Roofers in Berkhamsted

What does 173 High Street tell us about Berkhamsted roofs?

That some of the town's roofs sit on very old buildings indeed. Number 173 is listed Grade II*, and its list entry dates it "Late C13, altered C17, re-fronted C19", under a "steeply pitched roof in Welsh slate", now hipped on the right-hand side. Wikipedia goes further and calls it the oldest surviving jettied timber-framed building in Great Britain; that is an encyclopedia claim, not part of the listing.

The Chilterns Conservation Board's roofing guide uses a photograph of the same building to show "Early tiles", and other Berkhamsted photographs, among them a verge "poorly repaired with tile-and-a-half replacements" and a green roof. Elsewhere on the High Street, listed buildings have "old tiled roofs" at 82 to 86, an "old tiled roof" at 141 to 143 and a tiled roof at 296 to 298.

What does the Chilterns roofing guide ask of a Berkhamsted roof?

Plain clay tiles laid steep, with as much of the old roof saved as possible. Dacorum gave the Chilterns Buildings Design Guide and its roofing materials note supplementary planning guidance status on 25 September 2013, and Dacorum describes Berkhamsted as "surrounded by the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty".

The note says plain clay tiles are "universally predominant" in the Chilterns and were traditionally laid at 42.5° or 47.5°, with no less than 40° recommended. It says "it is often possible to salvage 75% of the original roofing", that machine-made tiles cannot match the texture of hand-made ones, and that existing slates should be reused when re-roofing. It warns against concrete tiles and cement-based mortars.

The guide dates from March 2007 and still uses the old AONB name, but Dacorum still lists it among its planning guidance. On a visit we sort and count the sound tiles before suggesting new ones, and we explain how any new tiles will be blended in.

Do Article 4 directions in Berkhamsted affect roofs?

None could be confirmed as covering roofs, although Dacorum uses Article 4 directions more in Berkhamsted than elsewhere. Its conservation strategy says the council has applied them "particularly in Berkhamsted". On Kitsbury Road, a committee report says the direction controls painting the outside of houses; the report on 5 Hamilton Road lists a direction for 1 to 4 Hamilton Road as a constraint. Both houses have pitched slate roofs. The full set of Berkhamsted directions could not be read for this page, so ask Dacorum about your address.

Dormers have their own rule. Dacorum's saved Local Plan, as quoted in the Hamilton Road report, says they "should be clad in materials similar in appearance to the existing roof". The conservation area holds 61 listed buildings, according to HeritageCheck, which draws on Historic England data, and the Chilterns guide is plain that roof additions need consent on listed buildings.

Which roofing jobs suit homes in Berkhamsted?

For Berkhamsted, the services that fit are roof repairs that reuse clay tiles and slate, chimney and leadwork repairs, and a roof inspection on an older or listed house before you buy or plan work. The town is covered by our Luton roofing team.

From the first call to a dry roof

1. You tell us what you can see

   A drip, a stain, a slate in the garden, a gutter that overflows. Phone 01582 377176 or send the form, and say whether water is coming in now.

2. We look at the roof

   From the ground, from a ladder where that is safe, and from inside the loft. We photograph what we find so you can see it too.

3. You get the options in writing

   What is wrong, what we would do about it and what it will cost, with any scaffolding, permissions and paperwork spelled out.

4. The work, then the proof

   We do the agreed job, show you photos of it finished and explain any certificate that applies to it.

Roofing in Berkhamsted: questions

Can a Berkhamsted verge be repaired without tile-and-a-half patches?

Yes. The Chilterns guide uses a Berkhamsted verge as its example of a poor repair, so we rebuild verges with tiles that match the roof and fix them mechanically, as BS 5534 now requires for verges.

Will I have to change concrete tiles to clay on a Berkhamsted re-roof?

No blanket rule to that effect could be confirmed, but the Chilterns guidance Dacorum adopted asks owners to consider clay. A change of material can also mean building regulations approval, so we set out both options and what each involves.

Does a listed Berkhamsted roof need consent for repairs?

Small like-for-like repairs usually do not, but alterations that affect the building's character do, and the Chilterns guide says listed building consent will be required for additions such as solar panels and sun pipes on listed roofs. Speak to Dacorum before anything beyond a small repair.

Sources and further reading

• 173, High Street, Berkhamsted
• Berkhamsted, Wikipedia (background only)
• Chilterns Buildings Design Guide Supplementary Technical Note: Roofing Materials, CCB, Mar 2007
• 82-86, High Street, Berkhamsted
• 141 and 143, High Street, Berkhamsted
• 296 and 298, High Street, Berkhamsted
• Additional Planning Guidance and Advice Notes, Dacorum Borough Council
• About Berkhamsted (Local Plan 2023 FAQs), Dacorum Borough Council
• Conservation Strategy 2014–2019, appendix 1, Dacorum Borough Council
• DMC 25-07-2019 Item 5g, 18 Kitsbury Road (4/00954/19/RET), Dacorum Borough Council
• Item 5f, 5 Hamilton Road (21/03794/FHA), Dacorum Borough Council
• Berkhamsted Conservation Area, heritagecheck.co.uk (Historic England data)
• More stringent roof fixing requirements now in force, 23 Mar 2016
• Building regulations: Re-roofing, Planning Portal, undated (© 2026)