Most roofing websites tell you the same thing: all services, call now. We would rather tell you how a job actually runs, what we look for, and why a Crawley roof is not the same as a roof anywhere else. Read this page, then judge whether the way we work suits you.
Our work covers pitched and flat roofs, full replacements, repairs, leadwork, roofline, roof windows, chimneys, dry ridge and dry verge, and roof cleaning. The full list sits on the services page.
Why we start with the street
Crawley has been a designated new town since 9 January 1947, and its masterplan divided the place into nine self-contained neighbourhood units, as the Town and Country Planning Association records. That matters on a roof. A town built neighbourhood by neighbourhood, over many years, carries the building habits of each period along its streets, so the age of a road hints at what may be up there.
That is the idea behind how we work. Before we reach your front door we already have a sensible guess at the layers, the fixings and the weak spots that suit your part of town. Then the survey confirms it or corrects it. A guess is only a starting point, and we never treat it as a finding.
Our guide to Crawley roofs by neighbourhood goes through the areas one at a time, and it only states what can be sourced.
What happens when you ask us to look
Nothing is priced until we have surveyed the roof. We check the tiles or slates, ridge, hips, verges, valleys, flashings, gutters, fascias and, where we can reach it, the loft side. You then see photos of your own roof, so the problem is on screen in front of you rather than described over the phone.
We then talk through the findings in plain words. Some roofs need a new covering. Plenty need only a repair, and we tell you so whenever a repair is the sounder spend. A slipped tile, a cracked flaunching or a lifted piece of lead flashing does not call for a full re-roof, and pretending otherwise is a poor way to treat a customer.
If rain is getting in, put that first in your message. Stopping the water is our opening move, and the lasting repair comes once weather and access allow.
One written price, not a guessing game
One total price, in writing, reaches you after the survey. It is the number you decide on, with no second figure waiting behind it. Our prices are good and fair, and the way to check that is to hold the written total against the survey photos and ask us anything that is unclear.
Cost moves with the difficulty of access, the size of the roof, which covering you choose and what lies under the old tiles or felt. Because those factors differ from roof to roof, the figure is fixed after we have looked, not before. If you compare us with another roofer, check that each quote includes VAT and scaffolding, because those two are where totals most often drift apart.
For typical national ranges, see our costs page, which names its sources and dates.
A tidy, safe site from the first day
A roof job is noisy and untidy by nature, and it affects the whole household for a few days. We set up access properly before work starts, whether that is scaffold or another safe means of reaching the roof. Where a scaffold takes up part of the footway or carriageway, the highway authority licenses it, and we deal with that alongside the scaffolder so you are not chasing paperwork. Poles standing wholly on private land need no licence at all. Either way, you will know before the first delivery which case applies to your house.
Materials are stored so they do not block your drive or the neighbours, and waste is taken away rather than left to build up in a corner of the garden. Each day you are told what is happening next, which gutters or rooms may be affected and roughly when the crew will be finished for the day.
Our roof regulations guide explains when Building Regulations and planning come into a roof job.
Homes, landlords and commercial roofs
Owner-occupiers get in touch about leaks, failing verges and roofs that are plainly worn out. We also work for landlords with several properties, for small commercial owners with an industrial unit or a shop, and for buyers and sellers whose survey flagged the roof.
These customers want different things. A landlord wants a clear written scope and a tidy handover. A homeowner wants to understand what is wrong and what it will cost. A commercial owner wants the building weathertight with as little disruption to trade as possible. We adjust how we explain the job, but the method stays the same: survey, photos, one price.
Flat-roofed garage blocks and extensions are a regular part of the picture around Crawley, and our flat roofing work sits alongside commercial roofing for larger buildings.
Where we work and what we know about it
We cover Crawley's neighbourhoods and every place within about 30 road miles. That takes in West Sussex, Surrey, the edges of East Sussex and Kent, and outer south London. Each council has its own planning and building control team, and where a roof job touches them we point you to the right one rather than guess. Look through the areas we cover to find your town.
Some local knowledge is simply useful. The RICS defects record notes Finlock concrete gutters on some 1950s houses, where leaking joints cause the trouble yet removal should not automatically be assumed. Gatwick Airport requires a permit for crane use within 6km of the airport, unless the equipment is below 10m or shielded by taller structures. On any job near the airport, lifting equipment is the first thing we discuss.
If you are unsure whether someone at your door is a genuine roofer, read how to tell a dodgy roofer before you agree to anything.
How to get in touch
The quickest route is the enquiry form on any page, or the quote page if you want to know exactly what to send. You can also call 01293 974253 or message us on WhatsApp. Photos of the damage, the street address and a line about when the problem started are plenty to begin with.
You can also find us on Google. The next steps are simple: a survey visit, photos from your own roof and a written total to think over in your own time.