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Roofing FAQs for Dublin Homeowners
Straight answers to the questions we're asked most about roofs, chimneys, gutters and fascias, with real Dublin prices rather than vague guesses.
Ask a Roofer, Get a Straight Answer
These are the questions Augustine Doherty gets asked on doorsteps, over the phone and up on scaffolding every week across Dublin. If yours isn't here, call or WhatsApp us and you'll get an honest answer, even if that answer is that your roof is fine.
Costs & Quotes
What Does Roofing Cost in Dublin?
Typical 2026 prices from the jobs we quote across Dublin. Your exact price comes after a free inspection.
Most standard repairs in Dublin cost between €150 for a few slipped or cracked slates and €1,500+ for complex valley, chimney or structural work. As a guide, slate and tile repairs typically run €150–€500, chimney flashing €350–€900, valley repairs €500–€1,500, and ridge re-bedding or a dry ridge upgrade €400–€1,500.
If the job needs scaffolding, that usually adds €300–€800.
A complete replacement on a standard terraced or semi-detached house typically costs €5,000–€14,000. Larger detached houses and period homes in natural slate typically run €14,000–€28,000+, and a flat roof extension in GRP or rubber is typically €2,000–€5,000.
Hips, dormers, valleys and chimneys push a roof toward the top of those ranges.
Typical Dublin prices are:
- Lead flashing and apron renewal: €560–€1,680
- Repointing a stack: €840–€2,100
- Re-flaunching and fitting pots or cowls: €490–€1,680
- Capping an unused chimney: €420–€1,260
- Rebuilding a stack from the roofline: €2,100–€5,600+
Scaffolding of €300–€900 may apply depending on height and access, so it's worth getting all chimney work done in one visit.
A quote that's far cheaper than the rest is usually missing something. The common gaps are scaffolding left off, no waste removal, and leadwork or timber repairs that only appear once the roof is open.
Always ask for an itemised written quote. Ours covers access equipment, materials, labour and waste removal up front, so what we quote is what you pay.
Leaks & Repairs
Leaks, Slipped Slates & Roof Repairs
Most roof problems are repairs, not replacements. The hard part is finding the real cause first time.
First, protect the inside of the house. Put buckets or towels under the drip and move furniture and valuables. If water is coming through near a light fitting or socket, switch that circuit off at the fuse box.
Take photos for your insurer, but don't go up on the roof yourself, especially in wet or windy weather. Then call us on 087 198 5679. Urgent leaks and storm damage get priority, 24/7.
A leak that only shows in bad weather usually means wind-driven rain is getting in somewhere that stays dry in normal showers. Common culprits are a slipped slate or tile, cracked mortar along the ridge or gable verge, flashing that has lifted around a chimney or wall, or a valley that overflows when it's partly blocked.
Water often runs along the timbers before it drips, so the stain on your ceiling can be some distance from the actual fault.
Nail sickness is when the original nails holding the slates or tiles corrode and let go. The slates themselves can still be in good condition, but they start slipping out of line and leave gaps for rain. It's very common on Dublin's Victorian and Edwardian slate roofs and on 1930s–1970s tiled roofs.
The fix is to re-secure the slipped pieces with copper nails or stainless-steel clips. If it has spread across most of the roof, re-slating is usually better value than chasing individual slates.
Most roofs we're called to need a repair, not a replacement. A repair is usually right when the damage is in one area, the timbers underneath are sound and the covering still has life in it.
Replacement makes more sense when slates are slipping across several areas, the felt in the attic has crumbled, the tiles are porous and flaking, or the same area has already been repaired several times. Augustine will tell you honestly which side of that line your roof is on.
Usually because the earlier repair treated the visible symptom rather than the actual source. A stain below a chimney might be blamed on the tiles when the real problem is the flashing, the flaunching or the brickwork of the stack itself. We inspect properly before quoting and show you photos of exactly what we found.
New Roofs
Roof Replacements & Re-Roofing
One of the biggest jobs you'll ever pay for on your home. Here's what to expect before you commit.
Look out for slipped or cracked slates across several areas, daylight visible from the attic, sagging along the ridge, damp or rotten timbers, crumbling felt, and leaks that keep appearing in different places. Age matters too: many Dublin estate roofs from the 1960s–1980s are now reaching the end of their original materials.
The only way to know for sure is a proper inspection, which is free and comes with no pressure to book.
Yes. All the work happens outside and from the scaffold, and the roof is made weathertight every evening. Expect some noise during working hours, and it's worth clearing anything valuable out of the attic before we start because of dust.
Every complete new roof comes with a 15-year written guarantee covering materials and workmanship, signed by Augustine Doherty.
Natural Welsh or Spanish slate suits period homes and lasts 80 to 100+ years. Concrete interlocking tiles are the durable, cost-effective choice for most 1960s–1990s estate houses. Fibre-cement slates give a clean slate look at a lighter weight and lower cost. We'll explain the trade-offs for your house and your street.
Traditional sand-and-cement mortar on ridges and gable edges cracks and falls away within 10 to 15 years, leaving edge tiles exposed to wind lift. Dry-fix systems mechanically clamp every ridge and edge tile down, so there's no mortar to crumble or repoint.
Chimneys
Chimney Stacks, Flashing & Pots
Chimneys cause more Dublin roof leaks than most people expect, and the wrong repair can make them worse.
Wind-driven rain is forced sideways through washed-out mortar joints or under lifted lead flashings on the exposed side of the stack. In calm rain the water runs off, so the leak only shows when the wind picks up.
Rainwater getting into the stack mixes with old soot inside the flue and bleeds through the plaster. Stopping the leak at roof level, with repointing, new flashing and a ventilated cowl, is the only permanent fix. Then the wall can dry out and be redecorated.
Victorian and Edwardian chimneys were built with soft lime mortar that lets moisture evaporate back out of the brick. Repoint one with hard modern cement and the moisture gets trapped instead. It freezes in winter and blows the face off the bricks. We match the mortar to the property: breathable lime for period brick, and weather-resistant mixes for later houses.
Yes. On semi-detached and terraced homes we regularly renew the flashings, repoint and seal the crown on our client's side of the party wall, even if the neighbour isn't having work done. Repairing the whole stack at once is ideal, but your side alone will still keep your home dry.
You can either cap and ventilate it to keep it dry, or have the stack taken down below the roofline and roofed over. Removal ends future maintenance, but a shared stack needs your neighbour's agreement, and Protected Structures and conservation areas may need permission. We'll check first.
Gutters
Gutters, Downpipes & Overflows
A small gutter fault is where a lot of expensive damp and rot starts.
At least once a year, ideally in late autumn once the leaves have fallen. Homes near mature trees, parks or the coast often need cleaning twice a year, because leaves, moss and wind-blown sand build up quickly.
Usually there's a blockage hidden in the downpipe bend (the swan neck), or the gutter has lost its slope so water pools in the middle instead of draining. We clear the downpipe and re-set the fall properly with a line level.
The bottom edge of the roof felt has usually rotted away, so water curls back behind the gutter instead of dropping into it. Fitting rigid eaves support trays under the bottom row of tiles sends every drop straight into the gutter.
Yes. Sound cast iron can be cleaned back to bare metal, primed and resealed. Where it's beyond repair, cast-aluminium replicas match the original profile without the rust, which is often the best option in conservation areas.
Fascias & Soffits
Fascias, Soffits & Rooflines
The boards behind your gutters do more work than most people realise.
Look for peeling paint, soft or crumbling timber, dark staining, gutters that sag or pull away, and loose bracket screws. Rot often starts at the back of the board where you can't see it, so the front can look fine until the gutter starts to drop.
Capping boards can go over timber that is completely sound. If there's any rot, we strip it back to the rafter feet and fit new boards, because covering rot only hides it while it keeps spreading.
Quality uPVC lasts for decades and never needs painting. A wipe down now and then keeps it looking new.
Vented soffits let air flow through the attic. Without it, warm damp air condenses on cold timbers, which leads to mould, damp insulation and rot in the rafters, often without any visible leak.
Yes. If the gutters are in good condition we can refit them, but because they're already down it's usually the best time to renew them too, so the whole roofline is done in one visit.
Planning & Insurance
Permissions, Storms & Insurance
A plain-English guide to the rules and paperwork that affect Dublin roofs.
For most Dublin homes, no. Repairs and like-for-like replacements, keeping the same shape, height and pitch, are generally exempted development. The main exceptions are Protected Structures and homes in Architectural Conservation Areas, where changing the roof material or detailing often needs permission. We check this during the inspection.
Sudden storm damage, such as slates blown off or a chimney pot brought down, is often covered by home insurance. General wear and tear usually isn't, so insurers look closely at the roof's condition beforehand. Check your policy, photograph the damage straight away, and keep receipts for any emergency work. We provide photos and a written report to support your claim.
For ordinary repairs on your own side, no permission is needed, but it's good manners to let them know when scaffolding is going up. Where work touches a shared chimney or the joint between two roofs, we'll talk you through it so your neighbour's roof is left watertight too.
Parts of many older Dublin suburbs are Architectural Conservation Areas, and some individual houses are Protected Structures. Your local council lists them on its website, or just ask us and we'll flag it at the inspection.
You get an itemised invoice and, for every complete new roof, a 15-year written guarantee signed by Augustine. Keep both with your house documents, as they're useful when you sell.
Working With Us
Booking AD Roofing
Who we are, where we work, and what happens after you call.
Yes. Augustine inspects your roof, writes your quote and works on-site alongside his own crew. We never sell jobs on or use subcontractors, so the person who quotes the work is the person responsible for it.
We're fully insured and proud members of the National Guild of Master Craftsmen, which vets members' work before they can join.
Urgent leaks and storm damage get priority, 24/7, and we can usually make a roof safe quickly. For non-urgent work we'll arrange a free inspection at a time that suits you.
Augustine arranges a time to inspect the roof, explains what he finds with photos, and sends you a fixed, itemised written quote. If you go ahead, we agree a start date, put up safe access, do the work, clear every bit of waste away, and walk you through the finished job.
What Dublin Rates Us Highly
Still Got a Question About Your Roof?
Ask Augustine directly. Free roof inspection, no call-out fee, and a fixed written quote with access, materials, labour and waste removal included up front. Available 24/7 for emergencies across Dublin.
