Roof structure repairs in Nottinghamshire

Area: Nottinghamshire
Pricing region: East Midlands
Ground: Clay in parts
Towns listed: 12

Is Nottinghamshire prone to ground movement?

Parts of Nottinghamshire lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Typical buildings in Nottinghamshire: Brick terraces in former colliery towns, Victorian villas in Nottingham, and inter-war and post-war semis.

Roof structure repairs prices in Nottinghamshire

Guide prices below are for homes in Nottinghamshire, on East Midlands rates and including VAT. A survey or good photos let us turn them into a fixed written price.

Guide prices inc VAT on East Midlands rates. Items marked est. are our estimates.
Item	Guide price	Per
Repairing or doubling a rafter	£295 – £590	per rafter
Purlin and strut strengthening	£1,200 – £2,950	per roof
Tying in roof spread (straps and ties)est.	£785 – £2,450	per roof

How we usually approach roof structure repairs

Purlin and strut strengthening

Undersized purlins are strengthened with extra timber or replaced, and new struts are taken down to a load-bearing wall. Where there is no suitable wall, an engineer designs the load path. Temporary props hold the roof while members are changed.

Best for: Sagging slopes, slim purlins and struts removed from the loft

Repairing or doubling rafters

Cracked, sagging or rotten rafters are strengthened by fixing a new timber alongside, often called doubling, and rotten rafter feet are cut back and spliced. The work is usually done from inside the loft with the tiles left in place, unless the covering is coming off anyway.

Best for: Individual rafters that have cracked, sagged or rotted at the feet

Wall plate replacement

Rotten or crushed wall plates are replaced in short lengths while the rafters above are propped, and bedded on the wall in mortar. The plate is then strapped down to the masonry. It is often combined with rafter foot splices along the same run.

Best for: Rot along the eaves where rafters bear on the wall

What happens during roof structure repairs, step by step?

Engineer’s design where needed
Where purlins, struts or ties must be redesigned, or the roof carries a heavier covering, an independent chartered structural engineer is appointed to specify the work. We can arrange this, and their design sets the sizes and fixings.
Written quote
You receive a no-obligation written quote listing each timber repair, any ties or straps, propping, scaffolding and making good. Once the repair is specified, the figure becomes a fixed price in writing.
Prop, strengthen and tie
The roof is propped where members are being changed, then rafters, purlins, struts and ties are repaired or added as specified. Coverings disturbed by the work are relaid, and building control inspects where the work needs it.

What to look for before calling about roof structure repairs

Roof slope looking hollow or wavy between the ridge and the gutter
Daylight through the tiles, or timber that is damp, stained or crumbling
Top of an outside wall leaning out at eaves level
Struts, collars or ties cut out or missing in the loft

Roof structure repairs: purlin and struts added, roof spread tied in. Indicative drawing, not to scale.

Do you need approval for roof structure repairs in England?

In England, underpinning and other work that alters or strengthens a wall or foundation is building work under the Building Regulations (Part A, structure), so building control approves and inspects it. Like-for-like repairs often are not, and we tell you which applies before a price is agreed. Work to a party wall, or excavation close to a neighbour’s foundations, can also need a notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.

Roof structure repairs near you in Nottinghamshire

Questions about roof structure repairs in Nottinghamshire

Does the ground around Nottingham cause cracking?

West Nottinghamshire around Mansfield, Hucknall and Kirkby-in-Ashfield is on the Coal Measures with a long mining history, while Nottingham sits on sandstone with Mercia Mudstone clay to the south and east. Parts of Nottinghamshire lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Only an investigation on site can say why a particular building has moved.

How much will roof structure repairs cost in Nottinghamshire?

On East Midlands rates, roof structure repairs starts from about £295 per rafter, including VAT. The written price depends on the extent of the damage, access and whether an engineer or building control is needed.

Can the roof be strengthened without removing the tiles?

In most cases, yes. Doubling rafters, adding struts and fitting ties can all be done from inside the loft with the coverings in place. Tiles usually only come off where timber near the eaves is badly decayed, or the roof is being re-covered anyway.

Why are there cracks just below the eaves?

A horizontal crack just below the eaves, along the front or back wall, is a common sign of roof spread. The rafters push the top of the wall outward and the masonry cracks where it hinges. Corroded wall ties can cause similar cracks, so the cause needs checking.

Do roof structure repairs need building control?

Usually yes, where the structure is strengthened or altered, or the covering becomes significantly heavier. In England and Wales that falls under Part A, in Scotland it generally needs a building warrant, and in Northern Ireland council building control approves it. We deal with building control where the work needs it.