Taking care of your roof is one of the most important responsibilities when you own a property. However, for houses that are semi-detached or terraced, that might be a responsibility you can share.
With your roof adjoining to one or two other homes, you could split the cost of roof repairs with your neighbours. In this post, we’ll discuss the factors involved, possible benefits and potential complications.
Which repairs can be split?
All terraced and semi-detached houses are originally built with a shared roof using the same materials. With that comes a number of shared parts.
First of all, the materials – tiles or slates – need to overlap to provide an effective covering. The guttering will also adjoin to avoid water pouring through any break between two properties. You might also share a chimney stack with your neighbour, sitting on the boundary between the two roofs.
Repairs to these shared parts of the roof will naturally need to be split, otherwise you’ll be paying for work on your neighbour’s house. However, there are also some instances where you can get work done on your roof at the same time…
Does my neighbour need work?
In many cases, you will find that your neighbour’s roof requires the same work as your own. That’s because they were built at the same time and – unless a neighbour’s property has been renovated more recently than yours – they have the same lifespan.
As an example, many pre-war houses were built without using any roofing felt – known as ‘underlay’. Some roofs were underlined with a mortar mixture bonded to the laths which eventually wears away as mortar does no adhere too well at all to timber laths. If your tiles have begun slipping out of place, it’s likely your neighbours’ tiles will be doing the same.
Cost benefits
If you’ve encountered problems with your roof, it’s always worth checking with your neighbours whether they want to have work done on their roof at the same time. Getting a shared quote for a job across the two roofs could save you money overall.
For one, because of materials. If roofers can buy the slates, tiles and other materials needed for your roof in bulk, they will be able to get a better price and pass the savings on to you.
The cost of scaffolding will also be split. While it will be a higher cost overall because of the larger area requiring scaffolding, the scaffolders only have to do one trip to put it up and one trip to take it down.
Potential complications
If you’re having repairs on your roof and your neighbour doesn’t want to have theirs done, that’s usually fine. In most cases, it simply means they will encounter issues and need repairs further down the line.
However, there are some cases where shared repairs are necessary, and your neighbour won’t ‘cough up’ for their side of the job. If this is the case, make sure you do everything you can on your side to keep things ticking. Very importantly – avoid any party wall act issues, seek advice.
Get a detailed quote from a trusted roofing company which details the costs each property owner is responsible for. That way, you can clearly show your neighbour the work that needs doing and what they need to pay.
Get a quote today
Want to take the first step towards shared roof repairs? Speak to the team at DPR Roofing. Our expert Huddersfield roofers can provide all the advice and assistance you need with shared roof repairs, from a detailed quote to the best results so you have complete peace of mind.