Most roofing repairs and like-for-like re-roofing are Permitted Development in Kent, but conservation areas and listed buildings require planning permission for material changes on visible slopes. Ashford, Tenterden, Wye, Charing and Canterbury contain conservation areas where standard rights are restricted. Article 4 Directions remove Permitted Development on some properties.
Most roof replacement in Kent does not require planning permission. Permitted development rights cover the replacement of roof coverings with the same or similar materials on most residential properties. But there are important exceptions — conservation areas, listed buildings, certain material changes and new openings — where planning consent is required. Getting this wrong can result in an enforcement notice requiring you to undo completed work.
Under permitted development rights, homeowners can replace roof coverings without planning permission provided the replacement uses the same or similar materials and does not increase the height or footprint of the roof. This covers the vast majority of residential re-roofing in Kent — replacing concrete interlocking tiles like-for-like, replacing clay tiles with equivalent clay, replacing felt flat roofing with GRP or EPDM.
Permitted development does not cover: new roof windows on front elevations that project significantly above the roof plane, additions that increase the roof's overall height, or any changes to the roof form (changing a gable end to a hipped section, for example).
Not sure if your project needs consent? We advise on planning at every survey.
Book Free SurveyConservation area designation adds restrictions on top of standard permitted development rights. In Ashford, the town centre conservation area covers the historic core around Bank Street and the surrounding streets. Tenterden's High Street conservation area is more extensive. Canterbury's conservation areas, including the World Heritage Site buffer zone, are the most strictly applied in our coverage area.
Under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, carrying out works to a listed building without Listed Building Consent is a criminal offence.
Source: Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
Within a conservation area, the use of materials that are 'out of keeping with the character of the area' can require planning consent even for like-for-like replacement. In practice, this means: replacing Welsh slate with concrete tile on a front elevation is unlikely to be permitted development in a conservation area. Replacing clay tiles with concrete tiles on a visible slope is similarly problematic. The standard for 'same or similar materials' is interpreted more strictly in conservation areas than on standard residential properties.
The practical test: if the replacement material is visually different from the original on a slope visible from a public road or space, get planning advice before starting. We advise on this at the survey stage for any property in or adjacent to a conservation area.
Listed building consent is required for any works that affect the character of a listed building, which includes roof replacement. This applies regardless of conservation area designation — a listed building outside a conservation area still requires listed building consent for re-roofing. The consent covers both the materials and the method of fixing. Replacing original Welsh slate with Spanish slate on a Grade II listed property would not receive consent. Replacing like-for-like in the original material almost always would.
We do not carry out any roofing work on listed buildings without first confirming the consent position. This is for your protection as much as ours — works to a listed building without consent are a criminal offence, not a civil planning matter.
Roof windows on rear or side slopes that don't protrude significantly above the existing roof plane and don't face a highway are generally permitted development on standard residential properties. Front elevation roof windows are more restricted — they must not project above the plane of the roof slope and must not be installed in a conservation area without consent.
For loft conversions, the installation of roof windows is typically part of a broader permitted development assessment that also considers dormer additions and floor area increases. We advise on the full planning position for loft conversion roofing work at the survey stage.
The highest-risk material change in our coverage area is replacing natural slate with concrete tile on period properties in conservation areas. We occasionally see properties where this has been done without consent and the owner is dealing with a retrospective planning application or enforcement notice. The correct approach on any property built before 1950 in or near a conservation area is to get planning advice before specifying materials.
We advise on planning requirements at every survey. Call to book.
Book Free SurveyEvery planning permission roofing 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 planning permission roofing 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 planning permission roofing 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 146For 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
Like-for-like re-roofing using the same materials is Permitted Development for most properties. Conservation areas and listed buildings require planning permission for material changes on visible slopes.
Ashford, Tenterden, Wye, Charing and parts of Canterbury and Folkestone contain conservation areas where standard Permitted Development rights for material change are restricted.
Yes. Any alteration to a listed building requires Listed Building Consent. Carrying out works without it is a criminal offence under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
An Article 4 Direction removes standard Permitted Development rights from a property or area, meaning roofing work that would normally be permitted requires a planning application.