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Home/Services/Leadwork/Lead bay top
Lead bay window roofs in York, bossed to last a century
Victorian, Edwardian and 1930s bay-window roofs re-leaded in code 5 sheet lead, corners bossed by hand, falls rebuilt so water sheds to the gutter instead of ponding. Sand-cast for conservation areas. Free survey, fixed written quote within 24 hours.
- Code 5 sheet lead minimum, code 6 on larger 1930s bays
- Corners bossed by hand, never soldered or siliconed
- 20-year written workmanship guarantee on every re-lead
07500 544781 Speak to Elliott directly, weekdays and Saturday mornings
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Why bay tops leak
The three faults behind a leaking bay top
A bay-window top is a small flat lead roof catching the worst of the weather. When one leaks it is nearly always one of these three. The photos show our leadwork on nearby details, the same sheet lead skills every bay top needs.
Fatigued, cracked lead
Thin code 3 and 4 sheet stripped and re-leaded in code 5, corners bossed by hand.
Ponding and poor falls
Falls rebuilt on marine ply and treated firrings, a minimum 1 in 80 to the gutter.
Failed aprons and flashings
The back edge dressed at least 75mm up the wall, chased in, wedged with lead and pointed.
How it works
Surveyed, quoted, stripped, re-leaded
The same four steps whether it is a small Victorian bay or a curved 1930s one.
Send a photo or ring
WhatsApp a picture of the bay roof from an upstairs window. Usually enough to ballpark the era and the code it needs, free.
Free survey
We check the lead, the falls, the timber boards underneath and the corners, and tell you whether it patches or re-leads.
Fixed quote in 24h
A clear written price within 24 hours of survey. Sand-cast priced as an option where a conservation officer requires it.
Stripped and bossed
Most bay tops take one to three days. Old lead off, falls rebuilt, new lead dressed, bossed and pointed, offcuts taken away.
Cost, honestly
What a lead bay top costs
Indicative bands from bay-top jobs across York and the villages in the last twelve months. Nobody can price a bay from the pavement, so the final figure is fixed in writing after the free survey.
S
Victorian lean-back bay, from £900Up to 2m by 1.2m in code 5 milled lead, corners bossed, marine ply firrings for the fall. One to two days on site.
M
Edwardian splayed bay, from £1,200Up to 3m by 1.5m with all five corners bossed, new marine ply substrate, stepped flashing to the upper wall. Two days on site.
L
1930s curved or canted bay, from £1,650Over 3.5m by 1.5m in code 6 lead, full re-substrate, new apron and stepped flashing. Two to three days on site.
SC
Sand-cast carries a premiumAround 25 to 35 per cent over milled, where a conservation officer requires it.
24h
The quote is the priceFixed in writing within 24 hours of survey, valid while you decide.
Reviews
Detail work rated 5.0 by York homeowners
★★★★★TrustATrader
"I would highly recommend EJL. I was given Elliott's name from my neighbour who'd had work done. Rebedded and replaced my ridge tiles. Brilliant communication throughout."
Chloe CRidge tiles rebedded, Copmanthorpe
Before you book
Lead bay top questions
What does a lead bay top cost in York?
Indicative bands: small lean-back bay on a Victorian terrace from £900; standard Edwardian splayed bay from £1,200; large 1930s curved or canted bay from £1,650. Sand-cast lead carries a 25 to 35 per cent premium where conservation requires it. Scaffold included, final price fixed in writing within 24 hours of the free survey.
Should the corners be bossed or welded?
Bossing is the traditional craft, the lead is worked by hand around the corner without joints. Welding is acceptable on tight or awkward access and is structurally sound when done properly. We boss as default, weld only where access genuinely makes bossing impossible. We won't solder-and-silicone the corners, which is the modern shortcut.
Do you do sand-cast lead bay tops?
Yes. Sand-cast is often required by conservation officers in central York and on listed Victorian terraces in Bootham, the Mount and Bishophill. We carry sand-cast lead as a standard option, not a special order. See our sand-cast vs milled guide for more.
How long should a lead bay top last?
Code 5 sheet lead with properly bossed corners and a fall of at least 1 in 80 should last 80 to 100 years. The reason most lead bay tops fail in York is that they were originally laid in code 3 or 4, or the falls were inadequate, or the corners were lapped flat rather than bossed.
What if my bay roof has no fall and the lead ponds?
Ponding water on flat-laid lead is the biggest cause of long-term fatigue. We re-build the falls into the timber substrate when we re-lead, usually with firring strips, to give a minimum 1 in 80 fall. The bay then sheds water properly to the gutter.
Can lead bay tops be patched or do they need full replacement?
If the fatigue is at one corner only and the rest of the sheet is sound, patching with a code-matched lead burn can buy ten years. If the lead is thin code 3 or 4 originally, or there are multiple fatigue points, full re-lead is the only honest answer. We'll tell you which on the day.
Do you do the carpentry behind the lead?
Yes. The timber substrate behind the lead is often the underlying problem on a leaking bay. We strip the lead, check the boards and the firrings, replace anything rotten in marine ply or treated timber, then re-lead. Carpentry is included in the price band unless the substrate is completely gone.
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Ring Elliott, message on WhatsApp with a photo of the bay from an upstairs window, or book a free survey with the form above. Fixed quote in 24 hours, no pestering afterwards.