Brandon Roofers installs new pitched roofs for homeowners in Downham Market.
A properly installed new roof will protect your home for decades. Get it wrong and you are looking at leaks, failing flashings and premature tile movement within a few years. The difference almost always comes down to who does the work and how carefully the job is specified before a single tile is lifted.
At Brandon Roofers, we install pitched roofs across the area including Downham Market and neighbouring villages, using materials matched to the property. That means traditional clay and concrete tiles for most houses, and natural slate where the existing roof or planning position calls for it.
Stripping an old roof is not just a case of pulling tiles off. The battens, felt underlay and any damaged rafter timbers all need inspection before new materials go on. Rotten or undersized timber should be replaced at this stage; doing it later means reopening a finished roof.
The underlay goes on first, lapped correctly so water cannot track back underneath. Battens are then fixed at the right gauge for the tile or slate being used. Get the gauge wrong and tiles will not seat properly, leaving them vulnerable to wind lift. Ridge and hip tiles are bedded or dry-fixed depending on the system specified, and all lead flashings around chimneys, dormers or abutments are dressed carefully to stop water ingress at those junctions.
A finished new roof in this part of Norfolk typically costs between £5,000 and £15,000 depending on the size of the house, the pitch, the material chosen, and whether chimney or lead work is needed at the same time. Larger or more complex roofs cost more. Those figures are a guide; a proper survey is the only way to price your specific roof.
This is the part most homeowners underestimate. Getting two or three quotes is a start, but comparing quotes is only useful if each quote covers the same scope. A low price that excludes new timber, correct underlay or lead dressing is not a saving; it is a job that will fail.
Before you agree to anything, ask each contractor these questions directly:
A quotation for a new roof should be itemised, not a single lump sum. You need to see the cost of stripping and disposal, new underlay and batten, the tile or slate with a named product, ridge and hip work, any lead or flashing, and scaffolding. If scaffolding is listed separately by a third party, confirm who organises it and who is responsible if it overruns.
Watch for vague wording such as "roof to be repaired where necessary" or "tiles to be sourced locally". Those phrases give the contractor discretion you do not want them to have. Ask for those sections to be rewritten with specific materials and a process.
Payment terms matter too. A request for a large deposit before any work has started is a warning sign. Staged payments tied to stages of the job (scaffold up, strip complete, tiles on, sign-off) are normal and fair to both sides.
Clay tiles are a traditional choice for many roofs and are long-lasting when laid correctly. Concrete tiles are more affordable and widely available; a good concrete tile laid on proper battens and underlay will serve a house well. Natural slate is more expensive but is the right choice where appearance, planning or matching an existing roof demands it. Reconstituted slate products sit between natural slate and concrete tiles in cost and lifespan.
The right material depends on your roof pitch, any planning constraints, and what matches the surrounding properties. We will advise on that during a survey, not push you towards whichever is easiest to source at the time.
A common problem with roofs that fail early is poor lead work rather than failed tiles. Chimney flashings, valley gutters and step flashings where a roof meets a wall all need to be correctly sized, properly dressed and pinned or wedged into mortar joints. Mortar-bedded flashings without lead are a temporary fix and will crack and lift within a few years.
If your property has a chimney, budget for the flashings to be renewed at the same time as the roof. Trying to reuse old lead over a new tile line rarely works; the lead has usually taken its set from the old tile profile and will not sit flush on the new one.
A new roof on a garage or outbuilding follows the same principles as the main house. Pitched garage roofs are often in concrete tile and are straightforward to re-roof. Flat-roofed garages are a separate category; felt and EPDM rubber are both common choices, each with different maintenance needs and expected lifespans.
We work across Brandon and into the wider area, including Downham Market and nearby villages. If you are unsure whether we cover your area, call us and ask; we will tell you honestly.
The best thing you can do before agreeing to a new roof is have it properly surveyed from scaffolding or a safe working platform, not assessed from the ground with binoculars. A ground-level look can miss failed underlay, rotten timber and damaged hip or valley work. Call us to arrange a roof survey in Downham Market so you know exactly what your roof needs before you ask anyone to price it.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
