Roof Tiling and Slating for New Build Housing

Tile and slate are the visible part of a roofing package, but on a housing scheme their commercial consequences go well beyond appearance: fixing labour, programme rate, supply continuity across phases and long-term performance. Globe Roofing installs tile and slate systems on new build developments across the East of England and the Midlands, to manufacturer specification and to the same standard on every plot.

Tiling and slating sits within our new build development roofing division, priced plot by plot and delivered to NHBC, LABC and Premier standards alongside the rest of the roofing package.

Concrete, clay and slate on housing schemes

Concrete interlocking tiles dominate volume new build because they are cost-effective at scale, available in consistent sizes from several suppliers and well understood by installation crews. They also install fastest, because the overlap is generous and each tile covers a large area. Clay plain tiles and pantiles are generally specified where a scheme needs a traditional appearance, often in conservation areas. Plain tiles are the slowest to lay because each tile is small and the coursing more demanding. Natural and synthetic slate sit at the premium end, and fall between the two on programme rate.

Manufacturer specification and fixing

Each material brings a different fixing requirement. Concrete interlocking tiles typically take mechanical fixings at perimeter and exposure zones, with the central body relying on the interlock. Clay plain tiles need nail or peg fixings on every course, a larger labour input. Slate fixings depend on slate size and exposure, with double-nailing or hook fixing common on exposed sites. All of it is set by the manufacturer's project-specific fixing specification and the site's wind load calculation under BS 5534, covered in detail on our felt, batten and fixing specification page.

Supply continuity across phases

Supply is the factor most often underestimated. Concrete tiles from major UK manufacturers arrive at volume on predictable lead times. Specialist clay products from smaller suppliers can take months, and substitution mid-scheme is rarely simple because the visual match between phases matters. If a later phase cannot be supplied at the rate the programme needs, either the programme slips or a substitution leaves those plots visibly different. Our pre-start process confirms the tile specification against supply for the full scheme duration, and where that check has not been made we recommend alternatives before the order is placed. Our guide to tile selection on UK housing schemes sets out the questions developers and QSs should be asking.

Setting out and plot-by-plot consistency

On a development, a detail done wrongly once is repeated on every plot of that type. We agree a single specification at the outset, covering tile system, felt and batten grade, fixing schedule and ventilation details, and every plot is priced, briefed and checked against that document whichever gang is on site. Consistent setting out avoids the mismatched coursing across adjacent terraces and the shade differences between phases that inspectors and buyers notice. Where Globe Cambridge provides the scaffold, tile loading platforms are sized for the drops before our gangs arrive. Verges and ridges are finished with dry fix systems as standard.

Wind exposure and tile choice

Tiles differ in wind uplift performance. A tile chosen for appearance that performs marginally in a site's wind zone needs a heavier fixing schedule, which adds labour and may still leave a marginal position. For a QS negotiating the specification, showing how the chosen tile interacts with programme, supply and fixing tends to land better than the aesthetic argument.

Approving a tile or slate specification on a development? Contact Globe Roofing, email enquiries@theglobegroup.co.uk or call 01223 890727.