How long does a roof repair last?

A repair is only as lasting as the reason the roof failed. Suppose a tile was cracked by a falling branch and is swapped for a sound one, fixed properly. That repair can see out the roof. Suppose instead the tiles slipped because the nails holding them had corroded. Swapping one tile treats a symptom, and a neighbour is likely to follow within a season or two.

For that reason the first task is tracing the cause, not covering the stain. Our survey looks at the fault, the covering around it and the fixings, with photographs of each. The written quote then sets out the lightest job that cures it. Think of a good repair as a statement about one fault and nothing wider, not a promise about the whole roof: this particular failure has been put right, and here is the condition of everything beside it.

Published lifespans are typical figures, never guarantees, and a warranty says nothing about how long the material itself will survive. They still show how much extra life a repair is buying on a given roof.

Marley itself describes its 60-year figure for concrete tiles as no guarantee. Treat every number above as an expectation for a well-made, well-kept roof, and then ask how old yours is, and whether it has been repaired before.

A replaced tile held with a clip or nail, a ridge refixed with proper fixings rather than mortar alone, and a flashing dressed in lead to the shape of the joint are repairs of a lasting kind. Since BS 5534 was revised in 2014, a sound ridge repair includes proper fixings, so one that follows the standard is worth more than one resting on mortar. Ask your roofer which kind you are being offered.

Surface treatments are a different matter. A sealant or a coat of bitumen paint sits on top of the roof and does not stand in for a part that has failed, so find out what the cause is before choosing one. Our pages on roof sealant and bitumen roof paint explain where each makes sense and where it only postpones the problem. A quick patch is sometimes the right call, provided you know it is a patch.

Repairs on an ageing roof can only achieve so much. If tiles crumble, the underlay has turned brittle or nail sickness runs right across a slope, every repair buys a little time and the bills pile up. Flat roofs tell the same story. Less says a well-laid felt roof can reach 20 years, while a badly laid one might give out in under 10, so workmanship counts as much as age.

Once the covering has reached the stage where fresh faults keep appearing, the sensible answer may be that repairs will go on failing and a larger job makes better sense. You will hear that from us, with photographs, and a new roof is never pushed where a repair would hold. Our page on whether it is cheaper to repair or replace sets out where the balance tips, and the page on nail sickness covers one common cause.

Ask for a written quote giving one total, with a description of exactly what will be done and with what. Ask for pictures of the fault before the work starts and of the finished repair afterwards. Ask what guarantee covers the repair, in writing, what it includes and for how many years, and keep that distinct from how long the roof itself is likely to last.

Ask also which parts of the roof around the repair were looked at and what condition they were in, so you know what the repair does not cover. A roofer who tells you the neighbouring tiles are sound, and shows you the evidence, is giving you something you can rely on. The wider service is described under roof repairs, and what drives the bill is covered in repair cost per square metre. Keep the paperwork somewhere safe in case you sell the house.