Re-Roofing Services in Galway
Who can actually re-roof your house, what it costs, and how to tell a real contractor from a weekend crew
Who can actually re-roof your house, what it costs, and how to tell a real contractor from a weekend crew
Galway has a reasonable choice of roofers, which is both the good news and the problem. Not every name that comes up in a search employs its own crew, gives a written itemised quote, or carries the insurance that protects you if something goes wrong on your property. Before you sign anything with anyone, there are four things you should be able to verify:
Recommended Roofing is CIRI registered, carries €6.5 million public liability and €13 million employer liability, is a member of the National Guild of Master Craftsmen listed in the Guild's own Roofers directory, and is Guaranteed Irish. We do not subcontract. The crew on your roof is on our payroll. Those four checks are the floor, not the ceiling, and we actively encourage homeowners to run them on every roofer who quotes.
“Fantastic experience. Fixed my gutter issue quickly and no issues afterwards. Quick efficent and at a good price. Highly recommended for the galway area.”Jeffrey Mahony, Galway, ★★★★★ on Google
Honest indicative ranges, confirmed 2026, before the free survey produces the written figure:
Indicative 2026 price range, three-bed semi in euro, VAT at 13.5% not included
| Covering | Three-bed semi (70-90 m²) | Typical lifespan |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete tile | €8,000-€18,000 | 40-50 years |
| Natural slate | €12,000-€28,000 | Much longer; period-appropriate |
VAT at 13.5% applies on top. The exact figure comes from a written quote after we have been into the attic. Confirm the final price in writing before you commit to any contractor.
What moves the number inside those ranges:
For more detail on how material choices play out locally, see our guide to slate versus concrete tile for Galway roofs, and the broader roof replacement cost guide for Ireland.
Concrete tile is the volume option and the most common covering on Galway estate housing built from the 1970s onward. It is durable, widely available and sits at the lower end of the cost range. A well-laid concrete tile roof on a Galway semi should give 40 to 50 years of service before the covering itself becomes the reason for replacement.
Natural slate is the correct choice for period properties in the city, for homes in Architectural Conservation Areas, and for exposed coastal sites where the material's weight, density and longevity justify the higher installed cost. Reclaimed Welsh slate is available for period and protected-structure work where colour and texture must match. Natural slate roofs last significantly longer than concrete tile; the usual trigger for replacement is nail sickness in the fixings rather than failure of the slate itself.
Fibre-cement slate sits between the two on cost and is a reasonable alternative where the budget does not stretch to natural slate but a slate profile is required.
On coastal sites, Salthill, Barna, Spiddal, out through Connemara, marine-grade fixings go in as standard regardless of the covering chosen. Salt air eats standard galvanised nails on an exposed Atlantic roof years earlier than most inland installers plan for, and premature fixing failure is the most common cause of early re-roofing work we see on properties close to Galway Bay.
The scope on every full re-roof we price in Galway:
We go into the attic on every quote visit. External-only inspections miss where water has already travelled, and we would rather tell you it is a repair than sell you a re-roof you do not need yet.
Most Galway re-roofs do not need full scaffolding. We work from ladders, or from a cherry picker where the reach demands it. Scaffolding is only priced in where the building is genuinely very high, or where it sits on a busy street and we need to protect people walking underneath.
Where it is needed, it appears as a separate line on the written quote, never buried in the price. And if you can source suitable scaffolding cheaper than we can, you are welcome to arrange it yourself. We do not mark it up and we do not insist on ours.
For a standard three-bed semi, one to two weeks on site is typical, assuming the weather cooperates. Atlantic weather off Galway Bay does not always oblige. We will not strip a roof into a forecast we do not like, because once the covering is off, the inside of your house is only as dry as the membrane underneath. Expect the crew to work around proper weather windows rather than push through a bad one.
For heritage work, restoring a Connemara stone property, or careful slate-by-slate work on an older house in the city centre, the job takes longer. These jobs trade speed for correctness, and that is the right trade.
The honest rule: repair if the covering is fundamentally sound and the problem is localised, slipped slates, a failed valley, a tired flashing around a chimney. Re-roof if the covering is at the end of its life, if repairs are becoming a recurring cost, or if the battens and felt underneath have gone.
Concrete tile roofs on Galway estate housing from the late 1970s and 1980s are now in exactly that window. Forty to fifty years is the design life, and we are seeing original coverings reach the point where a further repair stops being the cheaper option and becomes the more expensive one paid in instalments. Natural slate roofs on older stock in the city and out through Connemara last much longer; the usual trigger is nail sickness in the fixings rather than failure of the slate itself.
If you are not sure yet, our Galway roof repairs page explains how we decide one from the other after the attic inspection. You can also read the broader guide to re-roofing a house in Galway and our guide to roof repair prices in Galway 2026.
Every full re-roof we complete carries an automatic 10-year written workmanship guarantee plus our Lifetime Leak Guarantee. Both are stated in the quote and handed over, signed, before contracts are signed. Not promised afterwards. Not conditional on final payment. Not something you have to register or request.
Partial work and repairs carry a minimum 3-year workmanship guarantee, rising to 10 years on major repair work.
Our crews are directly employed. The people on your roof are on our payroll, which means the guarantee is backed by the same people who did the work, not an anonymous subcontracting chain. You can read more about how we work on our reviews page and case studies.
Like-for-like re-covering in the same material normally does not require planning permission. Protected structures, properties in Architectural Conservation Areas, and any change of material or roof profile usually do. Galway city centre and parts of the county have significant ACA and protected-structure coverage. We flag it when we see it on the quote visit, before any work is committed to.
On any job of €10,000 or more we ask for a 33% deposit up front and the balance on completion. Below €10,000 there is no deposit, payment on completion. Nothing is paid before you have seen the written quote.
The quote is itemised: covering, membrane, battens, flashings, ridge, scaffolding if any, waste disposal and VAT shown separately. The price quoted is the price paid. It does not move once the scaffolding is up unless something genuinely unforeseen is found, and in that case you see the evidence and sign the variation before any extra work happens.
We cover Galway, Cork, Limerick and Dublin. If you are looking at the same decision in another city, the following guides carry the same level of detail for their areas:
To arrange a free survey and written fixed-price quote for your Galway re-roof, visit our contact page or ring us on 091 622895. The survey is free and there is no obligation to proceed.
Indicative ranges: €8,000-€18,000 for concrete tile on a typical three-bed semi, and €12,000-€28,000 for natural slate. VAT at 13.5% applies on top. The exact figure comes from a free written quote after we have been into the attic. All ranges are 2026 figures.
Yes, if the covering is fundamentally sound and the problem is localised, a slipped slate, a failed valley or a tired flashing, a targeted repair will cost considerably less. Roof leak repairs typically run €400-€2,500. We will tell you honestly after the attic inspection whether a repair is viable.
One to two weeks on site is typical for a standard three-bed semi, subject to Atlantic weather. Heritage and period properties with more complex rooflines take longer.
Most Galway re-roofs do not need full scaffolding. It is only priced in where the building is very high or sits on a busy street with heavy pedestrian traffic. Where it is needed, it appears as a separate line on the quote, never buried in the price. You are free to source it yourself if you can get it cheaper.
Every full re-roof carries an automatic 10-year written workmanship guarantee plus a Lifetime Leak Guarantee. Repair work carries a minimum 3-year guarantee, up to 10 years on major repairs. Both are handed over in writing before contracts are signed.
Yes. Marine-grade fixings are used as standard on any property within reach of Atlantic salt spray. Standard galvanised nails corrode significantly faster on exposed coastal roofs, and fixing failure is the most common cause of premature re-roofing work we see around Galway Bay.
Like-for-like re-covering in the same material normally does not require planning permission. Protected structures, properties in Architectural Conservation Areas, and changes of material or roof profile usually do. Galway city centre and parts of the county have significant ACA and protected-structure coverage. We flag it at the quote visit.
On jobs of €10,000 or more we ask for a 33% deposit up front, with the balance on completion. Below €10,000 there is no deposit, payment on completion only. Nothing is paid before you have seen the written quote.
Yes. VAT at 13.5% applies to all roofing work and is shown as a separate line on the written quote.
Repair if the covering is sound and the problem is localised. Replace if the covering is at the end of its life, repairs are becoming a recurring expense, or the battens and felt underneath have deteriorated across the whole roof. We assess this on every free quote visit by going into the attic.
Ask for their CIRI registration, a current certificate of public liability and employer liability insurance, confirmation of whether they employ their own crew, and the guarantee in writing before contracts are signed. We actively encourage homeowners to run all four checks on every roofer who quotes.
Yes. A quote visit for work we could carry out is free and no-obligation. We go into the attic, measure the roof and provide a written itemised price. No commitment is required.
Roof Repairs in Galway, Ireland. Free survey, written fixed-price quote, 10-year guarantee.