Lead is one of the most expensive roofing materials to buy and one of the cheapest to own, because a properly laid lead roof can outlast the person who paid for it. If you have a bay window, dormer or flat roof in Brighton and want to know what replacing it in lead is likely to cost, the honest answer is a range. Here is what that range looks like and what moves a job from one end of it to the other.
Most lead roofing is priced by the square metre, then adjusted for detail work, access and what is found underneath. For new sheet lead laid on a sound, prepared deck, a realistic guide for the Brighton area is roughly £250 to £450 per square metre, with small, fiddly jobs often working out higher per metre because the setting out and detailing take the same time regardless of size.
As a rough guide to common jobs on local houses:
The thickness of the lead matters most on the material side. Lead is sold by code, from Code 3 to Code 8. Flashings and soakers usually use Code 4, while flat roofs, gutters and bays generally need Code 5 or Code 6, sometimes heavier. Each step up adds weight and cost, but thicker lead copes better with the expansion and contraction that eventually cracks thin sheet.
Lead is a traded metal, so its price shifts through the year, which is why quotes are usually valid for a limited period. Detailing is the other big variable. Wood cored rolls, welted edges, drips, steps and leadwelded corners are slow, skilled work, and a roof with awkward shapes or lots of junctions takes far longer than a plain rectangle of the same area.
The condition of the timber underneath is the most common surprise. If water has been getting in for years, the boards and sometimes the joists need replacing before any lead goes down. A good quote will say what is allowed for this and what would be charged if more rot is uncovered.
Local housing shapes local prices. Tall Regency and Victorian terraces in Kemptown, Brunswick, Montpelier and Hanover often have bays and parapets three or four storeys up, with no rear access and a narrow pavement at the front. Scaffolding can add anything from a few hundred pounds to £2,000 or more, and a licence from Brighton and Hove City Council is needed if it stands on the public highway. Parking suspensions in controlled zones can add a little more.
The sea air matters too. Salt, wind and driving rain off the Channel are hard on fixings, so exposed seafront properties need properly sized bays, correct clips and stainless steel or copper fixings. Cutting corners here is what causes lead to lift or split within a few years.
Much of central Brighton and Hove sits in conservation areas, and many buildings are listed. Replacing lead like for like is usually straightforward, but swapping it for a different material on a listed building or a visible elevation may need consent, so check with the council before deciding.
Felt, GRP and rubber membranes can cost half as much or less to install. Their typical life is around 20 to 30 years, while correctly specified and fitted lead commonly lasts 60 to 100 years. Over the life of a period house, lead often works out cheaper, and it suits the character of the building in a way modern membranes do not.
That said, lead is not always the right answer. On a hidden rear extension roof with no heritage constraints, a quality membrane can be a sensible choice. A trustworthy roofer should be willing to tell you when that is the case.
Ask for a written quote based on a proper inspection, not a guess from the pavement. It should state the code of lead, the area covered, how the lead will be divided into bays, what underlay and fixings are used, and whether scaffolding, timber repairs, waste removal and VAT are included. Comparing quotes on those details, and not just the bottom line, is the surest way to see why one price is lower than another.
Correctly specified and fitted lead typically lasts 60 to 100 years, even near the seafront. Early failures are nearly always down to sheets that are too large, lead that is too thin or poor fixings, not the material itself.
Often, yes. Isolated splits and failed flashings can be cut out and leadwelded or replaced in sections, but widespread cracking usually means the sheets were oversized and replacement is the better long term value.
Like for like replacement normally does not need planning permission, but listed buildings may need listed building consent and changing to a different material can need approval. It is worth checking with Brighton and Hove City Council before work starts.
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