Jericho, Oxford
A Victorian roof three contractors couldn't agree on
The problem
Previous repairs had used incompatible materials, the guttering was wrongly installed and the chimney needed structural work. Other firms quoted anywhere from £8,000 to £35,000 — and couldn't agree on what the job actually needed.
The outcome
The local planning officer approved it for its authentic appearance and integrity. The house has been reliably watertight for the first time in decades.
£16,500
Full heritage re-roof
The property is a handsome Victorian terrace, but years of patchwork repairs had finally caught up with it. Earlier work had mixed incompatible materials, the guttering had been installed incorrectly, and the chimney needed genuine structural attention.
Three other contractors had already been out — and come back with figures ranging from £8,000 to £35,000, with no agreement on what the job even involved. That kind of spread usually means nobody has actually surveyed it properly.
Our survey showed the underlying structure was sound; what it needed was a full, properly executed replacement of the roof covering. We sourced reclaimed Welsh slate to match the neighbouring houses, rebuilt the chimney, and installed a correctly designed guttering system.
The local planning officer signed it off for its authentic appearance and integrity — which matters in this conservation-sensitive part of Oxford. The final cost was £16,500, and the house has been reliably watertight for the first time in decades.
