New roofs in Waterford.
A new roof usually comes up after the third repair rather than the first. We help you judge whether the roof can take another patch or is finished, and write down which.
When a roof has used up its patches
Think of a roof as layers, where the one you see is seldom the first to fail. Under the slates or tiles sit a membrane and a set of battens, and those give out quietly. You can have a roof that looks tidy from the road and still has felt like old newspaper and battens that crumble when pressed.
A good sign that replacement is near is repetition: a leak mended in one place that reappears in another, slates that slip every winter, or moss and sagging across a whole slope. Each of those points to a covering that is no longer holding together as a system, and a string of small repairs ends up costing more than doing it once.
Replacing a roof need not mean binning what you have. Natural slate that is sound can often be lifted, sorted and relaid on new membrane and battens, which keeps the look of the house and saves on material. Concrete tiles are re-laid the same way if they have not gone brittle. Where the covering is spent, new slate or new tile goes on.
A new roof is the largest job a house is likely to need, so the sequence matters. A survey comes first, then a written price naming the covering, underlay, battens, lead and access. A fully replaced roof is guaranteed for life against leaks as well as for ten years on workmanship.
What a new roof can be made of.
Natural slate
The longest-lived covering and the one that suits older houses best. It costs more than tile to buy and to lay.
Concrete tile
Found on houses from the 1970s on. Lighter than slate and faster to lay, though with a shorter working life.
Relaying your own slate
Sound slate lifted, graded and put back on new membrane and battens. Cheaper than new, if enough of it is good.
Dry-fix ridge, verge and hip
Mechanically fixed pieces in place of mortar, so wind and frost have less to crack.
Roof windows
Fitted into the new covering with proper flashing kits, rather than cut in afterwards.
Fascia and soffit at the eaves
Looked at while the roof is open, because they are far easier to deal with before the new covering goes down.
What each price takes in.
The quote is one fixed sum, so the bill at the end matches the paper you signed.
Included in every job
Quoted separately
What this usually costs.
| Service | Indicative price (2026) | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete Tile Roof | €8,000–€18,000 | 4–10 days |
| Complete Slate Roof | €12,000–€28,000+ | 5–14 days |
| Period Property Restoration | €15,000–€35,000+ | 7–21 days |
These are 2026 guide ranges and not a quotation. How big and steep the roof is, what it is covered with, how we get to it and the state of the timber beneath all shift the figure. What you pay is the sum written down after the survey, and 13.5% VAT is added for homes.
From the first look to the handover.
Survey
The slope and the attic are inspected and photographed to decide between replacing, relaying and repairing.
Written price
One fixed figure, listing the covering, the layers beneath and what is left out.
Strip and re-cover
Scaffold first, then the old covering lifted in sections and each slope closed up again the same day where possible.
Handover
You are walked through the finished roof and receive both guarantees on paper.
What Waterford homeowners ask us.
What does a new roof cost in Waterford?
As 2026 guides, concrete tile runs €8,000–€18,000 plus VAT and natural slate €12,000–€28,000+ plus VAT. Your own figure depends on house size, pitch and whatever lies beneath the old covering.
How long does it take?
A typical house takes 4–10 days for tile and 5–14 for slate, as a guide. Weather can move individual days, and you are told if it does.
Can my own slates be reused?
Often, yes, if the slates are sound. We lift a sample at the survey and tell you honestly how much would survive handling.
Will I need to move out?
Almost never. The house stays dry because each section is stripped and covered again before moving on, and the crew works from outside.
What is covered by the Lifetime Leak Guarantee?
Any complete roof replacement qualifies, and the cover sits alongside the written ten-year workmanship guarantee. The paperwork spells out what each one includes.
Is planning permission needed?
For an ordinary house re-roofed in the same material, usually not. Protected structures and some changes of material are different, and the survey flags it if yours is one.
Is winter a bad time for a new roof?
Not usually. Strong wind is the constraint, as nobody works on a slope in a gale, and a day is moved when it has to be.
Related roofing jobs.
Re-felting & Battening
Underlay and battens fail ahead of the slates above them. We renew both and refit your own slates.
Lead Flashing & Chimneys
Lead renewed at every junction of roof and wall or stack, and chimneys repaired so they no longer soak up the rain.
Roof Inspections
A written report with photographs, from the slope and the attic, setting out what the roof needs and what it can do without.
From the city to the coast, we work throughout Waterford. Surveys are free, quotes are fixed and written, and the finished work is guaranteed on paper.
Get your roof
looked at.
Tell us what the roof is doing and roughly where in Waterford it is. Someone looks at it for free and a fixed written price follows. Send the form below.