Hertfordshire · AL1, AL3, AL4
Roofers in St Albans
St Albans has one of the widest spreads of roof ages in Hertfordshire, from medieval timber frames around the Abbey to the Victorian slate terraces of Fleetville and the post-war semis of Marshalswick.
Free photographed survey
Every slope, chimney and gutter photographed.
Report yours to keep
Whether you hire us or not.
Agreed in writing
Scope fixed before any work starts.
One point of contact
Your survey and every follow-up handled by one person, 8am–6pm.
What kind of roofs are in St Albans?
The city centre and Fishpool Street hold Georgian and older buildings under handmade clay peg tiles. The railway brought rows of Victorian and Edwardian terraces east of the centre, around Clarence Park, Fleetville and the Camp, almost all roofed in Welsh slate with clay ridges. Further out, interwar semis carry plain clay tiles and the 1950s–70s estates at Marshalswick and Jersey Farm use concrete interlocking tiles.
- Welsh slate terraces
- Handmade clay peg tiles
- Plain clay tile semis
- Concrete interlocking tiles
Are there conservation areas in St Albans?
Much of central St Albans sits in a large conservation area and the city has many listed buildings. Changing roof materials there, or on a listed building, can need consent. Like-for-like repair rarely does.
- St Albans City Centre Conservation Area (including Fishpool Street and St Peter’s Street)
- Fleetville and Clarence Park streets with Article 4 controls in places
Managed by St Albans City & District Council. We check the council’s map before advising on any change of materials.
What we see in St Albans
What typically goes wrong with St Albans roofs?
Nail sickness on Victorian slate
The terraces east of the station are reaching the age where original iron nails fail across whole slopes. Slates slip in a staircase pattern while the slate itself is fine.
Shared chimney stacks and back gutters
Terraces share stacks across party walls. A failed back gutter on one side can show as damp in next door’s bedroom.
Peg tile spalling in the old centre
Handmade clay peg tiles crumble with frost and the oak pegs rot. Repairs need matched reclaimed tiles to sit right.
Services in St Albans
Local services in St Albans
Roof repairs in St Albans
In St Albans most of our repair work is on slate terraces: slipped slates refixed on tingles, back gutters behind shared stacks, and deciding whether a slope with nail sickness needs a strip and re-nail. Inner terraces often have no rear access, so we plan scaffold and materials around that.
Roof cleaning and moss removal in St Albans
Moss is worst on the concrete-tiled roofs of Marshalswick and Jersey Farm, where mature trees shade north slopes. Slate terraces get less moss but more lichen. Neither should ever be pressure washed: the concrete tiles lose their surface and the slate laps take on water.
Gutter cleaning in St Albans
Terrace valley gutters and the hidden parapet gutters on older central buildings block quickly, especially near Verulamium Park and the tree-lined streets around Clarence Park. A blocked valley on a terrace overflows into the house, not the garden.
Also available in St Albans:
Local questions
St Albans roofing questions
Do I need permission to repair my roof in the St Albans conservation area?
Like-for-like repairs usually do not. Changing materials, for example slate to concrete tile, or works on a listed building can. We check with the council before quoting if there is any doubt.
My Fleetville terrace keeps losing slates. Is it the slate?
Rarely. Welsh slate on these terraces usually outlasts its iron nails. We lift a few slates and show you the nails so you can see what is failing.
Can you work on a terrace with no rear access?
Yes. We plan scaffold from the front or through a passage and move materials accordingly, and we agree it with you and neighbours first.
Nearby
Free · Photographed · No pressure
Book a free roof survey in St Albans.
Book a free roof survey. We photograph every slope, chimney and gutter, explain it in plain English, and the report is yours to keep whether you hire us or not.