A roof replacement, or re-roof, strips the old tiles or slates, battens and felt from a pitched roof and replaces them with a new breathable membrane, battens and covering, repairing timbers and renewing ridges, valleys and flashings at the same time.
Homeowners in Atherton usually consider a new roof for one of a few reasons: something has worn out, the house no longer suits the way they live, or they are getting it ready to sell. We visit, agree a specification and put a fixed price in writing. Most jobs like this take 1–2 weeks on site, plus scaffolding time, and we work across Greater Manchester, including Tyldesley, Westhoughton and Leigh.
- Guide price
- £6,600–£14,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 1–2 weeks on site, plus scaffolding time
- Postcodes
- BL5, M29, M46 and WN7
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Wigan
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for a new roof in Atherton?
Use the table to gauge the cost of a new roof in Atherton before we visit. Figures include VAT and are scaled for the North West, coming out about 5% below the national guide, which gives £6,600–£14,000 overall. After a free survey, you receive a fixed written price.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Atherton |
|---|---|---|
| Terraced house or bungalow | A smaller pitched roof re-covered in concrete or clay tiles, including scaffolding. | £4,800–£9,500 |
| Typical semi-detached | A 3-bed semi re-roofed in concrete or clay tiles with new membrane, battens and leadwork. | £6,600–£14,000 |
| Detached or natural slate | Larger or more complex roofs, or any roof finished in natural slate. | £11,500–£24,000 |
The main things that change the figure:
- Covering material: concrete tile, clay tile or natural slate
- Condition of rafters, fascias and other timbers
- Chimneys, leadwork and roof windows to rework
- Scaffolding, access and the height of the house
What’s included?
- Scaffolding with edge protection, erected and removed
- Stripping old tiles or slates, battens and felt in stages
- Breathable membrane and new treated battens
- New tiles or slates, or sound originals refitted where suitable
- Ridges, hips and verges dry-fixed or bedded, with new leadwork
- Waste removal by skip and a clean site on completion
Homes in Greater Manchester
Rows of Victorian red-brick terraces fill much of Manchester, Salford and the mill towns, with stone terraces in the Pennine fringes around Oldham and Saddleworth. South Manchester has Edwardian semis and villas, Wythenshawe was built as a large interwar garden suburb, and city-centre apartments and new estates continue to grow.
Two-up two-down terraces commonly suit loft conversions, kitchen extensions and kitchen refits. Many need repointing and roof work, while semis in the suburbs often take side extensions, driveways and replacement windows.
Knowing the typical building types in Greater Manchester helps, but a survey of your own home in Atherton is what decides the right approach to a new roof.
Planning and building rules in Atherton
Each UK nation sets its own consent rules, and Atherton is in England. What follows is a plain summary; we check the specifics for your property with the council before pricing anything.
Re-roofing a house with similar materials does not usually need planning permission in England. Listed buildings and conservation areas may need consent if the covering changes.
Replacing more than a quarter of a roof’s covering counts as renovation under Building Regulations, so the work is notified and the roof insulation may need upgrading. Bats are protected across the UK; if they roost under roof tiles, soffits or fascias, work stops and a licensed ecologist advises before it restarts.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
The four stages
Free site survey
A free survey comes first. It gives us what we need to price a new roof properly, including dimensions, existing materials and access for deliveries, and gives you the chance to ask anything you like.
Written quote
We put everything into a written, fixed-price quote: the specification, what's excluded, staged payments and the expected time on site. Take whatever time you need to decide; there's no pressure to commit.
Booking the work
With the quote agreed, we book the work in and handle preparation: permissions where needed, building control notifications, material orders and access arrangements for your Atherton property.
Finish and handover
The work is carried out to the agreed specification, with floors and furniture protected and the site kept tidy. At the end we clean up, walk through the finished job with you and hand over any certificates.
What you can expect from us
Common questions
How long will a new roof take?
On a typical home, allow 1–2 weeks on site, plus scaffolding time. Larger projects, older buildings and extra work found once things are opened up can extend that, while simpler jobs may be shorter. Your quote includes an estimate of time on site, and your point of contact keeps you updated on the programme as the work progresses.
Can my old tiles or slates be reused?
Old tiles or slates can sometimes be reused if they are sound, which can help keep the look of a period house. Many older concrete tiles and some slates are porous, cracked or have failing fixing nibs, so they would not last. Reclaimed slates or tiles can make up shortfalls. We check a sample during the survey and explain the cost difference.
Will my loft insulation and ventilation be improved?
Re-roofing is a good time to improve loft ventilation and insulation. A breathable membrane and eaves or ridge vents keep air moving and reduce condensation in the loft. Building regulations may require insulation upgrades when a large part of the roof is renewed. We check your current insulation and ventilation and include any required improvements in the quote.
How long does a roof replacement take?
Re-roofing a typical semi-detached house takes around one to two weeks once scaffolding is up, depending on the roof's size, complexity and the weather. Smaller terraced roofs can take a few days. Scaffolding usually goes up a day or two before work starts and comes down once everything is inspected. We give you a programme and keep the roof weathertight overnight.
Do I need planning permission in Atherton?
It depends on the work, the size of the project, your property type and whether the building is listed or in a conservation area. Atherton is in England, so England's rules apply. Many smaller jobs need no planning application, but some still need building control approval. We check what applies to your address before quoting.
Near Atherton
Live in Atherton? Our coverage takes in the BL5, M29, M46 and WN7 postcode areas and reaches out to Tyldesley, Westhoughton and Leigh, so homes on the outskirts and in the next town along are included.

