What standards apply to roof repairs in Edinburgh specifically?
Much of central Edinburgh, including the Old and New Towns, is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and covered by conservation area designation and extensive listed building status, which together shape what materials and methods are appropriate for roof work, over and above general building standards that apply everywhere in Scotland. Our planning permission guide covers when that translates into a formal consent requirement.
World Heritage Site and conservation areas
The Old and New Towns of Edinburgh were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of their exceptional and largely intact historic townscape, of which traditional slate roofscapes are a defining feature. Conservation area status, which covers a wider area than the World Heritage Site boundary alone, adds further protection for the character of streets and roofscapes, including in areas like those referenced in Edinburgh World Heritage’s own grant funding guidance (see our heritage grants guide).
Listed building status
Individual buildings across Edinburgh carry listed status at various grades, which affects what alterations, including to roofs, require listed building consent. City of Edinburgh Council’s guidance on listed buildings and conservation areas, and Historic Environment Scotland’s own consents guidance, both set out how this works and how to check a specific property’s status.
What this means in practice for a slate repair
For a genuine like for like repair using matching slate, these designations rarely create a barrier, but they are exactly why matching matters so much in Edinburgh specifically, as covered in our sourcing guide and materials comparison guide. For anything beyond straightforward repair, checking a property’s specific status before work starts is the safest approach.
Email us photos of the roof and what floor it’s on, or how many levels up it is, and we’ll tell you what we need to give you a price.
Working on a listed or conservation area roof?
Email us photos of the roof and what floor it’s on, or how many levels up it is, and we’ll tell you what we need to give you a price.
Email us about your roof