Roofers Covering Durham
High and Dry work across Durham city and the villages around it, from the terraces of Gilesgate and Crossgate out to Framwellgate Moor, Belmont, Newton Hall and Bowburn. Durham is a more demanding place to roof than most, and we would rather explain why up front than surprise you with it in a quote.
North East Experts
With over 15 years of experience working across the North East, we have an in-depth understanding of Durham's varied property styles — from period terraces and stone-built cottages to modern estates. We know the local planning considerations and weather conditions that affect roofing in this region.
Competitive Pricing
We offer fair, transparent pricing with free no-obligation quotes on every job. We'll always give you an honest assessment of what's needed — we never recommend unnecessary work to inflate a bill.
Quality Guaranteed
All our work is carried out to the highest standard using quality materials. We're proud of every job we complete, and our 100% positive review record across multiple platforms demonstrates our commitment to excellence.
Fully Insured
High and Dry are fully insured for all the work we carry out. Our team works safely and professionally on every site, and we always clean up thoroughly on completion of every job.
Roofing in Durham: A More Complicated Job Than Most
Durham has more listed buildings and a larger conservation area footprint than anywhere else we work. Combined with the topography, that makes roofing here genuinely different from a job five miles away in Chester-le-Street.
Conservation areas and listed buildings
The peninsula and much of the surrounding city fall within conservation areas, and a great many properties are listed. Where that applies, what you can put on your roof is restricted. Natural slate replaced like-for-like is normally acceptable; substituting concrete tile to reduce cost usually is not, and on a listed building you may need listed building consent before any work at all. We will tell you honestly at survey stage whether your property is likely to need consent from Durham County Council, because starting work without it is a problem you do not want.
Natural slate, and matching it
Most of Durham's older housing is slated, and on conservation work the expectation is that a replacement matches what is there. That means salvaging and re-laying sound slate where possible rather than stripping to landfill. Expect to lose a proportion to breakage during stripping, so some new matching stock is normally needed — sourcing a close match is part of the job and part of the cost, and anyone quoting without discussing it has not thought about it properly.
Access and the topography
Durham is steep and its older streets are narrow. Scaffolding a terrace on a bank, or a property on a street a lorry cannot easily reach, costs more and takes longer than the same roof on a flat suburban estate. It is a real cost and we would rather price it into the quote openly than discover it on day one. If you have had a quote that seems suspiciously cheap for a city-centre property, access is often what has been left out.
Student housing and rental stock
Large parts of Gilesgate, Claypath, Crossgate and the Viaduct are Victorian terraces in multiple occupation. Landlord work has different priorities — turnaround between tenancies, minimising disruption, and keeping a property watertight and compliant rather than perfect. We are happy to work to that, and to give a written schedule of what genuinely needs doing now versus what can reasonably wait a year.
Areas of Durham We Cover
We cover the city and the surrounding villages. If your area is not listed, call and ask — it is very likely we still cover it.
- City Centre
- Gilesgate
- Claypath
- Crossgate
- Neville's Cross
- Framwellgate Moor
- Newton Hall
- Belmont
- Carrville
- Bowburn
- Brandon
- Langley Moor
- Meadowfield
- Pity Me
- Ushaw Moor
- Shincliffe
Services We Offer in Durham
We provide the full range of roofing and home improvement services across Durham and the surrounding area.
Durham Roofing FAQs
Do I need listed building consent for roof work in Durham?
If your property is listed, quite possibly — and it applies to more than you would expect in Durham. Even a like-for-like recover can need consent on a listed building. If your property is in a conservation area but not listed, the restriction is usually on materials and appearance rather than needing consent for the work itself. We will tell you which category you are in before quoting.
Can you match my existing slate?
Usually. On period property we salvage and re-lay sound slate where we can, topping up with new stock matched as closely as possible. Some breakage during stripping is unavoidable, so a proportion of new material is normal. Sourcing a good match is part of the job and we will discuss it rather than assume.
Why is a quote for a city-centre property higher?
Access. Scaffolding a steep, narrow city street costs more than a suburban semi with a driveway, and it takes longer to erect and strike. We price it into the quote openly. A quote that looks unusually cheap for a central Durham property has often left access out.
Do you work for landlords?
Yes. A lot of Durham's terraced stock is rental, and we are used to working around tenancies. We will give you a written schedule separating what needs doing now from what can safely wait, so you can plan spend across a portfolio.
Which villages around Durham do you cover?
Framwellgate Moor, Newton Hall, Belmont, Carrville, Bowburn, Brandon, Langley Moor, Meadowfield, Pity Me, Ushaw Moor and Shincliffe among others. Call with your postcode if you are not sure.