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What should a new roof installation include?
A new roof installation in Cheshire, such as the roof of an extension, has to keep weather out, carry load and deal with fire, heat loss and drainage. This guide lists what to ask for in the quote, and it does not tell you how to build the roof.
Last reviewed:What is a new roof, if it is not chosen from a sample?
Installing a roof, for this guide, means building a roof that was not there: the roof of an extension, or a similar new piece of structure. The Planning Portal says a new roof, for example for an extension, will be required to resist weather, resist the spread of fire from one property to another, support loads, provide resistance to heat loss, be ventilated to protect from condensation in most cases, and have adequate drainage [S1]. Full details of materials, dimensions and performance are needed to show compliance [S1].
Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach are the first towns in mind. Anyone in the UK can post.
Does the pitch change how air moves through the roof?
The Planning Portal describes two common forms. A pitched roof uses tiles or slates and usually has a void underneath [S1]. A flat roof usually consists of felting with a slight fall so rain can drain [S1]. The tile or slate on a pitch is partly governed by how steep or shallow the slope is [S1]. If the roof is close to a boundary, which is often the case, it should limit fire spread across that boundary [S1].
Not all roofs need to be ventilated. Ventilation is not required for a warm roof, where insulation sits above the joists or rafters [S1]. Otherwise you have a cold roof, and air should enter at one end and travel through to leave at the other [S1]. The quote should say which of those two it is. This guide does not pick one for you.
What do weight, wind and a ceiling you might remove change?
Loads come from the materials, including tiles, battens, felt and insulation, from weather such as wind, snow and rain, and from a person who needs to get on the roof to repair it [S2]. The roof should be tied down so it does not lift in strong wind [S2]. The Planning Portal says this is normally done with straps approximately 1.2 metres long, with a cranked end fixed to the wall plate and then to the inner skin of the wall, at every 2.0 metre centres [S2].
Rafters will always want to spread apart [S2]. Ceiling joists fixed to the bottom of the rafters stop them pulling apart [S2]. If you want to take the ceiling away and see the roof, another system should tie the rafters, and you may wish to seek advice from an engineer [S2]. Say in the brief whether the extension has a flat ceiling or an open slope. Those are different structures.
GOV.UK: find your local council for building control. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
GOV.UK says building regulations approval is different from planning permission and you might need both, and it lists work on buildings that includes extensions among the reasons to check [S3]. You do not arrange approval yourself where a competent person scheme member does work the scheme covers [S3]. A new roof on an extension is part of that extension's approval, not a tile sample. Ask the builder which application covers the roof.
Who is responsible for the site and the people on it?
HSE says roof work must be done by trained competent people, and that sloping roofs require scaffolding so people and materials do not fall from the edge [S4]. Flat roof edges can be protected with a secure double guardrail and toeboard [S4]. Treat sheeted roofs as fragile until a competent person says otherwise [S4]. Nothing in this guide is a method for setting out rafters, felting a deck, or loading tiles onto a scaffold.
HSE: work at height. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
Citizens Advice says some traders charge for quotes, so ask first, and to get written quotes from at least 3 traders [S5]. A quote is a fixed price and an estimate is a rough guess [S5]. If a deposit cannot be avoided, keep it to 25% at most [S5]. VAT registration applies when taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 over 12 months or is expected to within 30 days [S6].
NFRC's homeowner note is aimed at choosing a roofing contractor and at refurbishment, including a competent person scheme where more than 50 per cent of a roof area is replaced [S7]. A brand-new extension roof is not that refurbishment sentence. Use NFRC if you are also re-covering the existing house. Do not paste a re-cover percentage onto a new structure without asking building control.
| The quote should name | Because |
|---|---|
| Pitched or flat | The covering and the fall differ [S1] |
| Warm or cold | Ventilation follows that choice [S1] |
| Ceiling | Joists tying the rafters, or an engineered open roof [S2] |
| Wind straps | Whether the 1.2 metre straps at 2.0 metre centres are in the design [S2] |
| Boundary fire | If the roof is close to the boundary [S1] |
| Approval | Which application includes this roof [S3] |
| Access | Scaffold in the price [S4] |
| VAT | Included or not [S6] |
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts.
- Single-storey rear extension, pitched roof to match the house tiles. Ask for the roof design inside the extension quote, including whether the ceiling ties the rafters [S2].
- Flat roof on a side extension, warm roof so the room below is insulated from above [S1]. Ask where rain discharges.
- You want a vaulted ceiling with no joists. Ask them to involve an engineer before they price the carpentry [S2].
Anyone in the UK can post or register. QuoteZila is a new, early-stage project, so replies depend 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].
Scaffold and fragile surfaces are on HSE roof work. Approval for new building work is on GOV.UK.
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.
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.
Posting a job is not open yet
Builders and roofers share this work. Replacing a covering you already have is roof replacement. The roof repair cost guide is for leaks, not for a new structure. All services.
Questions about installing a roof
Is installing a roof the same as replacing tiles?
Not in this guide. Installation here means a new roof, for example on an extension. Replacement means a new covering on a roof that already exists. The Planning Portal's new-roof page sets performance the new roof has to meet. The re-roofing page is a different note.
What must a new roof do?
The Planning Portal says a new roof, for example for an extension, must resist weather, resist fire spread to another property, support loads, resist heat loss, be ventilated against condensation in most cases, and have adequate drainage. A pitched roof usually uses tiles or slates with a void underneath. A flat roof usually uses felting with a slight fall.
How is a pitched roof stopped from spreading?
The Planning Portal says rafters will want to spread apart, and that ceiling joists fixed to the bottom of the rafters stop that. If you want no ceiling, so you can see the roof, another system is needed, and you may wish to seek advice from an engineer. Straps about 1.2 metres long at about 2.0 metre centres are described for holding the roof down in wind.
Who works at height?
HSE says the people doing roof work must be trained and competent, and that sloping roofs need scaffolding. This guide does not include a sequence for erecting trusses or for felting a deck.
Does QuoteZila check installers?
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.
Related trades
Cost guides
Related pages
- Roof Replacement: How to Brief a Roofer. Replacing a roof covering in Cheshire is a specification and an approval question. This guide says what to ask. It does not tell you to strip a roof.
- Bathroom Installation: What to Settle First. Installing a bathroom in Cheshire is usually not a planning application unless it is part of an extension. The fan and electrics still need a line.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila pricing line.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ.
- QZ5: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home callout.
- S1: Building Regulations: New Roofs, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/roof/building-regulations-new-roofs
- S2: 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
- S3: Building regulations approval, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.gov.uk/building-regulations-approval
- S4: Roof work, Health and Safety Executive. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/safetytopics/roofwork.htm
- S5: 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/
- S6: When to register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat
- S7: 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