Dorset Museum & Art Gallery
Dorchester's county museum, founded in 1846 and housed since 1881 in a purpose-built neo-Gothic building on High West Street.
Learn more about Dorset Museum & Art Gallery on Google MapsRoof Replacement In Dorchester
Has your Dorchester roof reached the point where repairs no longer add up?
Complete re-roofs for Victorian estates, Georgian town houses and older Fordington homes
A roof replacement in Dorchester usually means one of two houses. The first is a late Victorian home on the Cornwall, Prince of Wales or Victoria Park estate, still on its first slate, with nails that have given up across the whole roof. The second is a town-centre property where earlier patching has run its course and the battens, lead and underlay all need renewing together. Either way we strip to the rafters, put back a breathable membrane, new battens and properly fixed slate or tile, and meet today's insulation rules. Every full re-roof comes with a 10 year guarantee as standard.
Roof Replacement Quote In Dorchester
Tell us a little about the roof and we will call you back.
What a new roof in Dorchester should get right
A re-roof here has to look right on the street and outlast the one it replaces. These are the points we won't compromise on.
01
Slate that suits the street
Most of Dorchester's Victorian housing is slated, and the conservation area relies on slate, clay tile and stone. We recommend a covering that matches the neighbours, which keeps the job within like-for-like and avoids awkward planning questions.
02
Reusing what's still good
On stone-slated or older clay roofs, a good share of the existing covering can often go back on. We sort and stack it during the strip, then make up the shortfall with reclaimed material of the same type.
03
Fixing to the current standard
BS 5534 changed how roofs are fixed. Ridges and hips must be mechanically fixed, and single-lap tiles need nails or clips throughout. A new Dorchester roof built that way is far harder for wind to strip.
04
Insulation that meets Part L
When more than half a roof is renewed, Building Regulations expect the insulation to be brought up to standard. We plan for it in the quote, so there's no awkward conversation once the slates are off.
05
New lead where it matters
Valleys, chimney flashings, dormer cheeks and parapet gutters all get new lead on a full re-roof. Reusing tired lead to save a little money is the quickest way to bring a new roof's first leak forward.
06
A guarantee you can hand on
Each replacement comes with a 10 year guarantee as standard, written down at handover. If you sell your house on a Dorchester estate, the paperwork goes with it.
1,000+
Roofing projects completed
5★
Every review we have is five stars
10 yrs
Guarantee on roof replacements
Free
Roof surveys and written quotes
Dorchester
Re-roofing Dorchester's estates and older streets
The estates built after 1874 make up a large share of the re-roofs we quote in Dorchester. They were laid out quickly over about twenty years, so many houses on a street are reaching the end of their original slate at roughly the same time. Valleys, back additions and bay roofs often need extra lead work, and chimney stacks in Broadmayne brick usually want repointing while the scaffold is already up.
In the conservation area and around Fordington the job takes more planning. Roofs may combine slate, clay tile, pantile and stone slate on one row, and Georgian houses add dormers and mansards. We record the existing details before stripping so the new roof keeps the same profile. In Poundbury, the Duchy of Cornwall must approve the work first, and any Building Regulations or planning requirement sits on top of that.
Not every tired roof needs replacing. If a section can be saved, our page on roof repairs in Dorchester explains how we approach that instead.
"Most of the full re-roofs we quote in Dorchester are on the Victorian estates, where the slate itself is often fine and it's the nails and battens underneath that have given out."
Step by step
Our roof replacement process in Dorchester
- 1
Survey the whole roof
We check the covering, the timbers from the loft, chimneys, lead and gutters, and note whether the house is listed, in the conservation area or in Poundbury, since each affects what comes next.
- 2
Agree the materials and price
You choose slate, clay tile or reclaimed stone with our advice on what suits the house. The written quote lists everything, including insulation, lead, scaffold and skip.
- 3
Permissions and scaffold
We plan the scaffold layout where it has to stand on the pavement. Poundbury owners get a full specification to send to the Duchy, and we wait for its approval.
- 4
Strip back to the rafters
The old covering, battens and felt come off. Sound slate or stone is set aside for reuse, and we inspect every rafter so any rot is dealt with before the new roof goes on.
- 5
Membrane, battens and lead
A breathable membrane goes down first, then treated battens at the gauge the slate or tile needs. New lead is dressed into valleys, flashings and dormer cheeks before covering begins.
- 6
Lay and fix the new covering
Slates and tiles are nailed or clipped to suit the wind loading, and ridges and hips are mechanically fixed. Insulation is brought up to standard so the roof meets Part L.
- 7
Handover with your 10 year guarantee
We walk the finished roof with you or send photos, clear the site, and hand over the written 10 year guarantee that comes as standard with every replacement.
Our guarantee
Ten years on a new roof, written down and signed
When we replace a roof in Dorchester, the paperwork you're handed at the end will, on all but a handful of unusual jobs, include a 10 year guarantee on the work. If yours is one of the exceptions, you'll know at quote stage, not after. It names your address, says what was done and is dated the day we sign the roof off. It covers the installation itself, meaning the battens, membrane, fixings, the slates or tiles and the junctions where the roof meets walls and chimneys. If any of that lets water in through a fault in how it went on, we come back and fix it without charging you.
A guarantee that long only makes sense if the roof is built properly underneath, so it shapes the job from day one. Every slate or tile is mechanically fixed to the current British Standard rather than relying on its own weight, which matters on a stretch of coast where the wind arrives with nothing in its way. Breathable membrane goes on before the battens. Valleys, abutments and chimneys get proper lead or a tested dry-fix system, never a smear of mortar that cracks in its third winter.
Materials carry their own manufacturer cover on top, and that differs from product to product. Your paperwork says which one applies to your roof.
10
Year guarantee on roof replacements
1,000+
Roofing projects completed
Signed paperwork at handover, with photos of the roof taken before, during and after.
Choosing a roof covering for a Dorchester house
Slate is the usual choice for the Victorian estates and much of the centre, while clay plain tile suits older cottages. Concrete tile is cheaper, but it can look out of place on a conservation-area street.
| Comparison point | Natural slate | Clay plain tile | Concrete interlocking tile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expected lifespan | 80 years or more for good quality slate | 60 years or more | 40 to 60 years |
| Weight on the roof | Light | Heavy, needs sound timbers | Heavy |
| Minimum pitch | Generally 20 to 25 degrees, varies by size | Steep, usually 35 degrees and over | Low, some profiles to 15 degrees |
| Appearance | Traditional on Georgian and Victorian streets | Warm, textured, suits interwar houses | Practical, common on postwar estates |
| Relative cost | Highest | Mid to high | Lowest |
| Planning in conservation areas | Often the expected material | Acceptable where it matches | May not be accepted on older streets |
Roof replacement prices in Dorchester
Full re-roofs in Dorchester normally cost from around £7,000 to £20,000 or more. These are the things that move the figure most.
Estate house or town-centre property
A semi on the Victoria Park or Prince of Wales estate with a drive and a simple pitched roof sits toward the lower end. A Georgian house off High West Street with mansards, dormers and pavement scaffold sits much higher.
Covering material
Natural slate and clay plain tile cost more than concrete, and reclaimed stone slate costs more again. In Dorchester Conservation Area the cheaper options often aren't suitable, so the material choice is partly made for you.
Timber condition
Roofs over a century old can hide rot in rafters or wall plates, especially under failed valleys. We check from the loft at survey, but some damage only shows once the old roof is off.
Lead, chimneys and insulation
New lead throughout, chimney repointing in Broadmayne brick and bringing insulation up to Part L all add to the total. They also stop the new roof being let down by the old parts around it.
Roof Replacement in Dorchester: your questions
How long does a roof replacement take in Dorchester?
A typical semi or terrace on one of the Victorian estates takes around one to two weeks, weather allowing. Town-centre houses with mansards or dormers take longer, and in Poundbury the timetable also depends on how quickly the Duchy approves the work.
Do I need planning permission to replace my roof in Dorchester?
Dorset Council handles planning. Replacing a roof in matching materials generally doesn't need permission, although rules are tighter in Dorchester Conservation Area and listed buildings need listed building consent. The town's Article 4 direction applies to gates, fences and boundary walls only. Poundbury homes need the Duchy of Cornwall's permission before external work starts. Dorchester lies next to, not inside, the Dorset National Landscape.
Is natural slate worth it on a Dorchester house?
On the Victorian estates and in the conservation area, usually yes. It matches the existing streets and natural slate can last a very long time when properly fixed. On a later house outside the conservation area, a good clay or concrete tile can be a sensible alternative.
Does Dorchester's ground or weather affect a new roof?
The bigger factor is the age of the building rather than the weather. Old walls can be out of line, so we check the wall plates and rafters for movement and pack or replace them before the new battens go on. That way the new roof sits straight and drains properly.
What guarantee do I get with a new roof?
Every roof replacement we carry out comes with a 10 year guarantee as standard, given in writing at handover.
What to do in Dorchester
Maiden Castle
Iron Age hillfort about 1.6 miles south-west of Dorchester, built around 600 BC and one of the largest in Britain.
Learn more about Maiden Castle on Google Maps
Max Gate
Thomas Hardy designed this house on the edge of Dorchester in 1885 and lived there until 1928; it is now run by the National Trust.
Learn more about Max Gate on Google MapsFind us working in Dorchester
Reviews
What customers around Dorchester say
More than a thousand roofing jobs finished, and every review customers have left us is five stars.
Those reviews are on their way onto this page. Until they land, ask us for photos of recent jobs near you in Dorchester when we come out to quote - seeing a finished roof on a house like yours tells you more than any star rating.
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Plan your Dorchester re-roof with us
Book a free survey and we'll look at the whole roof, explain your options in plain terms and give you a fixed written price with the 10 year guarantee included.