Weather and timing

Can roofers work in the rain or in winter?

Rain, cold and wind each change what a roofer can safely and properly do. Below: when work stops, how an opened roof is kept closed, and what to agree first.

The short answer

Yes, roofers can work in light rain and in winter, within limits. The job stops when the weather makes the roof unsafe to stand on, or stops a product setting as its maker says it must. A roof that has been opened should be covered before anyone leaves, so a night shower does not reach your ceilings. Wind is a harder limit than drizzle, and a written start window works better than a fixed date.

4 min read · Part of Roofing in Folkestone

A hipped red-tile roof on a white-rendered bungalow — A pitched roof stripped in sections and sheeted over

What makes a roofer stop work

A roof is a sloping surface, and rain, frost and wind each take something away from the person on it. The reasons to stop are specific, so it is fair to ask which one applies on the day.

A wet or frosty surface is slippery, and a ladder or scaffold board that has iced over is no place to carry a tile.
A strong gust can lift a sheet, a roll of membrane or a tile out of someone's hands, and can shift a ladder.
Some products, such as adhesives, sealants and single-ply membranes, only set as intended in the dry and above a stated temperature. The maker's data sheet sets that limit, and the roofer works to it.
Poor light on a short winter afternoon makes careful details, such as flashings, harder to judge.

Drizzle on a pitched roof is one thing, and a gale is another. A roofer can carry on tiling in drizzle, then stop when the wind rises. The decision belongs to the person on the roof, and a careful one does not push on to meet a date.

Keeping an opened roof closed overnight

In wet weather the risk is to an opened roof. Once the old covering is off, a sheet is all that stands between your loft and the next shower. The sensible method is to strip a section that can be recovered before dark, sheet it, tie the sheeting down at the edges and leave the roof closed.

That plan matters because forecasts shift. In the Great Storm of 1987 the Met Office reports a ferry in the Channel ending up ashore near Folkestone, with Force 11 winds (56 to 63 knots) across many parts of the south-east coast. Nobody plans a roof around a storm like that, but a loose sheet is easy work for a gale.

On the survey we agree how the roof will be stripped in sections and what happens if the weather turns halfway through. If water does get in, take pictures of the wet area before you tidy up, and write down the time you noticed it. Those pictures are worth having for a later conversation with an insurer or a council.

Fixings do not wait for good weather

A covering has to hold once it is on, whatever the weather does that night. BS 5534 sets out how slates and tiles should be fixed. Marley points out that following it is not a legal requirement, yet its 2015 changes meant a bed of mortar could no longer be the only thing holding the covering down.

Exposure sets how many fixings a roof needs. Cupa, which makes slate, says a building is graded with higher exposure when it sits on high ground, a hillside or the coast, or is a tall building. So the fixing specification is worked out for your site, not copied from the last job.

Weather and what it means for the job
Weather on the day	What a careful roofer does
Light rain, little wind	Carries on where the surface is safe and the product allows it
Heavy rain	Stops, closes the open area, and tells you
Frost or ice	Waits until the surface is safe and the product's limits are met
Strong wind	Stops lifting and carrying, and secures loose material

What to agree before the start date

Weather delays are normal, so settle how they will be handled before the first tile comes off. Ask for these in writing, alongside the one total price:

Who decides when weather stops the job, and how you will be told.
A start window in place of a single fixed date.
How the roof will be covered whenever work pauses.
Whether scaffold stays in the quote if the job runs longer than planned.

That last point has a cost behind it. Kent County Council charges £52 per week for a scaffolding permit in 2026 to 2027, and East Sussex Highways lists £127 for 28 days. Kent County Council wants any renewal in 5 working days or more ahead of the new period, so a slipping job needs its licence dates watched, and a named person to phone if the sheeting moves in the night. We arrange the licence with our scaffolder. The scaffolding page sets out the licence fees, and the page on paying upfront covers deposits before a start date. Back to roofing in Folkestone for the full list of work.