New Roof Installation in Drumcondra and Glasnevin

A full re-roof on a typical 1930s or 1940s Corporation semi in Drumcondra or Glasnevin costs between €11,000 and €18,000 in 2025, depending on slate choice, chimney and party-wall work, and scaffold access on narrow streets. Expect 5–8 working days on site, a Dublin City Council skip permit, and full stripping of the original Bangor Blue slate down to the purlin structure. For a fixed-price quote, call 01 2657795 or request a survey through our new roof installation team.

That's the short answer. Below is the detail — what you're actually dealing with on Ferguson Road, Hollybank, Botanic Avenue, Iona, Home Farm and the streets around Griffith Avenue — and what a proper re-roof on this housing stock should look like in 2025.

The short version

• The shared party-wall chimney stack needs both sides re-leaded and repointed in NHL 3.5 lime mortar, with a partial rebuild above the roof line priced separately at €1,400–€2,200.
• A like-for-like re-roof is exempted development under the Planning and Development Regulations, but Architectural Conservation Areas or profile changes like dormers or velux may require planning permission.
• Front scaffold on narrow streets like Ferguson Road or Millmount Avenue requires a Dublin City Council hoarding licence at €50 application plus €3.50/m²/week, and parking bay suspensions need 5 working days notice.

Why 1930s and 1940s Corpo Semis Need a Re-Roof Now

The Dublin Corporation semis built between 1932 and 1948 across Drumcondra, Glasnevin, Whitehall and Marino were roofed almost exclusively in Bangor Blue slate from North Wales, fixed with iron nails onto sawn softwood battens over rough-sawn purlins. The slate itself is superb — Bangor Blue routinely lasts 100–120 years — but the iron nails don't. They corrode, snap, and slates start slipping. Roofers call this nail sickness, and on a roof laid in 1938 you're now 85+ years in.

Common failure points we see weekly on North Dublin surveys:

• Slipped slates along the eaves and verges, especially on the exposed rear elevations facing Botanic Gardens or the Tolka.
• Cracked or missing ridge tiles, often the original half-round clay ridges bedded in lime mortar that has washed out.
• Failed lead flashing at the shared party-wall chimney stack — the single biggest source of leaks on a semi.
• Rotten sarking or no felt at all — many of these roofs were built with no underlay, just slate on batten.
• Bowing purlins where a previous owner loaded the attic or converted it without structural sign-off.

If you've had two or more patch repairs in the last three years, or the ceiling in the back bedroom is staining after every south-westerly, a full re-roof is almost always cheaper over ten years than continued patching.

What a Full Re-Roof Actually Involves

Here's the process we follow on a standard 3-bed semi off Drumcondra Road Lower or Botanic Road:

1. Survey and fixed-price quote. We inspect the attic, check purlin condition, measure the roof, assess the chimney and neighbour's side, and issue a written quote — no "extras on the day".
2. Scaffold erection (day 1). Full independent scaffold to front and rear, with a loading bay for the skip.
3. Strip out (days 1–2). Slates lifted carefully — usable Bangor Blues stacked for reuse or resale, the rest into the skip.
4. Timber inspection and repair (day 2–3). Any rotten purlin ends, wall plates or rafter feet replaced. Priced separately and shown on the quote.
5. Breathable membrane and counter-battens (day 3). We use Tyvek Supro or Klober Permo — no more 1940s "bare batten" setups.
6. New battens, gauged to slate size (day 3–4).
7. Slating (day 4–6). Either reclaimed Bangor Blue, new Spanish natural slate (Cupa Heavy 3 or SSQ Riverstone), or fibre-cement (Cembrit / Marley Birkdale).
8. Lead work (day 5–6). Code 5 lead to the party-wall chimney soakers and step flashings, code 4 to abutments.
9. Ridge, verges, and eaves (day 6–7). Dry-fix ridge system, new uPVC or aluminium fascia and soffit, half-round aluminium or cast-iron effect gutters.
10. Sign-off, scaffold down, clean site (day 7–8).

You get a written 20-year workmanship guarantee and manufacturer warranties on slate (30 years) and membrane (15 years).

Re-Roof Costs on a Drumcondra or Glasnevin Semi (Indicative 2025 Prices)

The following are indicative current Irish-market ranges for a standard 3-bed semi with roof area around 75–95 m² including the rear return. Call 01 2657795 to confirm exact rates for your property.

Rear return roofs, dormer cheeks and bay windows add cost. So do velux upgrades — a good time to add one is during the re-roof, not after.

If you want a rough figure before ringing, try the roofing cost calculator for a ballpark, then we'll firm it up on the survey.

The Bangor Slate Question: Reclaim, Match, or Move On?

Homeowners on streets like Iona Road and Lindsay Road often want to keep the Bangor Blue look — and rightly so, it's part of the character. You have three sensible options:

• Full reclaimed Bangor Blue re-roof. Beautiful, matches the terrace, holds resale value. Downside: cost (€180–€240 per m² supply-only in 2025) and lead time — good reclaimed stock from yards in Dublin and the midlands can take 4–6 weeks to source in the quantities needed.
• New Spanish natural slate (SSQ Domiz, Cupa 3). Visually close to Bangor Blue at roughly half the cost. A 75–100 year lifespan. This is what we specify most often on 1930s Corpo semis where budget matters.
• Fibre-cement slate (Cembrit Jutland, Marley Birkdale). Lightest option, kindest to old purlins, and cheapest. Lifespan 50–60 years. Fine choice, especially on rear elevations or if the property is a rental.

On a mid-terrace or semi, there's also a planning courtesy to consider: if your neighbour has original Bangor Blue and you switch to fibre-cement, the terrace looks patchy. Not a legal issue outside an ACA, but worth a chat over the wall.

Shared Party-Wall Chimneys: The Bit Most Roofers Get Wrong

Nearly every Corpo semi in Drumcondra and Glasnevin has a shared chimney stack straddling the party wall. Two flues yours, two your neighbour's. When we re-roof, we have to:

• Notify the neighbour in writing (we handle this) before touching the shared stack.
• Renew both sides of the lead soakers and step flashings — you can't half-do a shared stack.
• Repoint the stack in NHL 3.5 lime mortar, not sand-and-cement, because the brick is soft Dolphin's Barn or Portmarnock stock.
• Fit new clay pot flaunching and, if flues are disused, ventilated caps to prevent damp.

If the stack is leaning or the brick above roof level is spalled, we'll price a partial rebuild — usually €1,400–€2,200. It's cheaper to do it now with scaffold up than to come back in three years.

Scaffold Access and Skip Permits on Narrow North Dublin Streets

This is where local knowledge earns its keep. Streets like Ferguson Road, St. Patrick's Road, Enniskerry Road and Millmount Avenue are narrow, with cars parked both sides and no off-street parking on the front. Practical realities:

• Scaffold to the front often needs to be pavement-mounted with a Dublin City Council hoarding/scaffold licence (currently €50 application + €3.50/m²/week). We apply on your behalf.
• Rear scaffold access usually comes through the side passage on a semi — no problem — but end-of-terrace or mid-terrace rear access means going through the house on protection boards.
• Skip permits from DCC run around €40 per skip per week. A typical re-roof uses 2–3 skips. Skips must be lit at night and sited off yellow lines.
• Parking bay suspensions on residents' permit streets around Home Farm Road or Grace Park need 5 working days notice through DCC.

We handle all permits, insurance certs, and neighbour notifications as part of the fixed-price quote. You don't chase the Council — we do.

Attic Insulation, Ventilation and Grants

While the slates are off is the only sensible time to upgrade eaves ventilation and add over-rafter insulation if you're planning an attic conversion later. SEAI grants for attic insulation (currently €1,300 for a semi-detached under the Better Energy Homes Scheme) can be claimed separately — we can't do the insulation grant work directly, but we'll co-ordinate with your insulation contractor so the sequencing works.

Cross-ventilation via eaves vents and a breathable membrane is now standard — the old "no felt" 1940s roofs actually breathed better than a badly-detailed modern one. We build in ventilation properly so you don't get condensation in the attic five years later.

Why Choose Recommended Roofing for Your Drumcondra or Glasnevin Re-Roof

We've re-roofed dozens of Corpo semis across North Dublin — Drumcondra, Glasnevin, Marino, Fairview, Whitehall and Cabra. We know the housing stock, the streets, the DCC permit process, and the neighbours' concerns. You get:

• A written fixed-price quote with no day-rate surprises.
• 20-year workmanship guarantee.
• Full public liability (€6.5m) and Safe-T-Cert scaffolders.
• Direct dealings with Patrick — not a call centre.

Have a look at recent jobs on our project gallery, or read more about our full residential roofing service. Working further south? We also cover roofing across South Dublin.

Ready for a survey? Contact our team for a free re-roof quote or call 01 2657795 — we'll be out within the week.