Lead roofing specialists covering Bath's Georgian and Victorian properties. Box gutters, step flashings, valley liners, bay window roofs. LSA specification, patination oil, listed building documentation.
Chimney trouble shows as damp on the breast inside, crumbling mortar, or a leak where the stack meets the roof. On Bath's soft stone stacks, eroded lime pointing and failed lead are the usual causes.
Damp staining on the chimney breast inside the house
Crumbling or missing mortar in the stack
A leak in the ceiling near the chimney
Loose or leaning pots
Vegetation growing from the stonework
When it is not the answer: If only the flaunching or a length of flashing has failed, you don't need a full rebuild — a targeted lime repair is far cheaper and keeps the original stack. Read the full guide.
Chimney lead weatherproofing: flashing, apron and back gutter
Lead Roofing Bath
Leadwork in Bath
Why Bath Uses More Lead Than Most UK Cities
Bath's Georgian and Regency terraces use lead extensively in ways not found in most UK residential housing — concealed box gutters behind stone parapets, lead flat sections on outbuildings, lead bay window roofs on Victorian additions, and dense step flashing and valley liner coverage on Victorian Welsh slate roofs. The city's architectural character creates a demand for lead roofing expertise that is specific to Bath.
Box Gutter Relining — Bath's Most Important Lead Job
Box gutter relining on Georgian Bath terraces is the most consequential lead job we carry out. When a box gutter liner fails — through fatigue cracking at oversized drip bays or through outlet blockage causing overflow — the water entry pathway into the building is rapid and often invisible until significant internal damage has occurred. We reline box gutters to Lead Sheet Association specification with Code 5 lead in maximum 1.5-metre bays, all outlets checked and cleared, and patination oil applied on completion.
Step Flashing and Valley Work on Bath Victorian Properties
Step flashings at chimney bases, dormer sides, and abutment walls on Bath's Victorian stock are the most common lead repair call. Original Code 3 or Code 4 lead installed in the Victorian period is now 100 to 140 years old — many of these flashings have been replaced at least once. When we replace step flashings on Bath Victorian properties we replace the soakers beneath them at the same time, since failed step flashings typically indicate soaker deterioration that will cause the same problem within 5 years if the soakers are left.
Bay Sizing — The Technical Standard That Matters
The LSA maximum bay size for lead flat roofing is 1.5 metres between drip joints. This limit exists because lead expands approximately 2mm per metre for every 10 degrees of temperature change. In a 1.5-metre bay with Bath's typical 40-degree seasonal differential, the total movement is 12mm — manageable within a correctly formed drip. We inspect and record bay sizes on every lead survey. Oversized bays are the single most common cause of premature lead failure on Bath properties.
Leadwork Costs in Bath
Step flashing repair (1–2m section): £200–£450 Full chimney re-flash: £500–£1,200 Lead valley reline (per metre): £80–£150 Box gutter reline (per metre): £90–£160 Bay window lead roof: £600–£1,800 Lead flat section (per sqm): £80–£140
For all leadwork in Bath call 0122 528 7924. Free assessment, no call-out fee. Listed building documentation as standard.
Reviews
Leadwork — Bath Homeowners
★★★★★
“Full box gutter reline on our listed Georgian terrace. Code 5 lead, correct bay sizing, patination oil applied. Documented for listed building files. Excellent.”
Victoria R. · Bathwick, Bath
★★★★★
“Step flashings and saddle replacement on our Camden Crescent property. Lead dressed to correct specification. First class workmanship.”
Harriet V. · Lansdown, Bath
★★★★★
“Lead valley reline on our Victorian semi. Old valley had three cracks. New Code 5, correctly lapped. No repeat problems after two winters.”
The most consequential maintenance task for Georgian Bath terrace owners is annual box gutter outlet inspection in late October, before the main leaf-fall from the canal-side and garden trees. A box gutter outlet blocked during heavy autumn rainfall causes rapid parapet overflow and top-floor ceiling damage within 30 to 60 minutes. A five-minute outlet inspection and clear prevents this. We offer this as a standing annual maintenance service for Georgian Bath terrace owners — call 0122 528 7924 to arrange.
Lead Condition Inspection Every 15 Years
Beyond annual outlet clearing, lead roofing on Bath period properties benefits from a physical condition inspection every 10 to 15 years. The inspection covers bay sizes and drip joint condition, upstand height and fixing condition, and any early-stage fatigue cracking before it has progressed to through-membrane failure. Early intervention — re-dressing a drip joint that is beginning to open — costs 150 to 300 pounds. Waiting until the joint has failed and water has been entering the building costs significantly more including remediation of any internal damage.
Listed Building Documentation
For listed Bath properties, all lead roofing work should be documented for the property's listed building file. The documentation should record the lead specification (code, bay sizes, upstand heights), the contractor, the date, and photographs of the completed installation. This documentation protects the owner in the event of any future planning inquiry and supports property sales where the buyer's solicitor requests a maintenance history. We provide this documentation as standard on all listed building leadwork — no additional charge.
The process
How a Bath Chimney Repairs Job Runs
1. Four-face survey
We inspect every face of the stack — the weather-facing sides erode faster than the one you see — and photograph the faults.
2. Written quote
We quote the repointing, flashing, flaunching or rebuild needed, using lime mortar for Bath's soft stone, at a fixed price.
3. Scheduling & access
We book the work and arrange the tower or scaffold access a stack needs for safe standing time.
4. The work
We rake out failed mortar, repoint in matched NHL lime, renew lead flashing and flaunching, and re-bed pots as needed.
5. Cleanup & sign-off
We clear debris, leave the stack weathertight, and hand over your guarantee.
Timescales
Job Durations at a Glance
Job
Typical duration
Re-flaunching / re-bed pots
Half a day
Lead flashing renewal
Half to full day
Stack repointing (lime)
1–2 days
Partial stack rebuild
2–3 days
Full stack rebuild
3–5 days
Lime mortar needs frost-free conditions to cure properly, so we schedule stack work around cold snaps in winter.
Access
Getting Safely onto Bath Roofs
Chimney work almost always needs a tower or scaffold for safe standing time at the ridge — itemised in your quote, never a hidden extra. Scaffold is specified for: nearly all stack work — safe access to the ridge is essential and always specified - always itemised in your written quote, never a hidden extra, and we arrange it.
Bath's Georgian and Victorian terraces mean tight pavements, controlled parking, and rear-access scaffold on many streets. Pavement scaffold and skip permits go through Bath & North East Somerset Council; allow a few working days on streets like Milsom Street, Broad Street, Margaret's Buildings where space is tight.
How many faces of the stack have failed (weather sides worst)
Access height and scaffold vs tower for safe standing time
Whether pots, flaunching and flashing all need renewal
Worked example: Repointing all four faces of a soft-stone stack in lime plus renewing the lead flashing on a Widcombe hillside terrace: around £900 including tower access.
No deposit on smaller chimney repairs. Staged payment on rebuilds, balance on completion — nothing before materials are on site. VAT included.
Covering BA1, BA2 and surrounding postcodes.
Guarantee
Your Guarantee, Explained
Chimney workmanship is guaranteed for 10 years, extending to rebuilds and full repointing; because we use correct NHL lime, the work lasts rather than damaging the stone as cement does.
Covered: workmanship for 10 years, in writing, transferable if you sell.
On top: manufacturer warranties on materials (terms vary by product).
Not covered: storm or impact damage - that is an insurance matter, and we will document it for your claim.
If a fault appears in covered work, we come back and put it right. No quibbling, no re-charge.
Good to know
What It Is Like While We Work
Stack work means access equipment up for a few days and some mess at the base — we sheet and protect below, and clear everything on completion. You do not need to stay home for external work - we just need power and access agreed in advance.
Lime pointing waits for frost-free weather to cure; we won't point a stack into a cold snap and risk the mortar failing. Bath's valley setting holds humidity, so north-facing slopes dry slowly and moss builds up through autumn.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Box gutter lining and relining, step and cover flashings, valley liners, bay window lead roofs, parapet flashings, lead saddles, soakers, and flat lead sections on Georgian and Victorian properties across Bath.
Step flashing repair: £200–£450. Full chimney re-flash: £500–£1,200. Valley reline (per metre): £80–£150. Box gutter reline (per metre): £90–£160. Bay window lead roof: £600–£1,800. Free quotes for all lead work.
Code 5 for box gutters, valley liners, bay tops, flat sections and saddles. Code 4 for step flashings and soakers. Code 6 for larger flat areas. We specify the correct code for every application — never under-spec to reduce cost.
Yes. All listed building lead work is carried out to specification and documented for conservation files. We advise on listed building consent requirements where relevant.
The most common cause is thermal fatigue from oversized bays — lead in a bay wider than 1.5 metres moves further under thermal cycling than the drip joint can accommodate, causing buckling and cracking. The second cause is outlet blockage on box gutters causing overflow through parapets.
Patination oil is applied to new lead immediately after installation to control the initial oxidation phase. In Bath's above-average humidity environment it prevents lead carbonate runoff that can stain Bath stone and cause mortar compatibility issues. We apply patination oil to all new lead work in Bath as standard.
Correctly specified Code 5 lead in correctly sized bays lasts 60 to 100 years. Some of Bath's Georgian crescents still have original 18th-century lead. Premature failure is almost always from incorrect specification rather than material degradation.
Get In Touch
Free Leadwork Quote — Bath
No call-out fees. No obligation. Free assessment and written quote before work starts.
