Pricing

Transparency in pricing is crucial for trust and client relationships.

 

We charge a daily rate of £250 per person, per day, we ensure clients are informed of costs, eliminating hidden fees.

This enhances communication and empowers decision-making, fostering a productive partnership.

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Material Price Coverage / Unit

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Water Reed                                  £ 6.64          Per sq/ft

Wire Tie Screws                           £ 52.27        Per 100 sq/ft

Steel Rod                                     £ 14.52         Per 100 sq/ft

Bundle of Straw                           £ 11.25         Per foot (for ridging)

Twisted Spars                               £ 4.00           Per foot

Pattern Liggers                            £ 2.65           Per foot

Liggers                                         £ 2.05            Per foot

Wire Mesh                                   £ 1.20            Per foot

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Time to remove, tidy & dispose 100 sq ft of thatch           - 1 day (2 persons)*

Time to prep and level 100 sq ft of base coat                    - 1/2 day (2 persons)

Time to collect and then unload 200 bundles of reed       - 3 hours - dependant on distance of property from supplier

Time to thatch 100 sq ft                                                        - 1-2 days - time increases the further up the roof

Time to make 10 ft of ridge roll                                            - 1 hour

Time to make 10 ft of turnovers (ridge)                               - 1 day (1 person)

Time to ridge 10 ft (apply turnovers, liggers spars)            - 1 day (2 person)

Time to wire ridge 20 ft                                                          - 1 day (1 person)

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*This is a crucial part of the process some thatchers will skip this step to avoid the hassle, dust, mess, disposal and time required. It is a crucial step! Thatching over the old material will add additional weight to the roof and causes roof timbers to collapse. It increases fire risk (there's now 2, 3 or 4 roofs worth of material which will burn hotter and longer). The excuses given are "it improves insulation" or "it improves waterproofing" 

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Rethatching without stripping back to the rafters—often called over-thatching or spar coating—is a common practice. While it preserves historic layers, it introduces several significant risks that you might want to bring up in your discussions with underwriters.

The primary dangers include:

 

1. Increased Fire Risk (The "Chimney Effect")

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This is the single biggest concern for insurance companies.

• Heat Transfer: Thatch is a phenomenal insulator. When layers accumulate (sometimes reaching over 1 meter in depth), they trap heat against the chimney stack. If you use a wood-burning stove, the heat cannot dissipate through the thick thatch. This can lead to pyrolysis (the chemical decomposition of the thatch due to heat), where the inner layers char and eventually ignite.

• Chimney Height: Every new layer of thatch effectively "lowers" the chimney pot. A chimney that was once a safe distance above the ridge may become dangerously close to the new surface, increasing the risk of sparks landing on the dry top layer.

 

2. Structural Weight & Stress

 

Old thatch is heavy, and it gets heavier as it absorbs moisture over decades.

• Load Bearing: Adding a fresh "coat" of thatch (which can weigh several tons) on top of centuries of old material puts immense pressure on the original timber rafters. This can lead to sagging, structural distortion, or even collapse if the timbers were already weakened by age or pests.

 

3. "Interstitial" Condensation and Rot

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• Trapped Moisture: When you place fresh, dry thatch over older, potentially damp layers, you risk trapping moisture in the middle. This creates a "sandwich" effect where the old thatch begins to rot from the inside out.

• Airflow: Thatch needs to "breathe." Excessive thickness reduces the natural ventilation of the material, leading to mold, mildew, and fungal growth that can eventually spread to the house’s interior.

 

4. Pest & Rodent Reservoirs

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• Infestation: Old thatch is a perfect nesting ground for rats, mice, and birds. Over-thatching essentially "seals in" any existing pests and provides them with a warm, protected environment to multiply. Their tunneling can also create air pockets that further increase fire risk by allowing a fire to travel deeper into the roof where fire crews cannot reach it.

 

5. Challenges for Firefighters

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• Water Repellency: Thatch is designed to shed water. In a fire, the thick, multi-layered thatch acts like an umbrella. Even if firefighters pour thousands of gallons of water on the roof, the "deep" fire inside the old layers remains dry and continues to burn. This often results in the total loss of the property because the fire cannot be reached without stripping the roof manually during the blaze.