Matched to what is there
We source slate and tile to match the existing roof in size, colour and weathering, so a repair does not leave a bright patch visible from the street.
Roofing Solutions / Pitched Roof
Pitched Roof Repair and Re-Roofing in London
New installations, full replacements and repairs of tiles, slate, ridge tiles and leadwork, matched to what is already on the roof rather than to whatever is easiest to source.
Get a roof surveySlate and tile roofs on London terraces
This page is for anyone in South and West London with a sloping slate or tiled roof that has started slipping, leaking or letting damp into the rooms below. K & M Roofing Solutions repairs, re-roofs and maintains pitched roofs on Victorian and Edwardian terraces, semis, mansard conversions and commercial buildings, from a single slipped slate to a full strip and re-roof.
Most of the housing stock we work on was built between 1860 and 1910, and it fails in predictable places. Bedding mortar on the ridge and hips crumbles and lets ridge tiles lift. Lead flashing at the chimney and at the abutment with next door splits along the fold. The valley between two terraced roofs silts up and backs water under the slates. Nail fatigue lets slates slide out one at a time long before the rest of the roof is finished. Knowing where to look on this kind of roof is most of the job.
That shapes what we recommend. A roof with sound rafters and battens rarely needs stripping, and we would rather re-fix the slipped course, renew the leadwork and re-bed the ridge than sell you a re-roof you do not need yet. When the timbers or battens have actually gone, we say that too, and a full re-roof is the honest answer.
One part of London is almost entirely this kind of roof. Acton is the most slate-dominated area we cover, and what a century-old Welsh slate roof needs there is set out on our page for roofing in Acton, W3.
Benefits
How we work on a pitched roof
Targeted repair, not automatic re-roof
Where the rafters and battens are sound we re-fix, re-bed and re-flash rather than stripping a roof that has years left in it.
Ventilation and insulation improved as we go
While the covering is open we add the ridge and eaves ventilation and the insulation upgrade that stop condensation forming in the loft.
Flashings and chimneys done in the same visit
Chimney flashing, valleys and abutments are sealed while the access is already up, rather than becoming a second job and a second scaffold bill.
What we offer
Pitched roofing work we take on
Pitched roof repairs
Slipped, cracked and missing slates re-fixed with copper or aluminium tingles, torn underlay patched, and the cause traced rather than the symptom covered. This is the majority of what we do on London terraces.
Full strip and re-roof
Where battens, underlay or rafters have failed we strip the covering, renew the battens and breathable membrane, upgrade the insulation and re-lay in matched or new material. Often done alongside the flat roof over the rear outrigger while the scaffold is up.
See flat roof repair and waterproofingNatural slate and tile
Welsh and Spanish natural slate, clay plain tiles and concrete interlocking tiles, sized and gauged to the existing roof. Natural slate costs more up front and lasts far longer than concrete, and we explain that trade-off before you commit.
Ridge, hip and verge
Crumbling bedding mortar re-bedded, or replaced with a mechanically fixed dry ridge system that does not rely on mortar and meets current BS 5534 fixing requirements. Dry ridge is the reason most re-bedded ridges never come loose again.
Leadwork, chimneys and valleys
Code-appropriate lead flashing at chimneys, abutments and party walls, lead-lined valleys between terraced roofs cleared and relined, and chimney stacks repointed and re-flaunched. Split lead and silted valleys cause more London terrace leaks than broken slates do.
New pitched roofs
For extensions, dormers and new builds, managed from structural design and building control notification through to the final ridge, with the covering matched to the existing house.
Scope
Signs your pitched roof needs attention
- Slipped, cracked or missing slates and tiles
- Ridge tiles rocking, or mortar crumbling out of the joints
- Damp patches on upstairs ceilings after driving rain
- Lead flashing cracked, lifted or patched with mortar
- Daylight visible through the roof from inside the loft
- A dip or sag along the ridge line seen from the street
- Grit and mineral granules collecting in the gutters
- Condensation, mould or damp timbers in the loft space
How it works
How our pitched roof service works
1
Free site survey
We inspect the covering, the flashings and the loft from inside, and fly the roof by drone where it is too steep or too high to walk. Most surveys take under an hour and cost nothing.
2
Report and itemised price
You get photographs of what we found, an explanation of what is causing the problem and an itemised price separating labour, materials and scaffold. Normally with you in two to three working days.
3
Materials matched and ordered
We source slate or tile to match the existing roof and confirm the specification with you before anything is ordered. Reclaimed slate can take longer to source than new.
4
Access and scaffold
Scaffold or tower goes up, with pavement licences arranged where the terrace fronts directly onto the footway. Usually a day, and booked so the roof work follows immediately.
5
Roof works
Stripping, re-battening, re-covering, leadwork and ridge, worked in sections so the roof is never left open overnight. A typical London terrace re-roof runs one to two weeks depending on size and weather.
6
Final check and guarantee
We inspect every flashing, ridge and valley, clear the gutters of debris from the works, remove all waste and issue your 10-year workmanship guarantee in writing.
Why choose us
Why customers choose K & M Roofing
01
Certified HYDRONYLON applicators, a system most London roofers cannot offer.
02
One team for the whole job, from survey to sign-off.
03
Rated 5.0 by 60 customers on Google.
04
Day-to-day experience of Victorian and Edwardian London roofs, which is where most of our pitched work is.
05
Transparent pricing with no hidden costs, and a 10-year workmanship guarantee.
Knowledge
Read more before you decide
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Repair, if the rafters, battens and underlay are sound and the damage is localised. A roof losing the occasional slate to nail fatigue usually needs re-fixing and new leadwork, not stripping. Replacement becomes the honest answer when the battens are rotten, the underlay has perished across the whole roof, or you are repairing the same roof every winter. The survey establishes which, and we will tell you if you do not need a re-roof yet.
Yes, and on a visible London terrace roof it matters. We match slate and tile by size, thickness, colour and weathering, and use reclaimed material where a new tile would stand out against a hundred years of London weathering. Reclaimed stock takes longer to source, so we confirm what is available before the work is booked.
As an indicative UK market rate for 2026, a full strip and re-roof runs roughly £90 to £220 per square metre including labour, materials, scaffolding and waste removal, and London and the South East routinely add 25 to 30 percent on top. Material is the biggest single variable: concrete tile sits around £65 to £140 per square metre installed, clay around £80 to £275, and natural Welsh or Spanish slate around £200 to £400. Scaffolding is priced separately at roughly £700 to £1,500 on a typical two-storey house, or up to £2,500 where access is awkward, and remember your actual roof area is 1.2 to 1.5 times the building footprint depending on pitch. Those are market figures rather than our quote, and a binding price from K & M Roofing Solutions follows a free survey.
A typical London terrace re-roof takes one to two weeks on the roof, plus a day either side for scaffold up and down. Individual repairs such as slipped slates, a chimney flashing or a re-bedded ridge are usually a day or less. Weather drives the timetable more than anything else, because we do not strip a covering we cannot make watertight the same day.
The reliable signs are visible from the ground or the loft. From the street, look for slipped or missing slates, ridge tiles sitting at an angle and a dip in the ridge line. From inside the loft, look for daylight, damp timbers and staining on the underlay. Grit collecting in the gutters means concrete tiles are shedding their surface. Any of those is worth a survey before it becomes a ceiling repair as well as a roof repair.
Yes, and on London terraces they cause more leaks than broken slates do. We renew lead flashing at chimneys, abutments and party walls in the correct lead code, reline silted or split valleys between terraced roofs, and repoint and re-flaunch chimney stacks. Because this work needs the same access as the roof itself, we do it in the same visit rather than returning and charging for a second scaffold.
For a re-roof or any work across the slope, yes, and it is a separate line on the quote rather than something hidden in the labour rate. Small repairs near the eaves can sometimes be reached from a tower. Where a terrace fronts straight onto the pavement we arrange the pavement licence with the council as part of the job.
Every pitched roofing job carries a 10-year workmanship guarantee, issued in writing when we sign the work off. That covers the work we carried out, including the leadwork, ridge and flashings, not just the covering. Manufacturer guarantees on tiles, slate and membranes are separate and we pass on the documentation.
Free on-site estimate
Let us talk about your roof
Tell us what is going on and we will arrange a free survey. No pressure, no hard sell, just honest advice and a clear price.
Kamil07593 196505
Mateusz07544 188268