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A natural slate reroof with a hand-dressed lead valley near York
Slate and lead · our work, York

The materials guide

Every covering, shown at size.

Roofing materials compared by the people who fit them. Not a manufacturer's brochure.

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Start with the roof you have

Slate, clay pantile, concrete tile, EPDM rubber, GRP fibreglass, felt and lead. What each one costs, how long it lasts, and where it belongs on a York roof.

Most people land here with one job in mind. Pick the closest and we will take you to the detail.

01A period or conservation roofWelsh slate and clay pantile, matched to the street.Slate guide 02A flat roof, extension or garageEPDM, GRP fibreglass or felt, the right system for the job.Flat roofs 03A budget-friendly reroofConcrete tile, priced honestly by property size.New roofs 04A listed building or lead detailConservation leadwork, sand-cast to milled.Leadwork
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New natural slate roof going on over a stone extension on the outskirts of York
Half slated, half battened · outskirts of York
Pitched · 01

Welsh slate

80 to 100+ years. The conservation standard.

Thin, crisp blue-grey, the covering York's streets were designed around. Lighter than it looks, dearest of the common coverings, and worth it on the right roof.

Read the slate guide →
Clay pantile reroof on a York home
Clay pantile reroof · York
Pitched · 02

Clay pantile

60+ years. The Yorkshire roofline.

The traditional S-shaped Yorkshire tile, fired clay that holds its colour for life. Required like-for-like in conservation areas.

Read the pantile guide →
Concrete tile reroof on a modern York estate
Concrete tile reroof · York
Pitched · 03

Concrete tile

40 to 60 years. The modern workhorse.

The sensible value on a modern estate, priced honestly by property size. Rarely accepted in conservation areas.

Read the concrete guide →
Pitched roofs

Expected life, weight and cost of each pitched covering

CoveringExpected lifeWeight per m²Cost against concreteConservation
Welsh slate80 to 100+ years25 to 30 kgAbout 60% moreDefault choice, reclaimed preferred
Clay pantile60+ yearsAbout 40 kgAbout 20% moreRequired like-for-like
Concrete tile40 to 60 years40 to 50 kgBase priceRarely accepted
Synthetic slate40 to 60 yearsAbout 20 kgAbout 30% moreThe officer's call

Weights are approximate and vary by product. Reroof prices by property size, in all three main coverings, are on the new roof cost page. For conservation-grade reclaimed slate or matched pantile, expect £320 to £450 per square metre installed.

Price your own roof in about two minutes →
EPDM rubber flat roof on a York extension, looking out over rooftops
EPDM flat roof · a York extension
Flat · 01

EPDM rubber

25 to 40 years. The flat roof default.

One sheet, no joints, a 20-year manufacturer warranty. The default on extensions and garages for a reason.

Read the EPDM guide →
GRP fibreglass flat roof in York
GRP fibreglass · York
Flat · 02

GRP fibreglass

20 to 30 years. Hard and walkable.

A seamless shell you can walk on, at home on trafficked and complex roofs, upstands and awkward shapes.

Read the GRP guide →
Flat roofs

Expected life and warranty of each flat roof system

SystemExpected lifeManufacturer warrantyWhere it earns its place
EPDM rubber25 to 40 years20 yearsGarages and extensions, one sheet, no joints
GRP fibreglass20 to 30 years20 to 25 yearsTrafficked and complex roofs, hard and walkable
Felt and bitumen15 to 25 years15 yearsSheds and tight budgets, lowest cost
Lead60 to 100+ years60+ yearsValleys and listed roofs, traditional, hand-dressed

Flat roof cost bands by size are on the flat roof services page. Lead detailing sits with our leadwork, and the roofline that finishes the job, uPVC fascias, soffits and guttering, with our fascias and soffits and guttering services.

“Elliott and his team are great roofers. Work was done to a very high standard but also done in a very timely manner. We've had many people see his work and ask who the company was.”

Meg L · Roofing work, Acomb · Google, 5.0
Conservation

In York's conservation areas, the covering is not a free choice.

We work in York's conservation areas week in, week out. Four rules cover most of it.

  1. Visible slopes usually need like-for-like. Slate stays slate, clay stays clay on street-facing elevations. Officers can and do ask for concrete to come back off.
  2. Reclaimed beats new for matching. Weathered reclaimed slate and pantile sit flush with the neighbours. We source and grade reclaimed stock for exactly this.
  3. Listed buildings need consent first. Listed building consent comes before any material change, and the leadwork specification matters as much as the covering. Our conservation leadwork page covers that half.
  4. We handle the paperwork. Planning, listed building consent and building control, checked at the survey and lodged before work starts.
A finished reroof on a York property, scaffold and EJL board still up
A finished reroof, our board still up · York
Before you choose

Roofing material questions

What is the best roofing material?
There is no single best, it depends on the roof. For a period or conservation home in York, natural slate or clay pantile is usually right. For a modern estate, concrete tile is the sensible value. For a flat roof, extension or garage, EPDM rubber is the default and GRP fibreglass suits trafficked or complex roofs. We match the material to the age and style of the property, the pitch, the budget and how long you want it to last.
What is the best flat roof material?
For most residential extensions and garages, EPDM rubber is the default: a single sheet with no joints, 25 to 40 years of life and competitive cost. GRP fibreglass is the pick where you want a hard, walkable finish or complex shapes, lasting 20 to 30 years. Felt is the lowest-cost option at 15 to 25 years, fine for sheds and tight budgets. Lead is the answer on listed buildings.
How much does a new slate roof cost?
In natural slate, indicative reroof bands run from £4,800 to £8,800 for a one-bed terrace, £8,800 to £14,400 for a three-bed semi, and £19,200 to £32,000 for a large detached. That is roughly 60 per cent above the same roof in concrete tile. For conservation-grade work in reclaimed Welsh slate, expect £320 to £450 per square metre installed. A free survey turns the band into a fixed written quote.
What is the difference between clay pantiles and concrete tiles?
Clay pantiles are the traditional S-shaped Yorkshire tile, fired clay that holds its colour for 60 years or more. Concrete tiles are a modern, cheaper pressed tile that lasts 40 to 60 years but fades and grows moss sooner. On a period terrace the difference is visible from the street, which is why conservation officers usually ask for clay.
Is slate heavier than concrete tile?
No, the opposite. Natural slate is one of the lighter coverings, roughly 25 to 30 kilograms per square metre. Most concrete tiles run 40 to 50 kilograms per square metre. That matters when changing covering, because a roof structure built for slate cannot simply take concrete without the timbers being checked, and a swap in either direction can need building control approval.
How long do roof tiles last?
Natural Welsh slate lasts 80 to 100 years or more, clay pantile 60 years or more, and concrete tile 40 to 60 years. On flat roofs, EPDM runs 25 to 40 years, GRP 20 to 30 and felt 15 to 25. The covering usually outlives its fixings, the nails, battens and underlay beneath it, which is why an old roof can fail while the tiles themselves are still sound.
Do failing tiles always mean a new roof?
No. A handful of slipped or cracked tiles is a repair, not a reroof, and matching reclaimed tiles or slates keeps the patch invisible. The honest threshold is roughly a third of the roof. Below that, repair usually wins on value, above it, the scaffold cost says reroof once rather than repair twice.
New slate roof with conservation roof windows in York

Get the right covering, priced properly.

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Where the materials get fitted New roofs·Flat roofs·Roof repairs·Recent work

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