Trade Estimating
Roofing estimates that win work and protect your margin
We measure and price pitched, slate and flat roofing from your drawings so you can quote fast without losing your evenings to take-offs.
In short
A roofing estimate prices the full job: stripping, structure, coverings, membrane, battens, flashings and leadwork, plus access and waste.
We measure roof areas off your plans and elevations, allowing for pitch, hips, valleys and verges, then apply current UK rates.
You get a clear, itemised estimate branded as your own, ready to send to the client, usually within a few working days.
Who it's for
Roofing contractors, main contractors pricing a roof package, and developers who need a roof costed before they commit.
Roofing is one of the easiest trades to under-price because the plan area on a drawing is not the actual area you cover. Once you allow for pitch, the real surface is bigger, and then hips, valleys, verges and the ridge all add cutting, labour and waste that a flat plan area hides. We work the true slope area from the pitch on your section drawings so the number reflects what your team will actually lay.
Coverings make or break the price. A plain concrete interlocking tile, a natural Welsh slate and a single-ply flat roof membrane are three completely different jobs in labour, fixings and waste. We price the specification in front of us, and where the drawings are vague we tell you what we have assumed so there are no nasty surprises when the materials get ordered.
Access and the bits around the edges are where margin disappears. Scaffolding, lead to abutments and chimneys, dry verge and ridge systems, breathable membrane and treated battens all need pricing properly. We list them as separate lines so you can see exactly what is in the number and adjust anything before it goes to the client.
What the estimate includes
What drives the cost
The numbers that move the price on a roofing job, and the detail we measure to get them right.
Roof pitch and shape
Steeper pitches and cut-up roofs with multiple hips and valleys take far longer and waste more material than a simple gable roof. We measure the real slope area, not the plan area.
Covering: tile, slate or flat
Natural slate and clay tiles cost more in material and labour than concrete interlocking tiles, and single-ply or felt flat roofs are a different trade again. The specification drives a big part of the rate.
Scaffolding and access
Height, the number of lifts and how tight the site is all change the scaffold cost. A three-storey terrace with no rear access is a very different price to a bungalow.
Flashings and leadwork
Lead to chimneys, abutments, valleys and parapets is slow, skilled work and the lead price moves. The number of penetrations and abutments matters more than the roof size.
Membrane, battens and fixings
Breathable membrane, treated battens to the right gauge and the correct nails or clips for the exposure zone all add up across a large roof and are easy to leave out.
Waste and disposal
Stripping an old roof generates a lot of muck, and the cutting waste on a complex roof can run well into double figures. Skips and tip charges need to be in the number.
Common pitfalls we help you avoid
- Using the plan area instead of the true slope area, which under-measures every pitched roof.
- Forgetting the leadwork to chimneys and abutments, which is slow and expensive labour.
- Leaving scaffolding out or assuming the client provides it when they do not.
- Under-allowing cutting waste on hipped and valleyed roofs.
- Missing the strip-out and disposal cost on a re-roof.
How it works
Send us the roof drawings
Upload your plans, elevations and any sections. Tell us the covering you are pricing and whether it is a new roof or a re-roof.
We measure and price
We work the true slope areas, count the flashings and ridges, and apply current UK roofing rates for labour, materials and access.
You get a branded estimate
We hand back a clear, itemised roofing estimate under your own name, ready to send to the client or drop into a tender.
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a job that needs pricing?
Upload your drawings and we'll come back with a professional, branded estimate, a fixed fee and a turnaround time.
Upload Your Drawings