Island-wide coverage
Newport, Ryde, Cowes, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor, Bembridge, Freshwater and Yarmouth, plus the inland villages.
Service Areas · Isle of Wight
Roofing Specialists
on the Isle of Wight
Nowhere in our coverage takes weather like the Island. Salt, gales and exposed coastal plots demand mechanical fixings and proper lead — not mortar and mastic.
Free homeowner surveys · 25 & 15 year guarantees · £1m cover
Leaking in Isle of Wight right now?
We run 24/7 emergency cover. A £150 call-out gets a roofer to the property to make it safe and stop the water, with the repair priced before any further work.
Call 07808 839833Emergency line answered day and night
60+ years of family roofing knowledge
£1,000,000 public liability cover
24/7 emergency call-out available
Rated by homeowners on Google
- 60+
- Years combined experience
- 9
- Roofers on the team
- 25 yr
- Pitched roof guarantee
- 15 yr
- Flat roof guarantee
- £1m
- Public liability
Local Coverage
Island roofing that is specified for Island weather
We cover the Isle of Wight as part of our South East service area, working across Newport, Ryde, Cowes and East Cowes, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor, Bembridge, Freshwater and Yarmouth. Island work is planned rather than improvised — crossings and scaffolding are arranged and factored into your written quote before anything is booked.
The Island's building stock reflects its history: Victorian and Edwardian seaside terraces and villas in Ryde, Sandown and Shanklin, maritime cottages in Cowes and Yarmouth, stone and render property on the Undercliff around Ventnor, farmhouses inland, and a large number of bungalows and holiday properties built for a seasonal market rather than a century of gales.
That combination — old coastal buildings plus lightweight later housing, in one of the windiest, saltiest environments in southern England — is why Island roofs age faster than their mainland equivalents. Our nine-strong team brings over 60 years of combined experience to specifying for it properly.
Areas referenced on this page include Newport, Ryde, Cowes, East Cowes, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor, Freshwater, Yarmouth, Bembridge. Not listed? Call 07808 839833 and we will tell you straight away, or see everywhere we work.
How Island scheduling works
Enquiries get a same-day response in opening hours. Island visits are scheduled around crossings, and the timings are set out clearly in your quote rather than left vague.
Property types we work on
Seaside villas and terraces, maritime cottages, Undercliff stone property, farmhouses, bungalows and holiday lets.
What the Island needs most
Storm-resistant ridge, hip and verge detailing, slate and tile renewals, lead to chimneys and valleys, and flat roofs that can take driven rain.
Services
Roofing services available
in Isle of Wight
Our full service list is available on the Island, specified for coastal exposure and quoted in writing with crossing and access costs included.
New Roof Installations in Isle of Wight
Full renewals specified for Island exposure with mechanical fixings throughout, installed to a 25-year standard.
More on New Roof Installations
Roof Repairs & Maintenance in Isle of Wight
Storm-lifted tiles, corroded fixings and failed flashings on coastal property, repaired at the cause rather than re-bedded.
More on Roof Repairs & Maintenance
24/7 Emergency Repairs in Isle of Wight
24/7 emergency cover for gale damage — the Island's most common reason to call a roofer at short notice.
More on 24/7 Emergency Repairs
Flat Roofing Systems in Isle of Wight
Extensions, dormers and outbuildings in felt, EPDM, single ply and GRP, guaranteed 15 years plus manufacturer cover.
More on Flat Roofing Systems
Spray Foam Removals in Isle of Wight
Foam removed and the deck reinstated so an Island property can be surveyed, sold and mortgaged again.
More on Spray Foam Removals
Roof Inspections & Surveys in Isle of Wight
Free for existing homeowners; £150 pre-purchase surveys — particularly worthwhile on coastal property where fixings corrode unseen.
More on Roof Inspections & Surveys
Leadwork & Lead Welding in Isle of Wight
Chimneys, valleys, parapets and abutments hand-dressed and welded so they survive salt air and constant movement.
More on Leadwork & Lead Welding
Chimney Removals in Isle of Wight
Redundant stacks on exposed Island plots taken down safely, with support installed and the roof properly reinstated.
More on Chimney Removals
Moss Removal in Isle of Wight
Hand-scraping and biocide on damp, sheltered slopes such as the Undercliff, protecting old tiles rather than blasting them.
More on Moss RemovalSee the full list of roofing services or go back to the homepage.
Why Us
Why Island homeowners choose Harding & Co.
Coastal roofs punish shortcuts faster than anywhere else. We specify for the weather, guarantee the work and price the whole job — crossing included — before we start.
Fixings chosen for gales
Dry-fix ridge, hip and verge systems and mechanical fixings, rather than mortar bedding that cracks and lets go in the first serious storm.
Proper leadwork, not mastic
Hand-dressed and welded lead survives salt air and thermal movement. Sealant on an exposed Island chimney is a repair with a single-season lifespan.
Three generations of experience
Mark Harding started at thirteen with his grandad, and the team of nine carries more than 60 years of combined roofing experience.
25 and 15 year guarantees
25 years on new pitched roof installations, 15 years on flat roofs, plus the manufacturer-backed guarantee on flat systems.
£1,000,000 public liability
Cover in place for Island work as everywhere else, with details supplied alongside your written quote.
One transparent price
Access, scaffolding and travel are built into the written quote up front, and payments are staged — typically 30% on a new pitched roof once the scaffolding is up.
Local Conditions
What the Isle of Wight does to a roof
Salt, wind and driven rain arrive together here, and the Island's mix of very old and very lightweight buildings gives them plenty to work on.
Salt corrosion of fixings
Salt-laden air corrodes nails, clips and straps continuously. A slate or tile can be perfectly sound while the fixing holding it has rusted to nothing, which is why Island roofs so often appear to fail all at once in a single storm.
A survey that lifts and checks fixings is the only way to see this coming. It is also the strongest argument for a full renewal with corrosion-resistant fixings rather than another season of individual replacements.
Gale-force wind loading
The Island regularly records some of the highest gusts in southern England. Ridges, hips and verges are the first things to go, and once a verge lifts the wind gets under the covering and strips a large area quickly.
Mechanically fixed dry-fix systems are not an upsell here, they are the appropriate specification. Mortar-bedded details on an exposed Island roof should be treated as a maintenance liability.
Driven rain and shallow pitches
A lot of Island bungalow and holiday-let stock was built with shallow pitches and minimum laps. In sustained horizontal rain, water travels up the laps and past the covering.
Where a pitch is below the minimum for a covering, we say so and specify something appropriate rather than laying a system that will fail and invalidate its own guarantee.
Undercliff, ground movement and older stone property
The Undercliff around Ventnor and parts of the south coast are geologically active, and older stone and render property there has lived with movement for a very long time.
Roofing has to accommodate that: lead sized and lapped so it can move, flashings that are not rigidly pinned across a joint, and flaunching that is checked rather than assumed sound.
Seasonal and second-home properties
Holiday lets and second homes are often empty when the damage happens, so a slipped tile in November is discovered as a rotten ceiling in March.
For Island properties that are not permanently occupied, an inspection ahead of the winter is genuinely worth more than the same money spent on emergency repairs afterwards — and homeowner surveys are free.
Spray foam on an island market
Spray foam has the same effect here as on the mainland: surveyors cannot inspect the deck, and lenders decline. On the Island's smaller property market, that can stall a sale indefinitely.
We remove the foam and reinstate the roof so it can be surveyed properly. Every removal we have carried out has been signed off by building control and surveyors without issue.
How It Works
From first call to
a guaranteed finish
- 01
Call or request an estimate
Tell us what the roof is doing and where the property is. Most enquiries get a same-day response during opening hours, and the emergency line is answered day and night.
- 02
Free survey and written quote
We inspect properly and photograph the problem. Surveys are free for existing homeowners; pre-purchase surveys are £150, deducted from your quote if you proceed.
- 03
Scheduled works, staged payments
Dates agreed up front, scaffolding arranged, and payments staged in writing — on a new pitched roof, typically a 30% deposit once the scaffolding is up.
- 04
Signed off and guaranteed
We walk the finished work with you, clear the site, and hand over your guarantee — 25 years on new pitched roofs, 15 years on flat roofs plus the manufacturer-backed cover.
Nearby Coverage
We also cover the areas
around Isle of Wight
Our yard is at 48 Buckfast Road, Morden, Surrey, SM4 5NB, which keeps London and the South East within a practical working distance.
Questions
Isle of Wight roofing
questions answered
If your question is not here, call 07808 839833 and speak to a roofer rather than a call centre.
Do you serve the Isle of Wight?
Yes. The Isle of Wight is part of our service area, covering Newport, Ryde, Cowes, East Cowes, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor, Bembridge, Freshwater, Yarmouth and the inland villages.
How fast can you get to the Island?
Enquiries get a same-day response during opening hours (Mon–Sun, 9am–5pm). Island visits are scheduled around ferry crossings, so the survey date is confirmed with you rather than promised same-day. The emergency line is answered 24/7 and we will tell you honestly how quickly we can be there.
Does it cost more to have a roof done on the Isle of Wight?
Crossings and access are a real cost and we build them into the written quote up front, so there is no surprise later. Our standard pricing still applies: free surveys for existing homeowners, £150 for a pre-purchase survey (deducted from your quote if you proceed) and £150 for an emergency call-out.
Do you cover emergencies on the Island?
We operate a 24/7 emergency service and attend for a £150 call-out fee. Because attendance depends on crossings, we will give you a realistic time when you call rather than an unrealistic promise.
What roofing specification suits Island exposure?
Mechanically fixed dry-fix ridge, hip and verge details, corrosion-resistant fixings and properly dressed, welded lead at abutments. Mortar bedding and mastic are what we most often find failing on exposed Island roofs.
Can you work on holiday lets and second homes?
Yes. We can survey and carry out work on a property you are not living in, and a pre-winter inspection is usually the cheapest thing you can do for an unoccupied coastal house.
What guarantees do you give on Island work?
The same as everywhere else: 25 years on new pitched roof installations and 15 years on flat roofs, plus a manufacturer-backed guarantee on flat roofing systems.
Are you insured?
Yes — £1,000,000 public liability cover, with details supplied alongside every quote.
Can you remove spray foam on the Isle of Wight?
Yes. We remove the foam and reinstate the roof so it can be surveyed and mortgaged again. Every removal we have carried out has passed building control and surveyor inspection.
How are payments handled for Island jobs?
Staged and agreed in writing before work starts, exactly as on the mainland — typically a 30% deposit on a new pitched roof once the scaffolding is up, with the balance staged through the works.
Free Estimate
Free roof survey on the Isle of Wight
Send us the address and what the roof is doing. We will schedule a proper look, specify it for Island weather, and give you one written price with crossing and access included.