How Long Does a Roof Last in the UK? Lifespans by Material

Roof lifespan by material

Most roofs last around 20 years without needing work, according to Checkatrade. Needing work is not the end of a roof, though, and each covering has a lifespan of its own.

Roof covering	Lifespan	Source
Natural slate	Can last over 100 years if made from high-quality materials and installed correctly	SSQ, a natural slate supplier
Metal	50 to 100 years	Checkatrade roof replacement cost guide
Clay and concrete tiles	25 to 40 years	Checkatrade roof replacement cost guide
EPDM rubber, flat roof	30 to 50 years if professionally installed and maintained	Checkatrade flat roof replacement cost guide
GRP fibreglass, flat roof	Up to 30 years	Checkatrade flat roof replacement cost guide
Asphalt, flat roof	20 to 30 years	Checkatrade flat roof replacement cost guide
Torch-on felt, flat roof	15 to 20 years	Checkatrade flat roof replacement cost guide

Slate roof lifespan

SSQ, a natural slate supplier, says a natural slate roof made from high-quality materials and installed correctly can last over 100 years, and it backs its own Del Carmen slate with a 100-year guarantee.

The slates are only one part of the roof, and damaged flashing, blocked gutters and worn underlay are among the common causes of a leak on any roof. When slates do need replacing, repairs to Spanish natural slate cost £150 to £220 per m² on Checkatrade’s figures, excluding VAT.

Tile and metal roof lifespan

Checkatrade gives clay and concrete tiles a lifespan of 25 to 40 years and metal roofs 50 to 100 years. A tiled roof can be repaired a few square metres at a time, and Checkatrade’s repair rates for areas up to 3 m² are £90 to £120 per m² for concrete plain tiles and £110 to £160 per m² for clay, excluding VAT.

Flat roof lifespan

Checkatrade’s flat roof figures give EPDM rubber 30 to 50 years if professionally installed and maintained, GRP fibreglass up to 30 years, asphalt 20 to 30 years and torch-on felt 15 to 20 years.

EPDM’s range starts where GRP’s ends, but lifespan is not the only difference in the choice between EPDM and GRP: GRP can crack in very cold conditions, and EPDM can be punctured by sharp objects.

Felt roof lifespan

A torch-on felt roof lasts 15 to 20 years on Checkatrade’s figures, so one laid 15 or more years ago has already reached that range. Re-covering it in felt starts the same 15 to 20 years again, against the 30 to 50 years Checkatrade gives EPDM rubber if professionally installed and maintained.

The parts of an ageing roof to watch

Checkatrade lists the common causes of a leak as broken, slipped or missing tiles or slates, damaged flashing at chimneys and where a roof meets a wall, blocked or broken gutters, worn felt or underlay, and cracked seals around vents, skylights and pipes. Those are the parts to watch as a roof gets older, and most of them can be checked from the ground or from the loft.

Checkatrade counts daylight showing in the loft, damaged or rotten underlay and a roof over 20 years old among the signs a roof may need replacing, not just repairing. Go into the loft only if it is safe and dry underfoot, take a torch and keep your hands off wiring, and never climb onto the roof itself.

What it costs to keep an older roof going

Keeping an older roof going means repairs, priced by the m² of covering and by the metre of ridge or flashing. On Checkatrade’s repair figures, a dry ridge and Code 5 lead flashing each cost £50 to £70 per metre, and flat roof repairs cost £100 to £140 per m² for bitumen felt, £120 to £170 for EPDM rubber and £130 to £180 for GRP fibreglass, all excluding VAT.

Scaffolding is often left off repair quotes, and a single scaffold up to 10 m high costs around £625 a week.

Expect to pay for this kind of work yourself. Home insurance often covers sudden damage such as a storm, but usually not wear and tear.

A roof guarantee is not a lifespan

A guarantee says how long the firm stands behind its work, not how long the roof will last. A 10-year guarantee on a new tiled roof ends 15 years before the bottom of the 25 to 40 years Checkatrade gives clay and concrete tiles, and a 20-year guarantee on an EPDM roof ends 10 years before the bottom of the 30 to 50 years Checkatrade gives EPDM if professionally installed and maintained.

Among the Nottingham roofers compared on the guarantees they put in writing, Roofcare (Midlands) in West Bridgford guarantees its repairs for 5 years and its new roofs for 10, and Premier Roofing Solutions in New Basford gives a 10-year warranty on any new roof. Rain Defence Roofing in Beeston, a licensed Firestone EPDM contractor, guarantees its roofs for 20 years, and B&S Roofing in Eastwood gives its flat roofing a 20-year guarantee.