When a temporary roof is worth it, and when it is not
A temporary roof adds cost to a scaffold. On some jobs it saves far more than it costs. Here is how to tell which one you are looking at.
A temporary roof is a covered structure built over the top of the scaffold, so the work underneath carries on whatever the weather does. It is an extra structure with its own design, so it is an extra cost. On the right job it is the cheapest part of the project.
Jobs where it usually pays for itself
- Full re roofs. Once the tiles and felt are off, the building is open. A week of rain into an open roof does damage to ceilings, plaster and insulation that costs more than the cover did.
- Loft conversions and dormers. The roof is opened up and stays open while structural work happens. Sheeting alone rarely holds for that long.
- Structural alterations at roof level. Anything where the programme cannot simply pause for a wet week.
- Winter work. Shorter days and more rain mean more lost days, and lost days on a fixed price job are lost money for someone.
Jobs where it is usually unnecessary
- Gutter and fascia replacement, where the roof covering itself stays on.
- Chimney repointing, unless the stack is being taken down and rebuilt.
- Rendering and painting, where you are working on the walls rather than opening the roof.
What a proper temporary roof involves
It is designed to fit the property rather than draped over it, using materials rated to take wind and rain over a long period. It is planned, erected and inspected as part of the scaffold, not added on afterwards, because it changes the loading on the structure underneath.
The question worth asking
Work out what a fortnight of rain into the building would cost you, in materials, in drying out, and in trades standing around. Compare that with the price of the cover. On most re roofing jobs the answer is not close.
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