The short answer
Re-flashing a chimney typically costs around £200–£600 for a straightforward stack with easy access, rising to roughly £700–£1,000 once scaffolding is needed on a two-storey house or an awkwardly placed stack. The job seals the chimney to the roof with a set of lead components — a front apron, stepped side flashings with soakers, and a back gutter — usually formed in Code 4 or Code 5 lead and dressed into re-cut mortar joints. Most re-flashes are completed in a day, with two roofers working at around £200–£300 a day. The main variables are the chimney's position, the height of the property, and whether scaffolding is required for safe access.
A chimney is one of the most common places leadwork fails, because it has so many joints to seal. The figures below are typical prices for guidance, not quotations.
Typical UK costs
- Chimney re-flash (easy access)£200–£600
- Re-flash + scaffolding~£700–£1,000
- Lead usedCode 4 / Code 5
- Timeoften one day
- Day rate (pair)£200–£300
What a proper re-flash covers
- Front apron: a lead piece dressed over the roof at the lower face of the chimney.
- Step flashing & soakers: stepped lead up each side, interleaved with soakers between the tiles or slates.
- Back gutter: a lead-lined gutter behind the stack that carries water around it.
- Re-pointing: the flashing is dressed into chased-out mortar joints and pointed in, so failed mortar is usually addressed at the same time.
Why scaffolding decides the price
The leadwork on a chimney is similar whether the stack is one storey or three — what changes is the access. A low single-storey stack might be reached from a tower, keeping the job at £200–£600, while a two-storey chimney needs a scaffold for safe working at height, and scaffold hire of £60–£150 a day pushes the total toward £700–£1,000. Beware a quote that is unusually low for a high stack — it may be planning to work off a ladder, which is not a safe platform for this work.
| Situation | Typical figure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single-storey, easy access | £200–£600 | tower access |
| Two-storey, scaffold needed | ~£700–£1,000 | includes scaffold hire |
| Mortar failed too | add re-pointing | often part of the job |
Indicative UK figures for guidance. Sources: Checkatrade and MyJobQuote chimney leadwork guides.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to re-flash a chimney?
Typically around £200–£600 for a stack with easy access, rising to roughly £700–£1,000 once scaffolding is needed on a two-storey house. Most re-flashes are completed in a day.
Why does chimney re-flashing vary so much?
Mainly access. The leadwork is similar on most stacks, but a two-storey or awkwardly placed chimney needs scaffolding, and scaffold hire of £60–£150 a day pushes the total up.
What does a chimney re-flash include?
A front apron, stepped side flashings with soakers, and a back gutter, usually in Code 4 or Code 5 lead, dressed into re-cut and re-pointed mortar joints.
Sources & further reading
Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published sources and depend on your specific roof. They are guidance, not a quotation.