Lead flashing is the most frequently under-specified roofing element and the most common cause of unexplained ceiling damp in Devon. This guide covers honest Devon pricing for every lead work scenario. Free survey. Call 01392 759 295.
Prices are based on typical Devon jobs in 2025. Fixed quotes issued after free survey. All scaffold costs included as line items. No hidden extras.
| Job Type | Typical Cost | What’s Included |
|---|---|---|
| Single flashing repair, minor crack (sealant) | £80–£200 | Small cracks on sound lead can be sealed with a compatible bituminous compound. Appropriate where the lead is otherwise sound and undamaged. |
| Step flashing replacement, chimney stack (1 side) | £250–£450 | Code 4 lead, stainless clips, mortar tuck. One side of a standard chimney stack. |
| Full chimney flashing replacement (step, apron, back gutter) | £700–£1,400 | Complete lead installation on all faces of a chimney stack. Code 4 step and apron, code 5 back gutter. Most common comprehensive lead job in Devon. |
| Valley replacement, code 5 lead (per 3m) | £400–£800 | Open lead valley replacement, tiles stripped both sides, new code 5 lead formed, tiles reinstated. Welded bay ends. |
| Lead back gutter only (flat gutter behind chimney) | £300–£600 | Code 5 lead, formed to correct fall, welded joints. Most commonly fails silently before step flashings show visible distress. |
| Flat roof perimeter flashing (per 3m) | £200–£400 | Upstand and cover flashing to flat roof perimeter at abutment with wall. Code 4 minimum. |
| Secret gutter (historic Devon stock, per 3m) | £600–£1,200 | Traditional hidden valley construction on Devon period properties. Labour-intensive; requires careful tile removal and reinstatement. |
Code 4 (1.80mm) for step and apron flashings. Code 5 (2.24mm) for back gutters and valleys. Under-specifying code reduces material cost by £50–£150 but halves the service life. We specify correctly as standard.
Stainless clips rather than mortar tuck alone on exposed faces. Clips prevent lead from pulling free under thermal expansion. Included as standard in all our Devon lead work.
Many lead quotes omit the back gutter from the scope even when it is at the same age and condition as the step flashings. We always inspect and quote the back gutter as part of a full chimney assessment.
Two-storey chimney access requires scaffold. Scaffold cost for a single chimney stack: £400–£700. Included as a fixed line item in every quote.
Applied to all new installations. Accelerates protective patina formation and extends the lead’s service life by reducing the oxidation cycle speed.
All prices are guide figures. Fixed quotes are issued after a free survey of the specific job. No call-out fee. No obligation.
📞 Call 01392 759 295 for a Free Survey“Full chimney lead. Code 5 back gutter, code 4 step flashings, stainless clips. No damp since.”
“They insisted on inspecting the back gutter as part of the quote. Found it had failed silently. Correct approach.”
“Valley replacement, code 5 with welded bay ends. They explained why welded joints matter. Good technical knowledge.”
Step flashings from £250 per side. Full chimney lead: £700–£1,400. Valley: £400–£800. Free survey. Call 01392 759 295.
Code 4 (1.80mm) is correct for step and apron flashings. Code 5 (2.24mm) is required for back gutters and valleys where standing water is present. Code 3 is under-specified for any of these applications in Devon.
A single crack on sound lead can be sealed. Lead over 50 years old, previously patched, or with multiple cracks warrants full replacement. Three patch repairs typically cost as much as replacement.
It should be — it is typically at the same age and condition as the step flashings and should be assessed and quoted as part of the complete chimney lead installation. We always include it in our assessment.
Yes — stainless steel clips are standard on all our Devon lead work. Mortar tuck alone is not adequate on exposed chimney faces.
40–60 years correctly specified (code 4 or 5). Code 3 fails in 15–25 years in Devon’s thermal cycling climate.
Yes — 10-year workmanship guarantee on all lead work. Call 01392 759 295.
The back gutter is the horizontal lead channel behind a chimney stack, running from one side of the stack to the other at the base of the upslope face. It collects all the water running down the slope above the stack and diverts it around the stack to the valley or eaves below. The back gutter carries the highest water load of any element in the chimney lead system, is made from the heaviest lead (code 5 minimum), and is the element most frequently excluded from lead repair quotes. A chimney with failing step flashings and a sound-looking back gutter from the front view may have a completely failed back gutter that is invisible from the ground. We always inspect the back gutter during every Devon chimney lead assessment and quote it as a confirmed scope item.
New lead installed in Devon does not develop its characteristic grey patina immediately — fresh lead is silver-white and produces lead carbonate run-off during the first rainy seasons as the oxidation process begins. This run-off can stain masonry and guttering. More importantly, during the period before the protective patina forms, the lead surface is more vulnerable to thermal fatigue at fold points. Patination oil, applied to all new lead surfaces at the completion of every Devon installation, accelerates the formation of the protective patina — reducing run-off staining and shortening the period of increased fatigue vulnerability. We apply patination oil as standard on all Devon lead work at no additional cost.
The typical lead patch repair in Devon costs £80–£200 and provides 3–7 years of deferred failure. Lead that has been patched once has demonstrated that it is fatigued — the cracking at fold points that required the first patch will progress to adjacent fold points as the thermal cycling continues. By the third patch, the cumulative repair cost typically exceeds £400–£600 and the lead is still not sound. Full chimney lead replacement at £700–£1,400 provides 40–60 years of service with a 10-year workmanship guarantee. We present both options honestly at every Devon lead survey and give a clear cost-per-year comparison that makes the relative value of each approach transparent.
Free survey across Exeter and Devon. Fixed price quote. No call-out fee. 10-year guarantee.
01392 759 295