How much does it cost to replace lead flashing around a chimney?

By Charlie the Roofer for Roofline · Published 24 October 2026 · Checked against the sources listed below

What do published guides say it costs?

Most UK cost guides put a full replacement of chimney lead flashing between about £350 and £1,000, and scaffolding decides which end of that range you land at.

• Checkatrade puts a patch repair of existing flashing at £250 without scaffolding or £600 with it. Replacing all four sides costs £525 without scaffolding or £1,000 with it.
• MyJobQuote, updated in September 2026, gives an average of about £570 for a full replacement within a range of £350 to £920. That splits into £350 to £460 where no scaffold is needed and £700 to £920 where it is.
• HaMuch lists £460 for a full replacement without scaffolding and £1,000 with it, excluding VAT. Its Wakefield page, updated in September 2026, shows local flashing replacement prices from £637 to £1,525, also before VAT.
• Trade2base gives £200 to £600 for the flashing around a single chimney and £400 to £900 or more for a full re-lead. Its repair guide puts a four-sided replacement with soakers and a back gutter at £600 to £1,500 before scaffold, with Northern England at the lower end.

HaMuch notes that a VAT-registered roofer adds 20% to ex-VAT prices. When you compare quotes, ask each roofer to price the scaffold separately from the leadwork and to say whether VAT is included.

Why does scaffolding make such a difference?

Scaffolding matters because safe access to the stack can cost as much as the lead itself. On Checkatrade's figures it adds £475 to a four-sided job. MyJobQuote says it adds £300 to £500 overall, and Trade2base budgets £800 to £1,500 for a chimney-only scaffold on a standard two-storey house.

In a Trade2base worked example, a stack on the rear pitch of a two-storey semi needed a £750 scaffold lift, which brought a full re-lead to about £1,530 before margin and VAT. The same chimney with easy access might come in at £450 to £600.

Trade2base prices a scaffold tower to chimney height at £300 to £700, against £600 to £1,500 for a full scaffold lift around a two-storey chimney. A stack on a tall Victorian terrace, or above a narrow back yard, is more likely to need the full lift.

Is it the flashing or another part of the chimney?

It may not be the flashing, because damp beside a chimney breast can also come from the pointing, porous brick or stone, cracked flaunching on top of the stack, or condensation inside the flue. Bradford Council's chimney guidance lists both rain and condensation as causes of damp in chimneys and says sound stone, mortar and flashings keep rain out.

These checks help narrow it down without anyone going on the roof:

• From the ground, look at where the stack meets the roof. Lead that has lifted out of its mortar joint, or a piece that has torn away, is a strong sign.
• Look at the top of the stack. The flaunching is the cement-rich mortar that holds the pots in place, and Bradford Council notes that it decays quickly.
• Open or crumbling pointing on the stack lets rain soak into the masonry above the lead.
• In the loft, use a torch on the timbers and felt where the stack passes through. Wet wood after rain points to the junction with the roof.
• If the fireplace is blocked up and the pot is capped, condensation is a possibility. Bradford's guide says flues stay drier when they are open and ventilated top and bottom.

If the fault turns out to be flaunching or pointing, that is chimney repair work rather than leadwork. Our guides to finding a roof leak and damp patches on ceilings cover these checks in more depth.

What should a full re-lead include?

A full re-lead should renew every piece of lead around the stack and fix it into the mortar joints, with nothing relying on sealant. Trade2base describes the scope as lead on all four sides with soakers and a back gutter:

• Front apron across the downhill face of the stack.
• Step flashings down each side, cut to follow the courses and lapping over soakers that tuck under the tiles or slates.
• Back gutter on the uphill side, where water running down the roof meets the stack.
• Chased-in fixings, which Trade2base says should sit in chases at least 25mm deep, with lead wedges at 450mm centres and a mortar finish.

Trade2base gives Code 4 (1.80mm) to Code 5 (2.24mm) as the rule of thumb for chimney flashings, and Northern Ireland's Historic Environment Division notes that Code 4 is the most commonly used lead for soakers and cover flashings. Ask which code a quote allows for.

If you have a stain by the chimney breast, send Roofline a photo of the stack taken from the ground, or of the loft, on WhatsApp on 07413 797731. You can also book a free inspection. Roofline sends photos of what it finds and gives a free itemised quote for leadwork and flashings.

Sources

1. Checkatrade: Find leadwork near me (leadwork costs)
2. MyJobQuote: Cost of replacing leadwork on a chimney (updated 22 September 2026)
3. HaMuch: Replace flashing and leadwork cost, Redcar and Cleveland
4. HaMuch: Replace flashing and leadwork cost, Wakefield (rates updated 19 September 2026)
5. Trade2base: Lead flashing costs UK (June 2026)
6. Trade2base: Leadwork and flashing repair pricing UK (June 2026)
7. Bradford Council: Chimneys, a homeowner's guide for conservation areas
8. Department for Communities NI (Historic Environment Division): Technical note, chimneys, flues and hearths

General information about roofing in England, checked against the sources above when published. It is not a substitute for advice about your own roof.