. Before starting, ask how additional timber or deck work will be recorded, priced and approved. Where an allowance is used, understand what it covers and whether it is included in the total.

Ask to be shown the finding and the reason for the recommendation. A useful explanation distinguishes a local repair from wider replacement and says whether other parts of the job are affected. If you are not available during the day, agree who may authorise decisions.

Do not leave the running total in several text messages that you later have to reconstruct. Keep approved variations together and ask for an updated total when the scope changes. This protects the clarity of the job for both you and the contractor.

Treat handover as part of the work

Before finalising the job, ask what has been completed and whether anything remains outstanding. Review the agreed site clearance and confirm arrangements for removal of access equipment. If internal making good was excluded, make sure you know what still needs arranging.

Keep the invoice, specification, approved changes, relevant approval documents and any applicable guarantees. Ask what maintenance the completed roof needs and who to contact if you have a concern. These records are useful for you now and for a future buyer.

We provide roofing enquiries and quotations from our Alloa base, including Stirling and surrounding areas. Send your postcode and a description of the proposed work. We will discuss the assessment needed to turn “a new roof” into a clear, properly scoped project.

Your questions answered