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What should you do about roof felt that has failed?

Felt on a Cheshire roof is either a flat covering or the layer under tiles, and both are work for a roofer rather than a walk on the slope. This page says what to describe from the ground, and it does not print a repair price.

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By the QuoteZila editorial team. Editorial policy.

What is roof felt on a house?

Roof felt is a sheet material. On many pitched roofs it sits under the tiles or slates, where you only see it if a covering has slipped or you are looking from a loft hatch without stepping off the boards. On a flat roof it is often the covering itself. The Planning Portal, writing about a new roof, says a flat roof usually consists of felting with a slight fall so rainwater can drain off [S1]. The same site's note on roof loads lists felt with tiles, battens and insulation as materials the structure carries [S2].

Those are two different repairs. A split in the under-layer is not the same instruction as a blistered flat covering over a kitchen extension. If you are not sure which you have, say so. Do not climb up to settle the question.

QuoteZila is starting in Cheshire. Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach are among the first towns. Anyone in the UK can post a job or register.

Why should you stay off the felt?

HSE says roof work is highly dangerous even when a job only takes a few minutes, and that the people doing it must be trained and competent [S3]. It says all roofs should be treated as fragile until a competent person has confirmed they are not, and that you should not rely on any sheeted roof, whatever the material, to bear a person's weight, including the ridge and purlins [S3]. Felt is a sheet. This page does not give a way to walk on it, nail a patch, or heat a joint.

Sloping roofs need scaffolding so people and materials do not fall from the edge, with edge protection at the eaves of a terrace, at the rear and the front [S3]. Short tasks, which that page measures in minutes, may use properly secured ladders and proper roof ladders [S3]. Falls from flat roof edges can be prevented by a secure double guardrail and toeboard [S3]. Ask the roofer which of those applies. Do not offer to hold a ladder.

HSE: work at height. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.

When does a felt repair become a re-cover?

The Planning Portal says that if you repair or re-cover an existing pitched or flat roof, you will not normally need to submit a building control application when both of these are true: less than 25 per cent of the building envelope is affected, and less than 50 per cent of the roof is affected [S4]. You will need approval if you go past those limits, if you alter the structure, if the new covering behaves very differently in a fire, or if the new material increases the weight of the covering by 15 per cent or more [S4].

A felt patch that stays inside those limits is a different conversation from a full new covering. GOV.UK lists replacing roof coverings on pitched and flat roofs among works that can need building regulations approval, which is separate from planning permission, and you might need both [S5]. You do not have to arrange that approval yourself if you use someone registered with a competent person scheme [S5].

GOV.UK: find your local council for building control. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.

NFRC says its competent person scheme in England and Wales applies where more than 50 per cent of the roof area is replaced, and that those members can self-certify [S6]. Membership of the federation is voluntary [S6]. A torn corner is not that scheme until someone shows you the area being replaced.

What should the written quote name?

Citizens Advice says some traders charge for quotes, so ask about that first, and to try to get written quotes from at least 3 traders [S7]. It describes a quote as a fixed price and an estimate as a rough guess [S7]. The trader cannot charge more than the quoted price unless you agree extra work, or there was a genuine mistake in the written price [S7].

Ask the roofer to write:

  • Whether they are repairing under-tile felt, a flat felt covering, or both.
  • What they will open, and what happens if the boards underneath are soft.
  • How rainwater is supposed to leave a flat area, since a covering without a fall holds water [S1].
  • The access, named as scaffold or as a short task [S3].
  • Whether the area would cross the Planning Portal limits for a re-cover [S4].

A business registers for VAT when taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000, or is expected to in the next 30 days [S8]. Ask whether the felt total includes VAT.

Jobs you might post

These are examples, not taken from real job posts.

  • Felt visible where two slates have slipped on a rear slope. Photos from the garden only. Ask for a written price for the local repair, and a separate note if the under-layer needs a wider opening.
  • Blisters on a flat felt roof over a single-storey kitchen. Say whether anyone uses the roof as a terrace. Ask how water is meant to drain.
  • A dark patch in a loft, seen from the hatch, with no one walking on the ceiling joists. Say you have not identified the entry.

Anyone in the UK can post or register. QuoteZila is a new, early-stage project, so how many roofers reply depends on who has joined near you [QZ5]. Up to five matched local businesses can quote [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].

Questions about roof felt

Is roof felt the same as a flat roof covering?

Not always. The Planning Portal describes a flat roof as usually made of felting with a slight fall so rain can drain, and it also lists felt among the materials a roof structure has to carry, with tiles, battens and insulation. Say which of those you mean, or say you are not sure.

Can I patch torn felt myself?

This page does not tell you to. HSE says all roofs should be treated as fragile until a competent person has confirmed they are not, and that you should not rely on any sheeted roof, whatever the material, to bear a person's weight. That includes the ridge.

Does a felt repair need building regulations approval?

A small repair often does not, but a re-cover can. The Planning Portal says repairs or a re-cover of a pitched or flat roof do not normally need a building control application when less than 25 per cent of the building envelope and less than 50 per cent of the roof are affected, unless other triggers apply, including a new covering that increases the weight by 15 per cent or more.

Will a roofer charge to look?

Some traders charge for quotes, so ask first. Citizens Advice says to try to get written quotes from at least 3 traders. A quote is a fixed price. An estimate is a rough guess.

Does QuoteZila check roofers?

No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.

Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.

The rules cited above are on HSE roof work and GOV.UK building regulations approval.

This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.

Posting a job is not open yet

Start with roofers. A wider repair brief sits in the roof repair cost guide. Builders are the other trade page if the felt is part of a larger building job. All services.

Related trades

Cost guides

Related pages

Sources

  1. QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila pricing line.
  2. QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ.
  3. QZ5: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home callout.
  4. S1: Building Regulations: New Roofs, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/roof/building-regulations-new-roofs
  5. S2: Building regulations: New Roofs - Weight (Loading), Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/roof/building-regulations-new-roofs-weight-loading
  6. S3: Roof work, Health and Safety Executive. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/safetytopics/roofwork.htm
  7. S4: Building Regulations: Work to an existing roof, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/roof/building-regulations-work-to-an-existing-roof/
  8. S5: Building regulations approval, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.gov.uk/building-regulations-approval
  9. S6: Choosing a roofing contractor: homeowners, National Federation of Roofing Contractors. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.nfrc.co.uk/find-a-member/choosing-a-roofing-contractor/homeowners.html
  10. S7: Before you get work done on your home, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
  11. S8: When to register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat