Ask what a dry ridge costs and the answer is a range, then a shrug. That is not evasion. A ridge is a straight line along the top of the roof, but the work depends on how long that line is, how high it is off the ground, what tiles are on the roof and what condition the old ridge is in.
Published cost guides help you judge whether a quote sits within reason, but none of them prices your own house. Which? and MyJobQuote both give ridge figures, and they are different kinds of figure: one prices fitting a single tile, the other prices replacing a ridge. Neither is a price for a dry system on a particular roof.
This guide sets out those figures with their sources and dates, explains the factors that decide where a job lands and shows what to ask any firm that quotes. It sits under our dry ridge and dry verge service and is for homeowners comparing a dry ridge with a mortar re-bed.
What a dry ridge price actually buys
A dry ridge is a kit and a labour job. The kit is the set of parts that hold the ridge tiles without a mortar bed, and the labour is stripping the old ridge, preparing the line and fixing the new system along the whole length.
The parts
A dry ridge includes a batten fixed to the ridge timber, clips or brackets that hold the tiles, stainless steel fixings, a flexible sealing roll along the joints and end caps. Some rolls allow air to pass, which helps ventilate the loft. The ridge tiles themselves are either the existing ones, re-used, or new ones to match.
The work
The old ridge tiles are lifted, the mortar is chipped off and taken away, and the top courses of roof tiles are checked and re-fixed where loose. The new system is laid along the full length of the ridge and the end caps are fitted. The gutters are cleared at the finish, so mortar debris cannot block them later, and the waste leaves with us.
What it does not usually include
A dry ridge price does not normally cover other repairs found at the same time, such as broken roof tiles, failed flashings or rotten battens, unless the survey has already found them and they are written into the price. If we find extra work on the day, we stop and explain before anything is added.
Why photographs matter to cost
Most of the arguments about ridge prices come from not seeing the same thing. A photograph of the bed, the fixings and the tile ends gives you and the firm one set of facts to talk about, and it lets a second opinion work from the same evidence.
Our short answer on how long it takes to fit a dry ridge gives the typical working pattern, which also shapes the cost.
The published ranges, with dates
Two national sources give ridge figures that are worth knowing.
Which?
The consumer organisation's survey of Trusted Traders, gathered in November 2025, puts a new ridge tile at £80 to £300. Those figures are for one job, and they exclude VAT, though they include labour and materials. That makes it a repair figure for a small number of tiles, not a price for a whole run.
MyJobQuote
MyJobQuote's page on replacing roof ridge tiles, last updated on 1 October 2026, gives ridge replacement at between £225 and £550. The page is for ridge tile replacement in general, and it does not say how much of that is a dry system.
Dry verge, for comparison
For the gable's sloping edge, MyJobQuote says a dry verge system usually falls between £500 and £2,000 (8 October 2026). Our dry verge cost guide covers that.
How to use the figures
Treat them as typical UK ranges, from national guides and not local firms. A two-storey semi in Andover with a short ridge and a clear front drive can sit in a different place to a long detached roof with a steep pitch and a tight side access. Do not multiply a per-tile figure by the number of tiles on your roof to guess a total, because the job is not priced that way. The survey is what turns a range into a price.
Length, pitch and the shape of the roof
The longer the ridge, the more tiles, batten and sealing roll are needed, and the more time is spent on the roof. That is the simplest driver and the one you can estimate yourself by looking at the house.
Straight runs and junctions
A plain gable-to-gable ridge is the simplest. A hipped roof adds hip lines meeting the ridge, and a roof with several wings adds more junctions. Each junction needs a special piece or a careful cut, so a complicated roof takes longer than its length suggests.
Pitch
A steep roof is slower and harder to work on, and it may need extra safety measures such as roof ladders and edge protection. A shallow roof is easier to move around on, but the ridge is often hidden from the ground, which makes assessing it harder without a survey.
Tile type
The tile profile and the age of the roof matter. A modern interlocking concrete tile has a matching dry ridge kit in common colours. An older clay or handmade tile may need cutting to suit or a custom match, and some historic profiles need a different kind of bedding. We check the tile before suggesting a kit.
Existing condition
If the old ridge was well bedded and straight, stripping it is quick. If tiles have cracked, the line has dipped or the timber beneath has rotted, the preparation takes longer. Photographs from the survey show exactly what we found.
Access, scaffold and the highway
Reaching a ridge safely is part of the job, and it can swing a quote a long way. A bungalow with a low eaves line can be done from a ladder and a roof ladder. A house of two storeys will normally need either a tower or full scaffolding along the eaves.
When the scaffold stands on the road or footway
Under the Highways Act 1980 s169 the highway authority must grant a scaffold licence before scaffolding obstructs the highway. For Andover addresses that authority is Hampshire County Council, and its rules make the scaffolding firm, not the householder, responsible for applying. Hampshire County Council charges £211.90 on application for the first 2 weeks, then £72 for each further 2-week period, and the application must go in ten clear working days ahead. No licence is involved where the scaffold stands entirely off the highway, on your drive or a private road.
Access tight spots
A narrow side passage, a conservatory in the way, parked cars or a steep garden can add time. We ask about all of these when you get in touch, and the survey records them with photographs. A short answer on scaffolding for ridge or verge work goes through when it is needed.
Checking your quote
Ask whether the figure includes any scaffold and VAT. Which? gives its figures without VAT, and the standard rate added on top is 20%. A quote that leaves out access can look cheap and then grow, so read what the total covers before you compare two of them.
Dry ridge or re-bed: which costs more
Owners often assume a dry system is the expensive option and mortar the cheap one. The comparison is less simple than that, and the right comparison is over the life of the roof.
What re-bedding involves
Re-bedding lifts the ridge tiles, cleans the old mortar from them, bedding them again in fresh mortar and adding mechanical fixings so that mortar is not the only thing holding them. It uses less new material when the tiles are sound, and the look of the original roof stays. Our guide on re-bedding ridge tiles covers when it is enough.
What dry-fix involves
A dry system costs more for the parts and a little more in time, because the batten and clips are fitted along the entire run. In return, the ridge is held on mechanically and does not rely on mortar bonding. It can move with the roof, and it does not shed crumbs into the gutter.
How to decide
If the ridge is sound and straight, a mortar re-bed with fixings can be the best buy. If tiles have split, the line has sagged or you have had repeated repairs, a dry system tends to be the cleaner answer. A survey tells you which of those you have, and we describe both options in the note you receive.
Why a cheap quote can cost more
A low price that skips fixings or leaves old mortar in place may fail again within a few winters. The cost of a second repair, plus a second scaffold, changes the sum.
How to compare quotes and get one price
Citizens Advice's own guidance is to collect written quotes from at least 3 different traders before you decide. That is easy to follow for a ridge, because the work can be described clearly and measured by eye from the ground.
Make them comparable
Ask each firm for the same things: the kit or tile and its standard, the fixings, the length of ridge covered, whether old tiles are re-used, what happens to rubbish and whether access and VAT are in the total. A quote that does not say what is under the ridge tiles tells you little.
Questions to ask
- Does the system state BS 8612?
- Will the work follow BS 5534:2014+A2:2018?
- What is done about loose or broken tiles near the ridge?
- Is the scaffold in the total?
What we do
We survey the roof first, photograph the ridge and the tiles near it, and explain in plain words what is wrong and what each option would do. You then receive one written total for the work, which is the price you pay, and any extra found on the day is discussed with you first.
What the quote is not
It is not a guess made from a street view. If the roof can't be seen well from below, we tell you that and price it only after we have been up there. The written price follows the survey.
