The short answer
Repointing ridge tiles is enough when the bedding mortar underneath is sound and only the surface joints have cracked or eroded. If the tiles rock, the bedding crumbles or the ridge has shifted, repointing only hides the problem and the ridge needs re-bedding. MyBuilder's 2026 guide puts repointing a ridge or hip at £200 to £400 and re-bedding at £300 to £600.
What repointing a ridge actually repairs
Where two slopes meet at the apex, the capping tiles form the ridge. Each rests on a cushion of mortar, and the visible edge of that mortar, where it meets the tile, is the pointing. Over the years frost, sun and rain wear that edge back, and hairline cracks appear where the mortar has shrunk away from the tile.
Repointing rakes out the loose or crumbling surface mortar and fills the joint with fresh mix. It restores the weather seal at the edge and tidies the look. It does nothing for the mortar below, which is what actually holds the tile in place and keeps wind and rain from the roof space.
Think of it as a repair to the skin. If the structure beneath is healthy, a new skin is a sensible, modest job. If the structure is failing, a new skin simply covers it.
Signs the bedding underneath has failed
From the ground you can often spot the difference. Pointing that has cracked in a few places while the line of the ridge stays straight is a point-only fault. A ridge that dips, a tile tilted against its neighbours, or one with a visible gap beneath is something else.
On the roof, a roofer can tap and press each tile. A tile that rocks, clicks or lifts under light pressure is no longer held. Bedding that comes out as dust, sand or small crumbs when raked has lost its binder, and mortar that has dropped out entirely leaves daylight under the tile. In the loft, a trickle of sand on the ceiling boards or a damp patch below the ridge points to the same fault from inside.
Why it matters
Failed bedding gives the tile nothing to sit on. Fresh pointing laid over it looks fine for a season, then cracks again because the tiles beneath still move. We probe this early in any survey and photograph what comes out.
When repointing alone is a fair repair
Repointing is reasonable when every tile is firm to the touch, the ridge line is straight, and the mortar beneath is solid when probed. It suits a roof that has been bedded well in the past and has simply weathered at the joints. It can also be a sensible holding repair on a roof that is due for a full re-roof within a few years.
The standard has moved on, and that matters here. BS 5534:2014 treats mortar as insufficient by itself, and Marley's guidance reads that as mechanical fixings on every bedded ridge and hip tile. A ridge that was bedded before then may rely on mortar only. Repointing it does not add a fixing. If the tiles are firm and the roof is in a sheltered position, that may be acceptable; if the ridge is exposed or the tiles are heavy, we would say so in the survey notes and price the mechanical fixing as an option.
A repoint that leaves the ridge mortar-only is a repair to what is there, not an upgrade. We will tell you which one you are buying.
Repointing against re-bedding on cost
Treat these as national cost-guide figures, not a Supreme price list. MyBuilder's 2026 slate roof cost guide gives £200 to £400 for a ridge or hip repoint and £300 to £600 for re-bedding or replacing the tiles. Checkatrade's 2026 repair guide gives dry ridge at £50 to £70 per metre, excluding VAT.
| Job | Typical UK range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Repoint ridge or hip | £200 to £400 | MyBuilder, 2026 |
| Re-bed or replace ridge tiles | £300 to £600 | MyBuilder, 2026 |
| Dry ridge, per metre | £40 to £60 | MyBuilder, 2026 |
The gap between repointing and re-bedding is smaller than most people expect. Access, such as scaffold on a steep valley lane, often costs more than the mortar itself, so paying twice for access to repoint now and re-bed later can end up the dearer route. Our guide to re-bedding ridge tiles shows the full method, and once we have surveyed, our written quote covers scaffold, labour, materials and waste.
Who should decide, and how we help you decide
You do not have to judge the bedding yourself. A roofer can tell within minutes of getting onto the ridge, and a photograph taken close up shows you what they see: the crumbling mortar, the gap, the tile that moves. Your quote arrives with close-up photographs taken on your own roof, so the decision rests on evidence you can look at. Either way, you see what we saw before you agree to anything, and nothing is started on a guess.
If the tiles are firm and the pointing is the only fault, we will say that repointing is enough and price it that way. If the bedding has gone, we will say so and show you where. A loose or lifted tile is a different order of problem, and our answer on what to do when a ridge tile has fallen off covers it.
Sound pointing also keeps the ridge ready for a verge that has been fixed properly. If the gable edge is clicking or rattling while the ridge is quiet, see why a dry verge makes noise. For everything we do on ridges, hips and verges, start at our ridge, verge and dry-fix page. Work is backed by a 10-year workmanship guarantee, in writing.