The best roofing tiles for most Kent properties are concrete interlocking tiles for estate housing and clay plain tiles for period and conservation-area homes. Concrete tiles cost less and last 40-60 years; clay tiles last 80-100+ years. Your correct choice depends on roof pitch, planning status and how long you will own the property.
The choice of roofing tile affects lifespan, maintenance demands, planning compliance in conservation areas, and appearance. In Kent's climate the right tile depends on property age, location and budget.
Best for: Post-war and modern estate housing. Most cost-effective for Ashford, Maidstone and Folkestone estate re-roofing. Tile body lasts 40–60 years; the nail fixing system corrodes within 25–40 years, producing the nail sickness problem across the county's post-war stock. Not acceptable in conservation areas on visible slopes where clay or slate was original.
Best for: Period properties, conservation areas, long-term investment. Properly installed clay tiles last 80–100+ years. Many Victorian properties across Ashford, Canterbury, Tenterden and the Weald villages carry original 19th-century clay tiles still in service. The correct material for conservation area properties — the only choice for like-for-like replacement on pre-1950 housing in designated areas.
British Standard BS 5534 sets the code of practice for slating and tiling, specifying minimum pitch, lap and fixing requirements for every tile type used in the UK.
Source: BS 5534 — Code of practice for slating and tiling
Best for: Victorian and Edwardian properties with original slate, maximum lifespan. Welsh slate 130 years old still performing on Kentish properties is not unusual. The key distinction: Welsh slate versus Spanish slate. Spanish slate delamination typically occurs at 25–35 years. Welsh slate lasts 80–150+ years. On a Kent period property, Welsh slate is the correct long-term specification.
| Property Type | Recommended Tile |
|---|---|
| 1960s-80s estate semi | Concrete interlocking like-for-like |
| 1930s semi | Concrete interlocking or modern clay interlocking |
| Victorian/Edwardian (non-conservation) | Clay plain tile or Welsh slate on visible slopes |
| Conservation area period property | Clay plain tile (Kentish peg) or reclaimed Welsh slate |
| Coastal property (Folkestone, Hythe) | As above + marine-grade fixings |
Free survey and material recommendation for your specific property.
Book Free SurveyEvery best roofing tiles job starts with a free inspection and written quote before any work begins. We do not start work until you have confirmed the written quote. Our standard rates apply across Ashford and the surrounding Kent area.
We cover all Ashford postcodes and the surrounding towns: Folkestone, Canterbury, Maidstone, Tenterden, Hythe and the villages across the Weald. Emergency cover is available 24 hours a day on 01233 877 146.
No call-out fee across our full service area. Written quote before work starts. For best roofing tiles work the quote is provided on the same visit as the inspection in most cases. You pay only for work carried out.
All re-roofing work and major repairs carry our written 10-year workmanship guarantee. Lead flashing work is guaranteed for 10 years. Minor tile repairs carry a 2-year guarantee. The guarantee is provided in writing at completion and transfers to a new owner if the property is sold.
We are registered with the National Federation of Roofing Contractors. Verify our registration at nfrc.co.uk. We carry 5m public liability insurance on every best roofing tiles job. Insurance certificate available on request before work starts.
Ashford's housing stock spans five decades of construction: Victorian and Edwardian terraces in Newtown and the older town streets, 1930s semis in Kennington and Willesborough, post-war and 1960s estates at Bockhanger, Stanhope and Park Farm, and more recent development across the southern suburbs.
Each era presents different characteristics. Victorian clay tile on period properties requires matching reclaimed material and lime mortar at any repointing work. 1960s concrete interlocking tile on the estates is now 50-65 years old with corroded nail fixings on most unmodified properties. Understanding which housing era a property belongs to is the starting point for any assessment.
These estates are Ashford's highest-volume source of roofing work. The 1960s-70s concrete interlocking tile stock is now 50-65 years old. Nail sickness is present on the majority of unmodified properties. If you live in one of these areas and have not had roofing work in the last 15 years, a free assessment is worthwhile.
The Victorian terraces in Ashford's Newtown area and the older streets around the town centre require period-appropriate specification: reclaimed or reproduction clay tile, lime mortar at chimney repointing, and conservation-aware approach to any work on visible elevations.
Free survey and advice across Ashford and Kent. Call 01233 877 146.
Call 01233 877 146The correct tile for a Kent property depends on the pitch, planning status, and the housing era. On conservation area properties in Tenterden, Wye and Canterbury, clay plain tile or Kentish peg tile is required for visible slopes. On standard estate housing in Ashford, Maidstone and Folkestone, concrete interlocking tile is the practical specification. On 1930s semis with original clay tile, modern clay interlocking provides equivalent durability with better performance than concrete.
Tile choice also depends on pitch. Clay plain tile requires a minimum pitch of around 35-45 degrees. Concrete and modern clay interlocking tiles can work at pitches down to 15-17.5 degrees. On a low-pitch roof, plain tile is not appropriate regardless of its visual appeal. We confirm the correct specification for the pitch and planning context at the free survey.
The tile itself is 25-30% of a re-roof cost. Scaffold, labour, underlay and battens make up the rest. Upgrading from concrete to clay adds £1,500-3,000 to a total project cost of £6,000-9,000 while extending service life from 40-60 years to 80-100+ years. The lifecycle cost over 100 years strongly favours clay on any property where the owner will be there for more than 15-20 years.
Kent has numerous conservation areas where standard Permitted Development rights for material change are restricted. In these areas, replacing clay tile with concrete tile on a visible slope requires planning permission even if it is like-for-like in profile. We advise on planning position at the survey for every project in a designated area.
For context on how roofing costs compare across the range of work we carry out, here are realistic price ranges for the most common jobs across the Ashford area. All prices include labour and materials. VAT is not applicable on most domestic residential roofing work.
| Job Type | Typical Cost |
|---|---|
| Single tile replacement | £150 – £300 |
| Ridge repointing (per 4m) | £200 – £400 |
| Lead chimney flashing replacement | £500 – £1,100 |
| Full re-roof (3-bed semi, concrete tile) | £4,800 – £7,500 |
| Flat roof replacement (GRP, up to 20m2) | £900 – £1,800 |
| Full gutter clear (semi-detached) | £80 – £160 |
| Fascia and soffit replacement (semi) | £800 – £1,800 |
| Roof condition survey | £120 – £200 |
Free written quotes on all work. No call-out fee. Call 01233 877 146 to book.
We are a family-run roofing business based in Ashford, covering the town and the surrounding Kent area. We have been working on roofs in this area since 2003. Every job is carried out by our own employed team — we do not subcontract labour. The people who quote are the people who work.
We are registered with the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC). Our registration can be verified at nfrc.co.uk. We carry £5m public liability insurance on every job. Our insurance certificate is available on request before any work starts. All re-roofing work carries a written 10-year workmanship guarantee. Lead flashing work is guaranteed for 10 years. The guarantee is transferable to a new owner if the property is sold.
We cover Ashford and a broad area of the surrounding Kent countryside: Folkestone, Hythe, Canterbury, Maidstone, Tenterden, and the villages across the Weald and Romney Marsh. Emergency cover is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 01233 877 146 for any roofing emergency. For non-urgent work, we aim to survey within 5-7 working days and have the quote in writing within 48 hours of the survey.
We do not charge for call-outs or surveys. Every job gets a written quote before a single tile is moved. The quoted price is the price on the invoice unless we identify and agree additional scope with you during the work. For re-roofing projects where deck condition is unknown before stripping, we include a clear provisional allowance for batten replacement rather than presenting you with a surprise on invoice.
These are the questions we are asked most frequently when homeowners call us for the first time. If your question is not here, call 01233 877 146 and we will answer it directly.
Yes. All call-outs and surveys are free of charge across Ashford and the surrounding Kent area. The written quote we provide after the survey is also free and carries no obligation. We do not charge for surveys even on properties where we ultimately recommend no immediate work.
For emergency calls where water is actively entering the building: same day where call volume permits. For the most urgent calls — active ingress, safety hazard from displaced tiles — we aim to attend within 2 hours. Out-of-hours emergency cover is available 24/7 on 01233 877 146. For non-urgent work we survey within 5-7 working days.
Written workmanship guarantee on all work. 10 years for full re-roofing and lead flashing work. 5 years for ridge repointing. 2 years for minor tile repairs. The guarantee is provided in writing at completion. It transfers to a new owner if the property is sold. We are NFRC registered and carry £5m public liability insurance.
For most standard concrete interlocking profiles we carry matching tiles on the van. For conservation area repairs requiring reclaimed clay tile or matched Welsh slate, we source from Kent and Sussex demolition salvage and confirm match quality before committing. We show samples on any repair where visual matching is important before starting work.
We cover Ashford and all of the surrounding Kent area: Folkestone, Hythe, Canterbury, Maidstone, Tenterden, and the villages across the Weald. If you are outside Ashford town, call us and we will confirm whether we cover your postcode. Most Kent postcodes within 25 miles of Ashford are in our standard service area.
Last reviewed: July 2026
Concrete interlocking tiles are the practical choice for most estate housing; clay plain tiles or Kentish peg tiles are correct for period and conservation-area properties. The right choice depends on your roof pitch and planning status.
Clay plain tile adds roughly £1,500-£3,000 to a standard semi re-roof over concrete interlocking tile, but doubles the service life from 40-60 years to 80-100+ years.
Clay plain tiles typically require a minimum pitch of 35-45 degrees. Concrete and modern clay interlocking tiles work down to 15-17.5 degrees depending on profile.
Yes. We carry common concrete profiles and source reclaimed clay tile and Welsh slate from Kent and Sussex for period property repairs, confirming the match before starting.