Affording Roof Repairs in the Cost-of-Living Crisis

Keeping your roof in good repair is vital. Besides the potential for serious damage to your home if water gets in, a damaged roof can send your energy bills rocketing, and it will significantly reduce your home’s value when you come to sell.

That’s all very well, but money’s in short supply for many people during the cost-of-living crisis. Fortunately, help may be available through one of several government grant programmes.

Grants for Roof Repairs

Roof repairs can be expensive. A new roof can be typically around £5,000-£6,000, but it will vary considerably depending on the property’s size and the materials. If you don’t have enough funds to cover repairing and maintaining your roof, and you can’t obtain a big enough loan, you don’t have to suffer from a damaged roof. There are still options available.

A number of government grants are available to help you pay for repairing or replacing your roof, depending on income, property type and whether you have a disability. A good roofing company will be able to advise you in general terms of what’s available, and Empire can certainly do this.

Types of Grants Available

There are various types of qualifications for roofing grants, but the main ones are:

• Age and disability — Some schemes are only available to people aged over 60, while the Disabled Facilities Grant, available if someone in the household has a disability, may include work on the roof.
• Income — Some grants, such as the Home Repair Assistance Grant, is only available if your income is below a certain level.
• Council Tax band — In the same way, some of these grants require your home to fall within certain Council Tax bands in order for your application to be considered.
• Energy efficiency — Your roof plays a major role in keeping your property energy efficient, and a number of grants focus on this goal. These may be available if you can show that having the work done will reduce your carbon footprint.

Applying for a Grant

Before you apply for a roofing grant, you’ll need to check that you’re eligible for the grant you’re aiming for — a good roofing company such as Empire may be able to help you with this. You’ll also need to make sure you have all the relevant documentation and an estimate of how much the repairs are likely to cost.

You’ll need to contact your local authority, or else a relevant non-profit organisation, to make sure the grant you want is available. They may require a survey before considering the application.

It’s vital, as always, that you use an expert roofing company that fully guarantees their work. If you try to cut corners, you’re not only likely to end up with substandard work, but also your grant application may be rejected.

For top-class roofing work, whether or not you’re applying for a grant, give Empire a call to find out what we can do for your roof.