Swanage Railway
Heritage railway running steam and diesel trains on the Purbeck line from Swanage, first opened in 1885.
Learn more about Swanage Railway on Google MapsRoof Replacement In Swanage
Is your Swanage roof past the point where repairs make sense?
Full re-roofs for Victorian and Edwardian Swanage houses, built back in the right material
Roof replacement in Swanage tends to arrive at the same moment for a lot of houses, because so much of the town was built in one burst after the 1885 railway. Those red-brick villas and terraces, from Northbrook down to the seafront and up across the Durlston estate, were finished in slate or tile that is now well over a century old. When the nails, felt and battens have all given out together, patching stops being good value. A smaller number of Swanage houses have Purbeck stone roofs, which we can re-lay with new stone from Langton Matravers. Every replacement normally comes with our 10 year guarantee, and because Swanage is the far end of our patch we plan the job so the roof is never left exposed.
Roof Replacement Quote In Swanage
Tell us a little about the roof and we will call you back.
What you get from a Swanage re-roof with us
A new roof should last for generations. These are the parts of the job we refuse to cut corners on in Swanage.
01
The right material for the street
Victorian Swanage is mostly slate and tile, with the odd stone roof. We will recommend what suits your house and the conservation area, and talk through natural slate, clay plain tile or new Purbeck stone honestly.
02
Timbers checked under the weight
Stone slates are heavy, and some clay tiles are too. Once the old roof is off we inspect every rafter and purlin, and strengthen or replace anything that has sagged before new weight goes on.
03
Fixed for an open coast
Every slate is nailed or hooked, single-lap tiles are mechanically fixed and ridges and hips are fixed dry or with mechanical fixings, in line with BS 5534. Ciarán closed the High Street in 2023 and Eunice's red warning covered the town in 2022, so a new roof should be ready for the next one.
04
Insulation brought up to date
Replacing more than half of a roof brings in the Part L insulation requirements. We build that into the quote at the start, so you are not surprised by building control halfway through.
05
Lead and chimneys renewed together
It makes little sense to put a new roof against old flashings. Chimney soakers, back gutters, valleys and abutments are renewed in lead as part of the job, while the scaffold is up anyway.
06
10 year guarantee as standard
Our roof replacements normally come with a 10 year guarantee. You get it in writing at handover, along with photos of the stages of the build that you will never see once the slates are on.
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
Swanage
Re-roofing a resort town built in one go
Mowlem and Burt's Swanage grew fast, and a lot of its houses share the same construction: local red brick, stone or yellow-brick dressings, and slate or tile roofs. That means a lot of Swanage roofs are reaching the end of their working life within the same couple of decades. We see the same signs again and again - slates slipping on several slopes at once, felt that crumbles to the touch, battens soft at the eaves.
The small number of Purbeck stone roofs are a different proposition. The stone often has plenty of life left, but the fixings and timbers under it don't. Re-laying one means stripping carefully, sorting and keeping every sound slate, topping up with new hand-fettled stone from Lovell Purbeck at Langton Matravers and rebuilding the diminishing courses as they were. Swanage's lower frost count helps here: there are far fewer days when stone and mortar are put through freeze-thaw.
Not every tired roof needs replacing. If the faults are confined to one slope or a single chimney, our page on roof repairs in Swanage explains how we deal with them.
"On Swanage re-roofs, the slate is rarely what failed. Almost every time it's the original nails and battens underneath that have reached the end."
Step by step
How we replace a roof in Swanage
- 1
Survey from the loft up
We check the covering, the rafters, ventilation and any conservation area or Article 4 issues, then talk through materials. For a stone roof, we estimate how much existing stone can be saved.
- 2
Scaffold and a weather plan
Scaffold goes up first, with a safe way past if it stands on the pavement. Because we are travelling from Weymouth, we watch the forecast closely and keep sheeting on site every day.
- 3
Strip in sections
The old covering, felt and battens come off one area at a time. Reusable slates or stone tiles are sorted and stacked. Nothing is stripped that cannot be weathered in before we leave.
- 4
Repair the structure
With the rafters bare, we replace rotten timbers, add strength where heavier coverings are going on and fit the insulation the Part L rules require.
- 5
Membrane, battens and lead
A breathable membrane goes down, then treated battens set to the gauge of your slate, tile or stone. Valleys, chimney soakers and abutments are formed in new lead before the covering goes on.
- 6
Cover and fix
Slates are nailed or hooked, tiles clipped or nailed, and stone hung in graded courses. Ridges, hips and verges get mechanical fixings, and ventilation is built in at eaves and ridge.
- 7
Handover and guarantee
Once we have inspected the whole roof and cleared the gutters, the scaffold comes down and the waste goes. You receive your photos and your 10 year guarantee in writing.
Our guarantee
Ten years on a new roof, written down and signed
When we replace a roof in Swanage, 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 covering for a Swanage roof
Slate and clay tile make up most of Swanage's older roofs. The table compares those with concrete tile; Purbeck stone isn't listed because it is a specialist choice we price separately.
| 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 costs in Swanage
A full re-roof in Swanage usually costs from £7,000 to £20,000 or more. Four things account for most of the spread.
The covering you choose
Concrete tile costs least, natural slate more, and Purbeck stone the most by some distance because it is hand-produced and slow to lay. In the conservation areas, the expected material may make the choice for you, so we check that early.
House size and shape
A plain terrace roof with two slopes is quicker to re-roof than a large Victorian villa with bays, dormers and several hips. Each valley and abutment adds lead, labour and time.
Scaffold on the street
Where a house fronts the pavement, as many near the High Street do, scaffold on the pavement brings extra setting up and protection for passers-by. Rear access through gardens can make it cheaper.
Timber and insulation
Until the old roof is off, nobody can see every rafter. We allow for typical repairs in the quote and agree any extra before doing it. Part L insulation adds cost, but it also cuts heat loss for good.
Roof Replacement in Swanage: your questions
Does Swanage's coastal weather affect which roof I should choose?
Less than you might expect for the material, more for the fixing. Swanage has about 853mm of rain a year and few frosts, so slate, clay and stone all do well. What matters is that everything is mechanically fixed for wind, as BS 5534 requires, because storms such as Ciarán and Eunice reach this stretch of coast.
How long does a roof replacement take in Swanage?
A typical Swanage terrace or semi takes one to three weeks, depending on size and material. Purbeck stone takes longer than slate or tile. We give you a realistic timetable at quote stage and plan around the forecast.
Do I need permission to replace my roof in Swanage?
Dorset Council is the planning authority. The Swanage Conservation Area (1970) has an Article 4 direction, Herston has its own conservation area (1989), and the town is inside the Dorset National Landscape. Replacing like with like normally needs no planning permission, but if you want to change the roof material, speak to Dorset Council before committing. Building regulations can still apply to a re-roof whatever the planning position.
Can you reuse my old slates or stone?
Often, yes, especially Purbeck stone, which usually outlasts its fixings. We sort every slate as it comes off and reuse the sound ones, then make up the shortfall with new stone or matching slate.
Is a guarantee included with a new roof?
Yes. Our roof replacements come with a 10 year guarantee as standard, given in writing when we hand the roof over.
What to do in Swanage
Durlston Country Park & Castle
320-acre country park and nature reserve on the edge of Swanage, home to Durlston Castle and the Great Globe.
Learn more about Durlston Country Park & Castle on Google Maps
Swanage Pier
Victorian pier built in 1895 for passenger steamers at the southern end of Swanage Bay.
Learn more about Swanage Pier on Google MapsFind us working in Swanage
Reviews
What customers around Swanage 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 Swanage 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 Swanage re-roof
Book a free survey and we will tell you straight if your roof really needs replacing, what should go on in its place and what it will cost, all in writing.