- Cambridgeshire's Most Trusted Roofing & Roof Repair Experts
Expert new roof installations covering Cambridge, St Neots and all of Cambridgeshire. Pitched and flat roofs in slate, clay, concrete tile and modern systems. 10-year guarantee, free on-site survey, 14-day cooling-off period.
Looking for new roofs in Huntingdon? Acorn Property Improvements provides full roof installations using high-quality materials, expert craftsmanship, and tailored solutions for your home or business. Whether your existing roof is beyond repair or you’re upgrading for better performance and aesthetic appeal, our experienced team is ready to help with all your roofing needs.
We carry out complete roof installations across Cambridgeshire. Our roofing services cover everything from new pitched roofs and flat roofs to velux window integration and roofline installations. Whether you’re working on a new build or replacing an ageing structure, we provide tailored solutions to match the demands of the local climate and your property’s design. We work with a comprehensive range of materials, including slate, tiles, and flat roofing systems.
A new roof is one of the most significant investments you will make in your home. Done right, it protects your property for 30 to 60 years. Done wrong — with poor materials, inexperienced labour or corners cut on the substrate — it fails early, costs more to put right and can lead to far wider structural damage. Acorn Property Improvements is a professional roofing company with offices in Cambridge and St Neots, carrying out full new roof installations and complete re-roofing projects across the whole of Cambridgeshire. Our roofers are directly employed, not subcontracted, and every installation is backed by a 10-year guarantee and a 14-day cooling-off period — in writing, before work begins. Call our Cambridge office on 01223 859867 for a free, no-obligation survey.
Ready to replace your roof? Call Acorn Property Improvements today on 01223 859867 or 01480 594007 or request a free online quote. Our friendly team will be happy to arrange a no-obligation survey and talk you through your options.
Professional new roof installations in Huntingdon, St Neots, Bedford, Cambridge and surrounThe material you choose for your new roof has a significant bearing on cost, longevity, appearance, maintenance requirements and — in some areas of Cambridgeshire — what planning rules permit. We work with all the main pitched and flat roofing systems and will recommend the best option for your property, your budget and your location based on our on-site survey. Here is an overview of the materials we most commonly install across Cambridge and the wider county.ding areas. Quality craftsmanship, honest pricing, and a team you can trust.
Natural slate is the premium pitched roofing material — exceptionally durable, with a lifespan that can exceed 100 years when properly installed. It is the material of choice for period and Listed properties, Conservation Area buildings and homeowners who want the finest possible finish. We source quality Welsh and Spanish slate and install it to the relevant BS standards. Natural slate is a requirement in some parts of Cambridge city centre and many Cambridgeshire conservation villages — we will advise on this during your survey.
Expected lifespan: 80–150 years
Ideal for: Period properties, Conservation Areas, Listed Buildings
Available in: Welsh Blue/Grey, Spanish slate
Fibre cement slate offers the visual appeal of natural slate at a significantly lower cost and with greater consistency of size and weight — making it easier to lay and less demanding on older timber structures. Products such as Marley Eternit and Cedral are widely used across Cambridgeshire's post-war housing stock and are available in a range of finishes and colours. Lifespan is typically 30 to 50 years. An excellent mid-range option where natural slate is not required or budgeted.
Expected lifespan: 30–50 years
Ideal for: Post-war and modern housing
Lower cost than natural slate with similar appearance
Concrete interlocking tiles are the most widely installed roofing material across Cambridgeshire's 1960s to 1990s housing stock. They offer good weather resistance, a broad range of profiles (including plain tile, pantile and Roman profiles) and competitive pricing. Concrete tiles are robust, require minimal maintenance and are straightforward to source in matching profiles for future repairs. We use quality products from leading manufacturers including Marley and Redland, installed on pressure-impregnated battens with a breathable membrane — the correct specification for a long-lasting result.
Expected lifespan: 30–50 years
Ideal for: 1960s–1990s housing stock
Range of profiles and colours available
Clay plain tiles are the traditional roofing material of much of rural Cambridgeshire, and are commonly found on Victorian, Edwardian and early 20th-century properties across the county. Their warm, handmade appearance is difficult to replicate with modern materials, and they are frequently specified in conservation areas and on Listed Buildings. We source clay plain tiles from reputable UK manufacturers and install them to the traditional double-lap method — the correct approach for a weathertight, authentic result. Colour matching for extensions and partial re-roofs is something we take seriously and will advise on during the survey.
Expected lifespan: 60–100+ years
Ideal for: Victorian/Edwardian properties, conservation areas
Traditional appearance, often required in rural Cambridgeshire
New flat roofs — whether on extensions, garages, outbuildings or commercial premises — can be installed in one of three main systems: Firestone RubberCover EPDM (rubber), GRP fibreglass, or high-performance felt. Each has its own performance profile and cost bracket. EPDM is highly durable, flexible and suited to larger flat roof areas. GRP fibreglass provides a seamless, extremely hard-wearing finish ideal for complex shapes. Upgraded felt systems offer a reliable, cost-effective solution for straightforward applications. We will advise on the best system for your specific project during the survey. For full details, see our dedicated Flat Roofs page.
If your property falls within one of Cambridge's many conservation areas, or is a Listed Building, you may be restricted in the roofing materials you can use. Like-for-like replacement in the same material is usually permitted without planning permission, but switching material type — for example, from clay plain tiles to concrete — may require prior approval. Parts of central Cambridge, Newnham, Chesterton and many Cambridgeshire villages are affected. We will check this during your survey and advise clearly on any planning considerations before the quotation is issued.
Commissioning a new roof is not a decision to take lightly and it is not a job to hand to the cheapest quote without scrutiny. The quality of a roof installation is almost entirely invisible from the street — it lives in the felt specification, the batten gauge, the headlap, the lead detail, the mortar mix, the fixings used and the care taken at every junction. Here is why Cambridgeshire homeowners choose Acorn and then recommend us to their neighbours.
Acorn Property Improvements have many years of experience across a range of roofing and property work. We take pride in delivering quality results on every project we take on.
We're more than happy to offer free, no-obligation quotes. Our pricing is clear and transparent from the start, so you can make informed decisions with complete confidence.
From new roofs and guttering to roof tiling and repairs, our expertise spans across many fields. Whatever your roofing needs, we've got you covered.
Our team are fully trained, highly skilled, and backed by full public liability insurance, giving you peace of mind throughout your project.
We stand by the quality of our work. Every installation is carried out to the highest standards and comes with a guarantee, so you can trust your investment will last.
We endeavour to always leave our customers satisfied, and that includes causing as little disruption as possible and leaving your property clean and tidy once the job is done.
Roof repairs are the right answer for isolated, specific problems — a slipped tile, a patch of failed flashing, a single cracked ridge tile. But there comes a point with every roof where repair is no longer the sensible or cost-effective option. Understanding that point is something we can help you assess during a free on-site survey. The following are the most reliable indicators that a full roof replacement is the better long-term decision.
If your roof has been repaired repeatedly and continues to develop new leaks in different locations, this is a strong indication that the underlying structure — the felt, battens or timbers — has deteriorated beyond what targeted repairs can address. Each repair fixes the symptom, not the cause. At this point, the cumulative cost of ongoing repairs often exceeds the cost of a full re-roof over a five-year period, without the benefit of a new structure that will last another 40 to 60 years.
Individual cracked tiles can be replaced like for like. But when cracking, spalling or surface deterioration becomes widespread across a significant portion of the roof, replacing tiles one at a time becomes uneconomical. Concrete tiles typically have a lifespan of 30 to 50 years; clay tiles can last longer but are prone to frost damage in older properties. When we carry out a survey and find that a substantial percentage of tiles are at or near end of life, a full replacement gives you a clean slate — pun intended — rather than a patchwork of old and new.
A roofline that dips between rafters, sags in the middle or appears visibly uneven from the street is indicative of structural timber failure — rotten rafters, failed purlins or water-damaged roof decking. This is the most serious category of roof deterioration and carries real safety implications. It cannot be resolved with tile replacement alone. A full re-roof, often with structural timber repairs, is the only appropriate solution. If you see visible sagging, call us promptly — do not wait for internal signs of water ingress.
The roofing felt or breathable sarking membrane beneath your tiles acts as the secondary line of defence against water penetration. On many Cambridgeshire properties — particularly the large stock of Victorian, Edwardian and post-war housing — this felt is original and can be 40 to 70 years old. When we access a roof for a repair and find that the felt has become brittle and perforated throughout, we will always advise you of this directly, with photographs. At that stage, the only way to properly replace the felt is to strip and re-lay the tile covering — which is effectively a full re-roof.
Surface moss can be treated and cleared without major intervention. But deep-rooted moss or lichen that has been growing unchecked for many years retains moisture directly against the tile surface, accelerating freeze-thaw damage and degrading the tile material from the surface inward. In some cases — particularly on older concrete tiles in Cambridge's wetter northern areas — the tile surface is so compromised by biological growth and resulting frost damage that replacement is the only route to a weathertight roof.
Even a roof that is not actively leaking may be approaching the end of its economic life. If your property was built or last re-roofed more than 40 years ago and has had no major structural roofing work since, a proactive survey is worthwhile. Replacing a roof on your terms — with time to plan, choose materials and budget properly — is far preferable to an emergency replacement forced by a catastrophic failure. We carry out free condition surveys that give you an honest, evidenced assessment of how much life remains in your current roof.
Not sure whether you need a repair or a full replacement? We’ll assess your roof honestly and give you both options — call 01223 859867 for a free Cambridge survey or 01480 877624 for St Neots and Huntingdonshire.
Verified five-star Google reviews from homeowners in Cambridge, St Neots, Huntingdon and the surrounding villages. Read what our customers say about the quality of our roofing work, our communication and how we leave their properties.
We install new roofs across the whole of Cambridgeshire from our offices in Cambridge and St Neots. Our Cambridge team handles installations across the city and surrounding villages — from the dense Victorian terraces of Romsey and Petersfield to the growing new-build estates of Cambourne, the affluent streets of Newnham and the period cottages of Grantchester and Barton. Our St Neots team covers Huntingdon, St Ives, Ramsey, Godmanchester and the wider Huntingdonshire district, as well as Peterborough, Ely, March, Wisbech and the Fen villages further east. Wherever you are in Cambridgeshire, we can be with you promptly and without excessive travel charges built into the cost.
Whether you know you need a new roof or you simply want an honest professional opinion on the condition of your current one, we are here to help. Our surveys are free, our quotations are written and fixed, and our 10-year guarantee and 14-day cooling-off period mean you have complete protection at every stage. Call our Cambridge office on 01223 859867, our St Neots office on 01480 877624, or fill in the quick enquiry form. We respond to all enquiries the same working day and appointments are typically available within the week.
For a standard three or four-bedroom domestic property in Cambridge or Cambridgeshire, a full pitched roof replacement typically takes between five and eight working days from scaffold erection to final clean-down. This includes the strip of the existing covering, any timber repairs, felt and batten installation, tiling or slating, ridge, hip and valley work, lead flashings and guttering. Larger or more complex properties — particularly those with multiple roof sections, dormers, chimney stacks or Velux windows — may take ten days or more. Flat roof replacements on extensions and garages are usually completed within one to three days. We give you a clear, realistic timescale in your written quotation before any work is agreed, and we keep you informed of progress throughout — including if a working day needs to be postponed due to unsuitable weather conditions for mortar or lead work.
We install all main pitched roofing systems — natural slate (Welsh and Spanish), fibre cement slate, concrete interlocking tiles (double Roman, pantile and plain tile profiles), and clay plain tiles. We also install and replace flat roofing systems including Firestone RubberCover EPDM rubber, GRP fibreglass and high-performance felt. In addition to the main roof covering, our new roof installations include breathable membrane or felt underlayer, pressure-impregnated battens and counter-battens, new lead flashings at all abutments, ridge and hip tile installation, valley work, Velux or roof window integration where required, and UPVC fascias, soffits and guttering where included in the scope. We recommend the most suitable system for your property, budget and location after carrying out the on-site survey.
Lifespan varies significantly by material. Natural slate, when properly installed on sound timbers with correctly specified fixings, can last in excess of 100 years. Clay plain tiles typically last 60 to 100 years. Concrete interlocking tiles are generally rated at 30 to 50 years. Fibre cement slate has a similar lifespan of 30 to 50 years. Modern flat roofing systems — EPDM and GRP — are typically rated at 25 to 50 years depending on specification. These figures assume correct installation to manufacturer guidelines and relevant British Standards, which is non-negotiable in our work. Poor installation on any material will reduce these lifespans dramatically — which is why the quality of the installation crew matters as much as the quality of the material.
Yes. All new roof installations carried out by Acorn Property Improvements come with a 10-year workmanship guarantee. This is confirmed in writing as part of your contract documentation — not a verbal assurance. In addition, all new roof installations are subject to a 14-day cooling-off period from the date the quotation is accepted, giving you full protection under the Consumer Contracts Regulations. If any aspect of the installation fails within the guarantee period through a workmanship issue, we return and rectify it at no cost to you. The materials we use also carry their own manufacturer warranties, which we will confirm as part of your quotation.
In the vast majority of cases, no. New roof installations are entirely external operations. You can continue living in the property throughout the installation. That said, there will be noise — stripping tiles, fixing battens and working from scaffolding are all relatively loud activities, particularly on the upper floors. If you have young children, elderly relatives or anyone who is sensitive to extended noise during the day, it is worth factoring this into your planning. There is no reason from a structural or safety perspective why you need to vacate. We will protect your loft insulation and any stored items in the loft space from debris and dust before the strip begins.
Roof replacement costs vary considerably depending on the size of the property, the pitch and complexity of the roof, the material specified, the condition of the existing timbers, and whether guttering, fascias or Velux windows are included in the scope. As a broad reference, a full re-roof on a three-bedroom semi-detached Cambridge property in concrete tile typically runs to several thousand pounds; natural slate on a larger detached property will be significantly higher. The only accurate figure is one based on a proper on-site survey and detailed measurement — which we provide free of charge. Call 01223 859867 to arrange your Cambridge survey or 01480 877624 for Huntingdonshire and surrounding areas.
Like-for-like roof replacement in the same or similar material generally falls within permitted development and does not require planning permission. However, Cambridge has extensive Conservation Areas — covering significant parts of the city centre, Newnham, Chesterton, Cherry Hinton and several villages — and there are numerous Listed Buildings throughout Cambridgeshire. Within these designations, changing the roofing material (for example, from clay plain tiles to concrete) may require prior approval from Cambridge City Council or South Cambridgeshire District Council. We check this as a standard part of our survey process and advise on any planning requirements before the quotation is issued. We never recommend a material change without first confirming it is permissible for your property.
Yes — a partial re-roof (replacing one slope, one section or one roof area while leaving adjacent areas intact) is a legitimate and often sensible approach where the rest of the roof is in sound condition. We carry out partial re-roofs regularly across Cambridgeshire, particularly where a rear or side slope has deteriorated faster than the front, or where an extension roof needs replacing independently of the main roof. We will assess whether a partial re-roof is appropriate and practical for your property during the survey, including advising on tile matching so the new section blends as closely as possible with the retained original covering.
Yes. Velux and other roof window installations are regularly included as part of a new roof installation — fitting them during the re-roof is the ideal time, as the surrounding area is already open, scaffolded and accessible. We install the window unit, the flashing kit appropriate to the tile or slate profile, and the internal lining tray, ensuring full weathertightness and compliance with the relevant British Standards. If you are considering adding a Velux window to a roof that is not being replaced, we can also carry out a standalone installation — discuss this with us at the survey stage.