Insuring and claiming for a stone roof

Buildings insurance is normally set by the cost of rebuilding the house, not by its market value. For a home with a Cotswold stone roof the two numbers can sit far apart, because the covering is a specialist material laid by hand. A 2026 cost guide from Checkatrade for slate roofs shows stone slate at roughly £160 to £210 per m². The rate shifts with the quarry, with fresh stone against second-hand, and with the region, and the guide is not about the Cotswolds as such, but it gives a sense of scale beside an ordinary tiled roof.

Weight adds to the picture. Cotswold District Council's 2000 technical guidance gives about 1,000 kg for every 10 m² of stone slates, so a full re-lay means heavy scaffold, careful handling and a stone supply that has to be arranged ahead of time. If your sum insured came from a generic online calculator, ask whether it allows for matching stone. A roof insured as though it were concrete tile could leave a gap between the settlement and the bill.

Wind can lift or shift stone slates, and a falling branch can crack several at once. MyBuilder's 2026 roof repair guide places storm damage fixes at roughly £500 to £1,500 for a typical job, although that is a national guide and a stone roof needing tall scaffold can run higher. First of all, a leaking roof has to be made safe, which is why leaks and storm damage get our attention first.

Photograph the slopes from wherever you can safely stand, keep any broken pieces that land in the garden, and note the date and the weather. Then call your insurer before arranging a full repair, as many policies set conditions about emergency works and about who may be used. Temporary protection, such as a tarpaulin or a lead patch, is a different job from re-laying a slope, and it is sensible to ask the insurer beforehand what it will accept as evidence of the cost. Some insurers want a quote before approving the work, so ask whether a written quote from us would meet that need.

Gradual damage is treated differently

Ask your insurer in advance how it defines a storm, and whether a lost slate in ordinary weather counts. The answer can decide whether a small repair is yours to pay for or theirs.

A sudden event such as a storm is usually easier to claim for than slow deterioration. Policies commonly exclude wear and tear, so a clear record of how the roof was kept helps your case.

Stone slates hold a value on the second-hand market. The council's guide links demand for old stone with the stripping of historic buildings, sometimes through theft. If slates have been taken from your roof, report it to the police and your insurer, and be ready to describe the slope, the sizes involved and the date you last saw the roof whole. Dated photographs help enormously, and so does a neighbour's recollection of when the slope last looked complete. Keep any crime reference number safely, because the insurer will ask for it, and do not rely on remembering which gable was affected when the question comes weeks later.

Prevention is a separate subject, and our answer on protecting your roof from stone slate theft covers it. For a claim, the key point is to describe the loss by course and length where you can. Our page on the slate names sets out the vocabulary a loss adjuster may meet.

Policy wording varies, and we cannot advise on any particular insurer. The questions below are worth putting to yours before you have a loss, not after.

• Does the policy cover repair or replacement with like-for-like stone, or only an equivalent covering?
• Is the building listed, or in a conservation area, and does the policy allow for the extra cost of repairs that must follow planning rules?
• Are gradual causes such as wear and tear excluded, and how does the insurer treat a roof that has not been maintained?
• Does the policy set conditions on who carries out the work?

The wear and tear point deserves attention. A roof that has been scraped, checked and mended as it went is easier to argue for than one left alone. Our answer on consent for a stone re-roof shows where planning applies if the damage is large enough to need a full re-lay.

The strongest claim comes from a roof whose condition is already on file. A survey with photographs of each slope, taken outside and from inside the loft, shows what was there and in what state. MyBuilder's 2026 guide to roof inspections gives a range of about £150 to £500 for a survey. If your insurer asks for evidence of upkeep, a dated report and the receipts from yearly scraping or repairs make the case plain. Our answer on scraping moss off a stone roof explains the routine.

Each survey of ours is photographed, and the quote sent afterwards covers the scaffold, strip-out, stone, labour and waste, which gives an adjuster something to test. Where work is needed, our workmanship carries a ten-year written guarantee. See our Cotswold stone roofing page for the work itself.