Roofing work - quotes discrepancy

[gmaz]

After having my gas boiler removed, the flue is now redundant so I posted a job on mybuilder to remove the flue and replace with a new tile. It sounds simple and quick but I've had quotes of £850 and £400. I would think £850 is like two days work for one person, unless I'm missing something and the whole roof has to come off or whatever?

Any roofers on here that could explain the cost and the difference?

[jfdi]

If a roofer is there more than 2 hours for that job it'll be because the cup of tea you made is too hot.

[phazed]

If the flu was in the middle of the roof or near the verge then it would be very simple.
From that camera angle it would seem that he would have to take out a patch of tiles to make a good job and that would include breaking out the cement fillets on the left and right hand side. Not a difficult job by any means just a bit fiddly to make a good job.
The other problem is that the correct tile or tiles will have to be sourced. This could mean not going to a roofing suppliers back to a salvage yard.
Personally, it is a job that I would quite happily tackle myself as it is only a bungalow. Source the tiles first, you can pull one out of the main roof as a sample because this will come out in seconds and be easy to be replaced.

Method being:

Lift the tiles out in the area.
Cut out the cement fillets on either side.
Pull out remains of flu.
Make good felt and batten as necessary where flu removed.
Fit new tile/tiles.
This may include cutting some tiles depending on how the old tiles have come out as they were cemented in position.
Make good cement fillets on either side.
Clean down area, stand back and admire.

[Wacky Racer]

phazed said:

If the flu was in the middle of the roof or near the verge then it would be very simple.
From that camera angle it would seem that he would have to take out a patch of tiles to make a good job and that would include breaking out the cement fillets on the left and right hand side. Not a difficult job by any means just a bit fiddly to make a good job.
The other problem is that the correct tile or tiles will have to be sourced. This could mean not going to a roofing suppliers back to a salvage yard.
Personally, it is a job that I would quite happily tackle myself as it is only a bungalow. Source the tiles first, you can pull one out of the main roof as a sample because this will come out in seconds and be easy to be replaced.

Method being:

Lift the tiles out in the area.
Cut out the cement fillets on either side.
Pull out remains of flu.
Make good felt and batten as necessary where flu removed.
Fit new tile/tiles.
This may include cutting some tiles depending on how the old tiles have come out as they were cemented in position.
Make good cement fillets on either side.
Clean down area, stand back and admire.

This,

Any competent DIY'er should be able to tackle that, especially being a bungalow, but not everyone would have the confidence.

Unfortunately, there's no £150 jobs these days.

£4/500 would be a fair price, a couple of tiles will be around a tenner.

[gmaz]

I probably would tackle it myself, but it is just out of arms reach from a stepladder, so would involve climbing on the roof.

[phazed]

A couple of screw eyes in the facia board, a short ladder tied to them and Bob’s your uncle!

[phazed]

A couple of screw eyes in the facia board, a short ladder tied to them and Bob’s your uncle!

[OutInTheShed]

I would just leave that, or shorten it with a cap of some sort.
It might even be useful as some kind of vent in future.

Might be a smart move to acquire a few tiles just in case though.

[phazed]

A couple of screw eyes in the facia board, a short ladder tied to them and Bob’s your uncle!

[Little Lofty]

Leave it for ventilation, no way I’d pay £400 to get it removed, especially by someone off Mybuilder, there’s a fair chance the roof will be in worse condition once they have finished.

[wolfracesonic]

One man, one day, whatever you think that’s worth. Sourcing a matching tile as stated above needs doing but a local roofer will probably have a good idea whose tiles they are and what reclamation yard has some. One issue is the ridge tiles above may need removing in order to lift out and replace the tiles in question but still, a days work.

[cliffords]

I have cut short with a big hacksaw and put a cap on it at my house . Cap was £10 and I had the saw . 40 mins as it takes me 10 mins to get ladder out and same to put it back.

[shtu]

gmaz said:

It sounds simple and quick but I've had quotes of £850 and £400.
Any roofers on here that could explain the cost and the difference?

One of them wants heated seats on his new pickup truck, and the other wants metallic paint too?

"sourcing a matching tile" - any decent roofer already has a selection of the tiles, slates, ridges etc lying around from previous jobs, and if he's local probably has tiles from a house 3 doors down already.


Rather than stripping the roof back, they're most likely to break up the existing tile and see if they can slot a new one in, plus some underfelt repair. Half a day's work for anyone that's actually a roofer.

I'd look around locally for an actual roofer rather than the checkatrade\mybuilder lot.

[TA14]

cliffords said:

I have cut short with a big hacksaw and put a cap on it at my house . Cap was £10 and I had the saw . 40 mins as it takes me 10 mins to get ladder out and same to put it back.

Yep. lower the cap and stuff some insulation inside, maybe squirty foam.