Lead Flashing Repair Cost: What Brighton Homeowners Pay

Typical price ranges for lead flashing work

Small repairs are usually priced as a half day or day rate rather than by the metre. As a rough guide for the South East, expect somewhere in these brackets for straightforward, accessible work:

These figures assume safe access and no hidden damage behind the flashing. Scaffolding is the single biggest variable and is often quoted separately by the scaffolder.

• Re-pointing or re-dressing a short length of stepped flashing: roughly £180 to £400
• Replacing chimney flashing (front apron, stepped sides, back gutter) on a standard terrace: roughly £450 to £900
• New lead valley between two roof slopes: roughly £700 to £1,500 depending on length
• Abutment flashing where a flat roof meets a wall: roughly £300 to £700
• Scaffold or tower hire: £400 to £1,200+ depending on height, pavement licence and duration

What actually drives the price up

Lead is sold by weight and priced against the metal market, so material cost moves. More significant, though, is code and quantity. Code 4 is standard for most flashings; chimneys and valleys on exposed properties often warrant Code 5, which is heavier, longer lasting and more expensive both to buy and to handle.

Access matters enormously in Brighton. A chimney on a three storey Victorian terrace in Hanover or Seven Dials needs proper scaffolding, sometimes with a pavement licence from Brighton and Hove City Council, and that can easily exceed the cost of the leadwork itself. A single storey rear extension abutment might be reached from a tower in an afternoon.

Then there is what is found once the old lead comes off. Perished mortar, a cracked chimney stack, rotten timber under a valley or saturated sarking all add time and materials. A good roofer will flag this as a possibility before starting rather than presenting it as a surprise.

Repair, or replace the lot?

Lead itself lasts a very long time. Properly installed Code 4 or 5 flashing should see out sixty years or more, so if the lead is sound and only the mortar pointing has failed, re-dressing and re-pointing into the joint is the sensible, cheaper option.

Replacement makes sense when you see cracking or splitting, which usually means the lead was laid in lengths that were too long and had nowhere to expand. The rule of thumb is no more than 1.5 metres per piece of flashing, with proper laps. If someone has patched over failed lead with mastic, flashband or bitumen paint, that is a temporary fix that traps moisture and you are generally better off stripping it back and doing the job properly.

Coastal exposure is worth a mention. Salt laden air off the Channel is hard on mortar joints and fixings, so properties in Kemptown, Rottingdean and Saltdean often need pointing attention sooner than inland Sussex homes.

Getting a quote you can trust

Any roofer should get up to the flashing before quoting, whether by ladder, drone or tower. A price given from the pavement is a guess. Ask what code of lead is being used, how the flashing will be fixed into the brick joint, and whether patination oil will be applied to stop the white staining that runs down brickwork on new lead.

Be wary of anyone knocking on the door offering an immediate fix, and be equally wary of a quote that jumps sharply once work has started. A written quote listing lead code, lengths, access arrangements and what happens if hidden damage is found protects both sides. If the leak is active and rain is forecast, a temporary covering while the proper repair is scheduled is reasonable, but it should not be the finished job.