★★★★★ 5.0 · 200+ Google reviews

Heritage and Period Property Roofing in Windsor & Eton

Windsor and Eton are full of roofs that deserve better than the nearest concrete tile. We work in clay, natural slate and lead, match materials like for like and put every price in writing after a free inspection. Family run, fully insured and rated 5.0 from 200+ Google reviews.

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Fully insured roofing company

5.0 rated · 200+ Google reviews

24hr emergency callout

Free written quotes

Family run & owner led

Why period roofs are different

Old Roofs Were Built to Breathe, Move and Last

A Victorian or Edwardian roof is a different machine from a modern one. The tiles are clay, not concrete. The junctions are dressed in lead, not sealed with mastic. Many were built without underfelt and rely on ventilation to stay dry. Treat a roof like that with modern shortcuts and it stops working: trapped moisture, mismatched weight, tiles that fight each other every winter.

Around Windsor and Eton this matters twice over, because so many streets sit in conservation areas where the council can require like-for-like materials. The right approach is the traditional one: match the tile, match the slate, dress the lead properly, and repair rather than replace wherever the original fabric is sound.

That is how we work anyway. Our slate, tiled roof and leadwork pages cover the trades in detail, and the photographs below are our own jobs, not stock.

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Clay tile roof by Seal Pro Roofing in Richmond

What we do on period homes

Clay, Slate and Lead, Done the Traditional Way

Clay tile roofs

Re-roofs and repairs in clay, with tiles matched to what is already on the roof. For older handmade tiles we source matches, sometimes reclaimed, so a repaired slope weathers in rather than announcing itself. You can see the standard on our Richmond clay tile roof, photographed at every stage.

Natural slate

Slate rewards patience: correct gauge, correct fixings, courses that sit tight through decades of weather. We repair slipped and broken slates, re-slate elevations and lay full natural slate roofs, as on our Twickenham slate roof. Details live on the slate roofs page.

Leadwork

Lead is where period roofs most often fail and where cheap work shows fastest. Flashings, valleys, bay tops and chimney soakers, dressed and welted properly rather than smothered in sealant. See lead work and chimney repairs.

Honest repair-first advice

On period roofs the original fabric is often worth keeping. If a repair preserves the roof, that is what we recommend, in writing, with photographs of what we found. Compare honest 2026 figures on our repair cost and new roof cost guides before anyone talks you into stripping a roof that did not need it.

Natural slate roof by Seal Pro Roofing in Twickenham

Conservation areas and listed buildings

Know the Rules Before the Scaffold Goes Up

Two things are worth knowing before any work on a period roof is agreed:

Conservation areas. Much of central Windsor and Eton is designated, and where an Article 4 direction applies the council can require like-for-like roof materials. Check with the conservation officer first; a roof done in the wrong material can have to come off again at the owner's cost.
Listed buildings. Roof alterations to a listed building need listed building consent before work starts. That application sits with the owner and the council; our part is the survey, the specification and workmanship to match.

Either way the safe first step is the same: a free inspection that tells you what the roof is, what it needs and what the honest options cost, with photographs. We cover Windsor, Eton, Datchet, Old Windsor and the surrounding towns daily, and our reviews from local homeowners are here.

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Free written quote

Get Your Period Roof Surveyed Properly

Tell us what the roof is doing and we will inspect it, photograph what we find and put a fixed price in writing, free. Water coming in right now? Call us, we answer 24 hours a day.

07777 735785 01753 415 442

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Tell us about the job, we usually reply within the hour.

Prefer to talk? Speak to Cornelius on 07777 735785 or 01753 415 442

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FAQs

Heritage Roofing Questions, Answered

Do I need permission to re-roof a house in a conservation area?

Often, yes. Many conservation areas carry an Article 4 direction that removes permitted development rights for roof materials, which means the council can require like-for-like replacement, real clay for clay, natural slate for slate. Check with the local conservation officer before any work is agreed. What we can promise is that the quote will price genuine matching materials, not a plastic lookalike.

Can you match my existing clay tiles or slates?

In most cases, yes. Common machine-made clay tiles are still produced, and for older handmade tiles and natural slate we source matches, sometimes reclaimed, so the repaired area weathers in with the rest of the roof. Matching takes a little longer and costs a little more than throwing on the nearest concrete tile, and on a period home it is worth every penny.

Is a heritage roof more expensive than a standard one?

The materials usually are: natural slate and clay cost more than concrete tile, and leadwork is skilled, slow work. But a clay or slate roof done properly is also the longest-lived roof you can buy, with clay tiles lasting 60 years or more and natural slate capable of passing a century. Priced per year of life, heritage materials are often the cheapest roof on the street.

Do you work on listed buildings?

Roof alterations to a listed building need listed building consent, and that consent process sits with you and the council rather than with your roofer. Our part is the honest survey with photographs, like-for-like materials and workmanship that respects the building. If your project needs consent, get that in motion first and we will quote to the approved specification.

What is the biggest mistake people make with period roofs?

Cheap patching with the wrong materials: concrete tiles mixed into a clay roof, sealant smeared where lead should be dressed, or modern ridge systems forced onto a roof built to breathe. Each one is cheaper on the day and dearer within the decade, and some can affect how the whole roof moves and drains. Match the material, match the method.

Do you charge for heritage roof inspections?

No. Inspections and written quotes are free with no obligation across Windsor, Eton and the surrounding towns. Cornelius, the owner, inspects the roof himself, photographs what he finds and puts a fixed price in writing.

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