The cause, found
We trace the leak back to where water actually enters, so the repair holds instead of moving the damp patch a metre along the ceiling.
Serving West Sussex & Brighton
Roof repairs,leaks and storm damageput right properly
From a single slipped tile to a leak nobody else has found, we diagnose the cause instead of sealing the symptom, then fix it for a fixed price agreed before we start. Contactable 24 hours a day when it can't wait.
Fixed price before work starts · £2m public liability · 25-year workmanship guarantee
Book a free quote
Tell us the postcode and the problem. We'll do the rest.
- 24 hrs
- Contactable, with a call-out fee after 5pm
- Fixed
- Repair price agreed before work starts
- £2m
- Public liability insurance
- 25 yrs
- Workmanship guarantee on the work we do
The service
Finding the cause, not just the wet patch
Roof repair covers everything short of replacing the covering: slipped and broken tiles, cracked slates, failed flashings, leaking valleys, storm damage, loose ridges, blocked or split outlets and the persistent leaks that appear in one place and originate somewhere else entirely.
It is for anyone whose roof is fundamentally sound but has developed a specific fault, and for anyone who has been told they need a whole new roof and wants a second, honest opinion before spending that kind of money.
The reason to use a roofer rather than a handyman is diagnosis. Water rarely enters where it appears; it travels along battens, rafters and mortar joints before it drops. Sealing the stain on the ceiling side, or running mastic over a flashing, hides the entry point for a few months and makes the eventual repair bigger. We trace it, fix the actual defect, and tell you honestly if the roof is beyond patching.
Who it's for
Homeowners, landlords, letting agents and commercial owners with a specific defect, a leak, or storm damage on an otherwise sound roof.
When it's needed
After high winds, when tiles are visibly slipped or on the ground, when a ceiling stains, or when damp appears around a chimney, valley or dormer.
What you get
The cause identified and fixed, matched materials where we can, a fixed price agreed first, and an honest verdict on how much life the roof has left.
What it costs to leave it
Small defects are cheap. Ignored ones are not.
One slipped tile is a short visit. The same tile left through a winter lets water onto the felt, into the battens and eventually into the ceiling, and the bill grows every month it stays there.
Damage that spreads sideways
Water tracks along battens and rafters, so one entry point wets a wide area of timber and insulation long before anything shows on the ceiling.
One tile becomes an elevation
A gap exposes the tiles around it to wind uplift. What could have been a single replacement turns into a run of them after the next storm.
Mould and health problems
Persistent damp in a bedroom or loft brings black mould, which is a health issue as much as a decorating one, particularly for children and anyone with asthma.
Weaker insurance claims
Insurers look for maintenance. A defect you knew about and left is a much harder claim than storm damage to a maintained roof.
Common mistakes
- Sealing or painting the ceiling below instead of finding the entry point above it.
- Slapping mastic over a failed lead flashing; it lasts a season and then peels.
- Waiting until several jobs stack up, by which point scaffold or access is needed for all of them.
- Letting an unqualified caller who 'noticed the roof from the road' start work on it.
- Paying for repeated repairs on a covering that has genuinely reached the end of its life.
Our process
How the job runs, step by step
01
Call or send details
Tell us the postcode, what you can see and what's happening inside. Photos help. We're contactable 24 hours, with a call-out fee after 5pm.
02
Free inspection
We get up to the roof and look at the actual roof, covering, flashings, valleys, ridges and the loft side where it helps trace the water back.
03
Diagnosis
You get told what has failed, why it failed, and whether it is a repair or the roof is genuinely past it. No scare stories, no invented faults.
04
Fixed price agreed
A written figure for the repair, including any access needed. No day rates, so the number does not move while we're on site.
05
Repair carried out
Tiles, slates, flashings, valleys, ridges or outlets put right with matched materials wherever we can source them, and finished as a permanent fix.
06
Check and clear
We verify the repair, clear up, and tell you what else, if anything, is worth watching. Workmanship is guaranteed for 25 years.
What you get
The difference it makes
Fast, when it matters
Contactable 24 hours. Where a roof is open and rain is coming, getting it covered comes before paperwork.
An honest verdict
If a repair will do, we repair it. If the covering has failed as a whole, we say so and price both; you decide, not us.
A price agreed first
Fixed and written, including access. No hourly meter running while somebody looks for the problem.
Matched materials
We source tiles and slates to match wherever they can be had, so the repair doesn't advertise itself from the pavement.
Insured and guaranteed
£2 million public liability, and 25 years of workmanship guarantee on the repair.
In detail
The repairs we carry out most
Most Sussex roof leaks come from a short list of failures. Knowing which one you are looking at, and which of them cluster together, is the difference between one visit and four.
Tiles, slates and coverings
Slipped tiles usually mean failed nails or battens rather than a failed tile, so replacing the tile alone is not always the fix. Cracked and delaminating slates are a sign of age across the whole slope; a few can be replaced, but a roof shedding them everywhere is telling you something else.
- Slipped, cracked and missing tiles
- Broken and delaminated slates
- Re-nailing and tingle fixing
- Loose or hollow ridge tiles
- Verge repairs and re-bedding
- Storm-damaged sections
Flashings, valleys and abutments
Lead flashings around chimneys, dormers and abutments are the most common source of a persistent leak, and mastic is the most common bad answer to it. Failed lead should be cut out and replaced with code-appropriate lead, dressed and wedged into the joint.
Valleys collect the water from two slopes at once, so a defect there produces a lot of water quickly. Lead valleys can be re-formed; failed GRP or cement valleys are usually replaced.
Storm damage
Sussex storms take ridges, verges, flashings and whole runs of tile off exposed elevations, particularly along the coast. The priority is making the building watertight, then a proper repair once conditions allow.
We can document what we find, which is useful if you are making an insurance claim, though the claim itself stays between you and your insurer.
Leaks that are not the roof
A fair proportion of 'roof leaks' are not the covering at all. Blocked or split gutters overflowing behind a fascia, a cracked chimney stack, failed pointing, condensation from poor loft ventilation, or a rooflight seal can all show up as a damp ceiling.
Because we also do guttering, chimney work, repointing and leadwork, we can find and fix the actual cause rather than replacing tiles and hoping.
Domestic and commercial
On houses the priority is usually speed and mess, getting it dry and getting off the property with the garden intact. On commercial and let properties, access, tenants and trading hours drive the schedule, and a written record of the repair matters.
Landlords and agents use us for repeat repairs across portfolios, where a fixed price per job makes budgeting straightforward.
When a repair is the wrong answer
There is a point where repairs stop being economic: perished felt visible at the eaves, slipped tiles appearing on different elevations, or a roof already patched in a dozen places. Spending again on that roof is spending twice.
When we see it, we say it, price the replacement alongside the repair, and let you decide with both numbers in front of you.
Where we work
Roof repairs across West Sussex & Brighton
If your town isn't listed, call anyway; we're usually nearby.
Related services
Often done at the same time
See all roofing services, go back to the homepage, or contact us for a free quote.
Straight answers
Roof repairs questions
How much does a roof repair cost?
It depends on the defect and how we get to it, a single slipped tile reachable from a ladder is very different from a valley or a chimney flashing needing scaffold. We quote each repair after looking at it, as one fixed figure agreed before we start.
How quickly can you come out?
We are contactable 24 hours a day and prioritise active leaks. A call-out fee applies to emergency and out-of-hours work after 5pm.
Is the quote free?
Yes. Coming out, getting on the roof and pricing the repair costs nothing. Only a formal roof survey with a written inspection report is a separate paid service.
Can you find a leak if I don't know where it's coming from?
That is most of the job. Water travels before it drops, so we work back from where it appears, checking the covering, flashings, valleys and the loft side, to find where it actually enters.
Will the repair match the rest of my roof?
We source matching tiles and slates wherever they can still be had. On older or discontinued coverings a perfect match isn't always possible, and we'll tell you that before starting rather than after.
How long does a repair take?
Many repairs are done in a single visit. Anything needing scaffold, a matched material order or extensive leadwork takes longer, and we tell you which yours is at the quote stage.
Do you do storm damage and insurance work?
We repair storm damage and can document what we find for your claim. The claim itself is between you and your insurer; we just make the roof right.
Is my repair guaranteed?
Yes: 25 years on our workmanship. It doesn't cover future storm damage, third-party damage, or material failure, which sits with the manufacturer.
Should I repair or replace?
If the covering is sound and the fault is specific, repair. If felt has perished and tiles are slipping across several elevations, repairs stop being economic. We price both so you can decide with real numbers.
Do you repair flat roofs as well as pitched?
Yes: splits, lifted laps and failed upstands on torch-on felt roofs are routine work for us, alongside tiled and slated repairs.
How do I pay for a repair?
Bank transfer or cash: a deposit up front on larger jobs and the balance on completion. We do not take card payments at present.
Free, no-obligation quote
Leaking? Let's find out why.
Tell us the postcode and what you're seeing, a wet patch, a tile on the lawn, damp round the chimney. We'll come out free, find the cause and give you a fixed price to fix it.
07766 878193Or email bwroofing1@icloud.com · Serving West Sussex & Brighton
- 25-year workmanship guarantee
- £2m public liability
- Fixed price, never day rates