The published figures for emergency work
National cost guides give a yardstick for emergency jobs, though no two roofs are damaged in the same way. The figures below come from MyJobQuote's emergency roofer and roof maintenance pages, both updated in October 2026, and they are national ranges, never a Castle Roofing Margate price list.
| Job | Typical figure |
|---|---|
| Emergency roofer call-out | £150 to £300 |
| Storm repairs, starting point | Around £300 |
| Average roof repair, 2026 | Around £650 |
| Extensive storm damage | £1,200 or more |
Notice the words "extensive" and "or more" in that last row. The £1,200 figure is for damage across a large area, not for a leak at one tile, and it is a floor, not a ceiling. A job that opens a hole in a slope, or strips a ridge, can climb well past it. A single slipped tile sits at the other end, where the Which? figure for replacing one to six tiles is a small fraction of it, which shows how wide the spread is between a quick fix and a storm repair.
What moves a repair up or down the range
Two roofs with the same-looking leak can end up at quite different prices. The things that decide it are mostly about access and about what lies under the damage you can see.
- How high the damage is, and whether it can be reached safely without scaffolding.
- How many tiles, slates or flashings are involved, and whether matching ones can be found.
- Whether battens, boards or underlay below have been soaked and need replacing.
- How much water has already come into the house, since a ceiling may need drying out separately.
- Whether the roof has to be made safe first and repaired properly on a second visit.
Which? reckons London and South East jobs land near the top of its ranges, HomeBuilding says labour rates are higher there, and Kent counts as the South East. Read a guide's average as a loose yardstick, never a bid. Scaffolding, where a job needs it, is worked out once the building has been surveyed, so ask whether any quote you are given includes it, and whether VAT is in the total.
Why a per-metre rate cannot be turned into a total
Some cost guides list repair rates by the square metre, and the temptation is to measure the damaged patch and multiply. Do not. Checkatrade puts concrete tile repairs at £90 to £120 per m² (June 2026, ex VAT) but only up to a maximum of 3m², so the rate describes small patches, not a storm-hit slope.
Emergency work also has fixed costs that do not shrink with the area: getting a person and kit to the roof, working safely at height, and making the damaged part safe whether it is the size of a tray or a doormat. Multiply a small area by a rate and you will land on a number that no roofer could meet in practice.
The useful comparison runs the other way. Take the published range for the kind of job you have, then judge whether a written price falls near it, and ask the roofer to explain any gap. A price far under the call-out range for a job at height needs an explanation, and so does one far above a published figure. Ask what the number covers, and what happens if the roof turns out worse than it looked from below.
Getting one price you can rely on
Our approach to emergency work is to make the roof safe first, with a tarpaulin or a temporary fix where needed, then look at the damage in daylight. The quote that follows is one total price in writing, set after the survey and not guessed from a phone call.
For your own protection:
- Take photos of the damage and the ceiling before anyone starts, so you hold your own record.
- Ask for the total on paper, with VAT shown.
- Ask which part is temporary and which is the permanent repair, and whether the one total covers both.
- Citizens Advice's guidance is to try for written quotes from 3 or more traders before picking one. For a make-safe in the middle of the night that may not be realistic, but for the permanent repair it often is.
If you are weighing the work against an insurance claim, read whether a roof leak is covered before you pay, and see call-out charges for how that first visit is treated. The main page for this work is roof repairs and emergency.
