Roofers covering Greater London from our West London base. Specialist heritage, slate, lead and commercial roofing across all Zone 1–3 boroughs.
London's development as a city of distinct residential quarters is a story that runs from Roman Londinium (founded c. AD 50 on the north bank of the Thames around what is now the City of London) through the medieval walled city, the Stuart and Georgian expansion into the Strand, Covent Garden and the West End, and the dramatic Victorian and Edwardian suburbanisation that produced the ring of residential boroughs — Kensington, Chelsea, Westminster, Islington, Hackney, Lambeth, Southwark and Wandsworth — that surround the historic core.
For roofing work, the relevant history is that most of inner London's surviving residential housing stock dates from 1850–1914. Before 1850, London was mostly brick with clay tile or plain-tile roofs; by 1900, almost all new domestic roofing was Welsh slate. Post-war rebuilding and the twentieth-century council estates added flat roofs in felt, asphalt and later EPDM. The post-war period also saw the widespread addition of dormers, loft conversions and roof extensions to the Victorian stock — often badly detailed, and a common source of leaks.
Our core coverage is West London — Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, Hammersmith and Fulham — but we regularly take on specialist and larger jobs elsewhere in London where our heritage expertise or commercial capability is useful. This page covers our broader London offering for clients outside our immediate home patch.
Greater London's housing stock is extraordinarily varied, but for roofing purposes the main categories are: pre-1850 Georgian and Regency townhouses (typically in Westminster, Camden, Bloomsbury — brick-fronted with pitched slate behind parapets); Victorian and Edwardian terraces (ubiquitous across inner London — pitched Welsh slate); late-Victorian and Edwardian mansion blocks (Kensington, Chelsea, Marylebone, St John's Wood — shared mansard roofs); post-war council and Housing Association stock (flat roofs in various systems); 1970s–1990s private developments (mixed flat and low-pitched); and 2000s onwards new-build (often hybrid green-roof and conventional). We work on all of these.
A general roofer from outside London can, in theory, do the work. In practice, roofing decisions in London are constantly shaped by local factors that an outsider doesn't know: which streets are in conservation areas, which properties are listed, which managing agents handle which blocks, which local scaffolders will or won't take on narrow-street jobs, which conservation officer handles which zone of the borough, which materials merchants actually stock what they claim to.
We've been working in this patch for thirty years. That institutional knowledge — dozens of small pieces of information that we don't even think about any more — is what lets us quote realistic timescales, realistic prices, and deliver to those estimates. It's also why our warranty-work rate is so low: when you know a street, you know what the roof is likely to be hiding before you get up there.
Practically, that means fewer surprises, quicker turnarounds, and more straightforward conservation approvals. Every London client gets the same attention regardless of job size.
We serve every street in the Greater London postcode area. Emergency callouts typically arrive within 60–90 minutes.
A small sample of feedback from recent jobs in the area.
Engaged KR for multi-property portfolio maintenance across seven boroughs. Consistent quality, clear reporting, reasonable pricing. They coordinate with all our managing agents and we've reduced reactive maintenance callouts by over 40% in the first year.
I've specified KR on three heritage projects in the last four years — one in Islington, two in Westminster. They deliver work that conservation officers approve without argument, which is rare. Excellent technical specifications and flawless execution.
Office building flat roof replacement — completed over eight weekends, zero weekday disruption, 20-year materials warranty plus their 10-year workmanship guarantee. Fair pricing for a major project. Very competent.
Our architects recommended KR for a Georgian survivor in Hampstead. They travelled from West London for the work — which took a fortnight — and the quality of the lead detailing and slate matching was exceptional. Worth the slightly higher rate for the expertise.
1. The phone call or email. You ring us on 0330 223 7665 or drop a line to info@kensingtonroofers.co.uk. We'll ask a handful of diagnostic questions — property type, roof age if known, specific issues, whether you've had other quotes — and book a site visit.
2. The site visit. A senior tradesman attends at a time that suits you, typically within 3–5 working days. We'll go up on the roof if safe (often via a loft hatch and ladder, sometimes needing a tower), photograph everything, and discuss options with you on the spot.
3. The written quote. You'll receive a detailed written quote within a further 3–5 working days. It itemises materials by brand and spec, scaffold by duration, labour by day rate and crew size, and waste removal by skip. You can compare it line-by-line against other quotes.
4. Acceptance and scheduling. If you accept, we agree a start date. For smaller repairs, typically 1–2 weeks out; for re-roofs, 3–6 weeks depending on scaffold and material lead times. Deposit schedules are clear and capped.
5. The work. Scaffold goes up on day one, strip and work proceeds through the following days, and scaffold comes down on the last day. You get a daily update from the site foreman; end-of-day tidying and overnight weather protection are standard.
6. Handover. Final walk-around with you, guarantee certificate, manufacturer warranties, photographic record of the finished work, and waste transfer notes. Final invoice issued after your sign-off.
Questions specific to working in London. For general questions see our main FAQ page.
Yes, but selectively. We focus on West London because it's where we can deliver the best value — materials stored locally, crews familiar with local conservation requirements, fast emergency response. We'll take on work further out if it's specialist heritage or commercial that matches our skills, but for straightforward domestic work outside West London, a good local firm is usually a better choice for the client.
Yes. For major projects we're happy to provide formal competitive tenders. Our pricing is typically mid-market — not the cheapest, not the most expensive — but our quotes are highly itemised so you can compare like-for-like. For smaller jobs we'd rather not spend your time on detailed comparisons; ring us, describe the job, and we'll tell you honestly whether we're the right firm for it.
Yes. We work with several London-based property companies and family offices that hold portfolios across multiple boroughs. We can provide consolidated reporting, coordinate with multiple managing agents, and standardise specifications across comparable properties.
We have some specialist experience with churches and institutional buildings, though we're not a primary ecclesiastical-roofing contractor (that's a different specialism involving specific consent processes). For private members' clubs and similar high-end commercial buildings, our heritage capability and discretion make us a sensible choice. We've completed work for several London clubs under NDAs.
Yes. We carry out condition surveys, pre-purchase reports, specification drafting and tender evaluation on a consulting basis, separate from doing the work itself. Typical fees are £350–£1,500 per survey depending on property size and report depth. This is especially useful for buyers of heritage property and for trustees who want independent expert input before commissioning work.
We cover all of Greater London with free site visits, written quotes and 24/7 emergency callouts.
0330 223 7665