Materials compared
Slate vs tile vs metal: which roof?
Concrete tile costs least (€90 to €135 a m²), then fibre cement slate (€110 to €165), natural slate (€150 to €230) and metal (€160 to €250) (RoofQuote.ie). Natural slate lasts longest by both Irish sources we checked.
- €9,000 to €14,000a new concrete tile roof on a two-storey semi, incl. VAT (RoofQuote.ie)
- €16,000 to €24,000the same house in natural slate (RoofQuote.ie)
- 3 to 10 daysfor most house roofs, weather allowing (BookMyRoofer.ie)
- 13.5% VATon roofing work on a house, not 23% (Revenue)
FreeNo obligationOne company rings you, not fiveNothing agreed until you accept a written price
Cost check
What a new roof costs for your size
Two taps: the material and roughly how big the roof is. The answer is a published Irish rate times your area.
Published rate × your roof area
€7,200 to €10,800
80 m² at RoofQuote.ie's published €90 to €135 a m² to replace a roof in concrete tile (VAT not stated). Our multiplication, not a quote. At BookMyRoofer.ie's €65 to €120 a m² installed, it's €5,200 to €9,600.
- RoofQuote.ie's whole-job price for a two-storey semi (a 60 to 80 m² roof) is €9,000 to €14,000 in concrete tile and €16,000 to €24,000 in natural slate, incl. VAT and scaffolding (RoofQuote.ie).
- Stripping and disposing of the old roof is published at €800 to €1,500 (RoofQuote.ie).
- Roofing work on a house is at the 13.5% VAT rate (Revenue). Ask whether the written price includes it.
How this is worked out
The roof area you pick, times RoofQuote.ie's published replacement rate a m² for that material. BookMyRoofer.ie's installed rates are shown next to it where it publishes one. The multiplication is ours. Rates read on 3 November 2026. The area is the slope of the roof, not the floor: a pitched roof is bigger than the house's footprint. The labels are rough guides; the roofer measures it. Chimneys, valleys, dormers, rotten timbers and access all move the price. It's an estimate, never a quote.
Prices
What each one costs
| Material | A m² (RoofQuote.ie) | A m² (BookMyRoofer.ie) | Two-storey semi, incl. VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete tile | €90 to €135 | €65 to €120 | €9,000 to €14,000 |
| Fibre cement slate | €110 to €165 | not given | €12,000 to €16,500 |
| Natural slate | €150 to €230 | €95 to €180 | €16,000 to €24,000 |
| Clay tile | not given | €85 to €150 | not given |
| Metal or zinc | €160 to €250 | not given | €12,000 to €20,000+ |
(RoofQuote.ie, BookMyRoofer.ie, RoofQuote.ie). RoofQuote.ie's semi prices include VAT and scaffolding; the m² rates don't say.
Lifespan
How long each one lasts
| Material | RoofQuote.ie | BookMyRoofer.ie |
|---|---|---|
| Natural slate | 80 to 100+ | 70 to 120 |
| Artificial (fibre cement) slate | 30 to 50 | not given |
| Concrete tile | 30 to 40 | 40 to 60 |
| Clay tile | not given | 50 to 80 |
| Metal or zinc | 60 to 80 | not given |
Years, as each publishes them (RoofQuote.ie, BookMyRoofer.ie). They don't always agree, and neither is a guarantee. What the written guarantee says is what counts.
Which suits
Which suits which house
- A 1970s to 2000s semi or bungalow with concrete tiles: concrete tile again costs least; fibre cement slate if you want a lighter, flatter look.
- A period house or anything already in natural slate: natural slate, re-using sound slates on the front where possible.
- A modern house, low pitch or extension: metal standing seam.
- An exposed coastal site: ask about the fixing spec. Slates and tiles each need more fixings in high wind areas.
See it first
A new roof on your own photo
Take a photo of the house from the road, pick natural slate, fibre cement slate or concrete tile, and see it finished before anyone quotes. Free, in under a minute.
- Upload a photo, or answer 4 questions.
- We pass it to one company that covers your county.
- They ring you with a written price.
Preview of your photo, not a guarantee. Your photo goes to Google's Gemini service to make the picture and isn't kept.
A photo that works
- Daylight, from the footpath or the garden.
- The whole roof in the shot, ridge to gutter.
- Straight on to the front, not up close.
- Never go up on the roof to take it.
Free quote
Get a price in 4 taps
Tap what you need and leave your number. It goes to one roofing company that covers your county, and they ring you back to arrange a look and a written price.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Which roof costs least in Ireland?
Concrete tile: €9,000 to €14,000 on a two-storey semi, incl. VAT (RoofQuote.ie).
Is slate better than tiles?
Natural slate lasts far longer and costs more. Fibre cement slate costs a little more than concrete tile and is lighter. Tiles are thicker and heavier.
What is the longest-lasting roof?
Natural slate: 80 to 100+ years by RoofQuote.ie, 70 to 120 by BookMyRoofer.ie (RoofQuote.ie, BookMyRoofer.ie).
Keep reading
Related guides
Where these numbers come from (1 public source, checked 3 November 2026)
Sources (4)
Prices and facts on this page were checked against these published pages. We are not connected to these businesses.
- RoofQuote.ie: roofquote.ie
- RoofQuote.ie: roofquote.ie
- BookMyRoofer.ie: bookmyroofer.ie
- BookMyRoofer.ie: bookmyroofer.ie