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Roofing

Roof repair

Slipped or broken slates and tiles, ridge repairs and leaks.
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Whether this needs a licence in Ireland

Ireland

No licence required

Taken from the statute below; not yet reviewed by a lawyer

Irelandwww.cru.ieChecked

Roof repair: what the job involves

Finding and fixing a leak or storm damage on a pitched roof: replacing slipped or broken slates and tiles, re-bedding or dry-fixing ridge tiles, and repairing lead flashings and valleys. The skill is in finding where the water actually gets in, which is often not directly above the stain.

Also asked for as: roofer · roof leak · leaking roof · slipped slates · missing slates

How the job is usually done

  1. Look from inside first: the attic under the stain, with a torch, for wet felt, daylight, stained timbers or a dripping nail.
  2. Set up safe access — a roof ladder and tower or scaffold for a two-storey house, a cherry picker where the ground allows.
  3. Inspect the whole slope around the leak: slates, ridge, valleys, flashings at the chimney and walls, and the gutter line.
  4. Replace slipped or broken slates with matching ones, fixed with copper or stainless hooks or tingles; replace cracked tiles.
  5. Re-bed loose ridge or hip tiles in mortar, or fit a dry-ridge system, and dress or replace failed lead flashing.
  6. Clear any blocked valley or gutter that caused water to back up, and test with a hose where it is safe to.
  7. Photograph what was found and what was done, and agree a follow-up check after the next heavy rain.

Roof repair: what is included

Usually included

  • Finding the cause of the leak and explaining it
  • Replacing a reasonable number of slipped or broken slates or tiles
  • Ridge, hip and small flashing repairs
  • Before-and-after photographs from the roof
  • Taking away the broken slates and rubble

Usually not included — agree it separately

  • Repairing the ceiling, plaster and paint inside
  • Scaffolding for more than a short hire, unless agreed
  • Replacing rotten battens, rafters or sarking found under the slates
  • Chimney rebuilding or a new roof window
  • A written report for an insurance claim, unless asked for in advance

Materials and who supplies them

  • Replacement slates or tiles — the roofer sources a match; reclaimed natural slate is often the best match on an older roof
  • Slate hooks, copper or stainless nails, tingles
  • Lead flashing, mortar or a dry-ridge kit
  • Breathable membrane patches where felt is torn

How long it takes

Most repairs take a few hours to a day; scaffolding, matching old slates and timber damage found under them make it longer.

When to book

Book repairs in late summer or early autumn before the winter storms, when roofers are least busy; after a named storm expect a wait for anything not urgent.

Roof repair: the rules in Ireland

What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.

  • Roof work must be planned so nobody can fall from the edge or through the roof: scaffolding or edge protection, roof ladders, and covers or nets over fragile sheets and roof lights. The HSA code of practice sets out what that means in practice.

    Applies to: the roofer, as employer or self-employed contractor

    Health and Safety Authority — Code of Practice for Safety in Roofwork; Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, Part 4 (work at height) · hsa.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

  • A homeowner who has construction work done must check the contractor is competent, and must appoint project supervisors in writing where there is more than one contractor, a “particular risk” such as roof work where somebody could fall, or work lasting more than 30 days. One competent person can hold both roles.

    Applies to: the homeowner, as client

    Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013, as explained in the HSA’s guide for homeowners · hsa.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

  • All Irish bat species and their roosts are protected, and roof voids are a common roost. Work that would disturb a roost or destroy it needs a derogation licence from the National Parks and Wildlife Service before it starts; if bats are found mid-job, work on that part stops.

    Applies to: the homeowner and the roofer

    European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, Regulations 51 and 54; Wildlife Acts 1976 to 2021 — National Parks and Wildlife Service · npws.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

What roof repair costs, and why

What jobs on Talqero came to

Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.

What affects the price

  • Access: bungalow, two storey or three storey, and whether scaffolding is needed or a ladder and tower will do
  • The covering and how hard it is to match: natural slate, fibre-cement slate, concrete or clay tile
  • How much is damaged, and whether the ridge, a valley or a chimney flashing is involved
  • Rotten battens or timbers found once slates are lifted
  • Emergency call-out after a storm, when every roofer is busy
  • VAT: building work on a home is charged at the reduced 13.5% rate by a VAT-registered roofer, unless materials are more than two-thirds of the price (Revenue’s two-thirds rule)
  • VAT: building work on a home is charged at the reduced rate of 13.5% by a VAT-registered business — unless the materials come to more than two-thirds of the price, when Revenue’s two-thirds rule applies the goods rate to the whole job. Ask whether a quote includes VAT.

Paperwork to ask for at the end

  • Before-and-after photographs of the repair
  • A written receipt saying what was done and the guarantee on it
  • A short report of the cause, if you are making a home insurance claim

Safety

  • Do not go up on the roof yourself, even on a calm day: wet slates and moss are lethal and most domestic falls are from ladders.
  • If water is coming through near a light fitting, switch off that lighting circuit at the fuse board and keep away from it.
  • After a storm, keep people and cars away from below a slope with loose slates or a damaged chimney.
  • Older garage and shed roofs can be asbestos cement and are fragile: nobody should walk on them.

Roof repair: before you hire

Questions to ask a tradesperson

  • Will you send photographs of what you found and what you fixed?
  • Do you need scaffolding, and is it in the price?
  • What guarantee is there on the repair?
  • Do you carry public liability insurance?
  • Is VAT included?

What you can do yourself

Nothing on the roof itself; from inside you can safely put a bucket under the drip, move belongings and photograph the stain and attic.

What to put in your task

  • What is the problem?
  • What is the roof covered with?
  • How high is the house?
  • Where does the water or damage seem to be?
  • Are you claiming on your home insurance?

Photos that help

  • The whole roof slope from the street or garden, so the height and covering can be seen
  • A zoomed-in shot of the slipped slates, ridge or flashing
  • The stain or drip on the ceiling inside
  • The attic directly under the leak, with a torch, if you can get up safely

Roof repair by county

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Questions about roof repair

Does roof repair need a licence in Ireland?

No licence is required for this work in Ireland (source: www.cru.ie). Ask instead for references and photographs of similar jobs.

Why does the leak show up somewhere other than where the roof is damaged?

Water runs along the felt, rafters and ceiling joists before it drips, so a stain can be a metre or more from the hole. That is why a good roofer looks from the attic first. Chimneys, valleys and roof windows cause more leaks than the slates themselves.

Can a roofer match my old slates?

Usually, though it takes effort. Natural slate from Spain or Wales and reclaimed slate can match an old roof well; fibre-cement slates are uniform and easy to match if the make is still available. A patch may look newer for a year or two until it weathers.

Will my home insurance pay for the repair?

Storm damage is commonly covered, but wear and tear and a roof at the end of its life usually are not. Photograph the damage before anything is moved and ask the roofer for a written note of the cause. Check your policy wording before the repair if you can.

Is it a repair or time for a new roof?

If slates are slipping all over the roof because the nails have rusted (nail sickness), or the felt underneath has perished, repairs only buy time. One or two isolated problems are a repair. Ask for photographs of the felt and battens from the attic before deciding.

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