Oxford is a short run up the Thames from our yard in Old Windsor. It’s one of the best places in the country to work with metal roofing: centuries-old lead and copper on the colleges and churches, Victorian Gothic houses in North Oxford, and a steady flow of extensions and loft conversions in Jericho, Summertown and Headington. The Specialist Roofing Company is a family-run metal roofing firm, fitting zinc roofs since 2007, and we work across the city and the rest of Oxfordshire.
We’re approved installers for VMZINC, RHEINZINK and PREFA. Every roof is fitted by our own team, never subcontracted, and all our work carries a 20-year guarantee.
Call 01753 867288 for a free site visit and quote, or send us your drawings.
Zinc roofing services in Oxford
- Standing seam zinc roofs for rear and side extensions, new houses, garden rooms and outbuildings. See standing seam roofing.
- Zinc dormers for loft conversions, with the roof, cheeks and face all clad in zinc. See zinc dormers.
- Zinc cladding for upper storeys, bays and feature walls. See zinc cladding.
- Copper roofing for bays, canopies, turrets and feature roofs. See copper roofing.
- PREFA aluminium where you want a factory colour or a lighter roof. See PREFA aluminium roofing.
- Zinc gutters, valleys, box gutters and downpipes.
- Surveys and repairs on existing zinc, copper and lead roofs.
Metal roofing in a city of stone, slate and lead
Few cities have as many historic metal roofs as Oxford. The colleges, chapels and churches of the city centre carry lead and copper that has been patched and renewed for generations, and much of the centre sits inside the Central (University and City) Conservation Area, with a very high density of listed buildings.
Zinc and copper are traditional roofing metals, so they usually sit well in that setting. Pre-weathered zinc in blue-grey or dark grey reads as a quiet, mineral finish next to Cotswold and Headington stone, Welsh slate and old clay tile. Copper starts bright and darkens over the years, eventually towards the familiar green.
If you look after a listed building, a college building or a church, any change to the roof that affects its character will normally need listed building consent. We work from the architect’s or conservation officer’s drawings and supply product data, finish samples and build-ups to support the application.
Where we work in Oxford
North Oxford
The North Oxford Victorian Suburb Conservation Area covers the big Gothic Revival houses laid out on St John’s College land from the 1860s, along and between the Banbury and Woodstock Roads. These houses have steep slate and tile roofs, gables, turrets and bay windows, and later rear additions that are often due for replacement. Typical zinc and copper work here includes:
- replacing tired felt or asphalt on rear extensions and back additions with standing seam zinc
- zinc or copper on bay roofs, porches and small turrets
- new extensions where the architect wants a low-pitch metal roof that stays below first-floor windows
The neighbouring Walton Manor Conservation Area has the same sort of houses and the same sort of work.
Jericho
Jericho, between the Oxford Canal and Walton Street, is a tight grid of 19th-century terraces. It was designated a conservation area in 2011. Most zinc work here is at the back: small rear extensions, kitchen roofs and rear dormers. Streets are narrow and neighbours are close, so we plan deliveries, parking, scaffolding and working hours before we start.
Summertown
Summertown has Victorian and Edwardian houses, plenty of 1920s and 1930s homes, and many loft conversions and rear extensions. Zinc dormers and low-pitch standing seam roofs are a natural fit. Some streets around Summertown sit inside or right next to the North Oxford conservation areas, so check the council’s map before you design.
Headington
Headington has three conservation areas of its own: Old Headington, Headington Hill and Headington Quarry. Beyond their stone cores are large areas of interwar and post-war housing, where zinc dormers, extensions and garden rooms are common. It’s also the suburb where a fibreglass shark has been sticking out of a roof on New High Street since 1986, so Headington is no stranger to unusual roofs.
We also work in Cowley, Iffley, Marston, Botley, Wolvercote and Kidlington, and further out across Oxfordshire, including Abingdon, Didcot, Wallingford, Thame and Henley-on-Thames.
Planning permission and conservation areas in Oxford
Oxford City Council has 18 conservation areas, and listed buildings are spread right across the city. Some areas also have Article 4 directions that bring smaller roof changes under planning control. A like-for-like repair rarely needs consent. A new dormer, an extension, or a change of roofing material on a listed building or in a conservation area usually does. Outside the city, the district councils (South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, West Oxfordshire and Cherwell) have their own conservation areas and guidance. Your architect or the council will confirm what applies to your property.
Details that matter on Oxford roofs
Copper, lead and run-off
Oxford roofs often mix metals. Lead and zinc are happy together, but water running off copper onto zinc will corrode the zinc, so we check what drains onto every new roof and design the falls, gutters and outlets to keep incompatible metals apart. See avoiding contact corrosion.
Old walls, damp air and ventilation
Solid stone and brick walls, river-valley air and older timber roofs all add moisture. Zinc must never trap that moisture underneath it, so the build-up is designed to let it out. Read why ventilation matters beneath VMZINC standing seam.
Movement and rooflights
Zinc expands and contracts with every change in temperature, so long trays need fixed and sliding clips in the right places. Rooflights and lanterns, common on Oxford kitchen extensions, are set out with the seams before any material is ordered. See movement allowance in standing seam roofs and detailing rooflights in VMZINC standing seam.
Zinc roofing Oxford FAQs
Do you work in Oxford?
Yes. We’re based in Old Windsor and work across Oxford, including North Oxford, Jericho, Summertown and Headington, and the rest of Oxfordshire.
Are you approved zinc installers?
Yes. We’re approved installers for VMZINC, RHEINZINK and PREFA, and every roof is fitted by our own team, never subcontracted.
What guarantee do you give?
All our work comes with a 20-year guarantee.
Can I have a zinc roof in an Oxford conservation area?
Often, yes. Zinc and copper are traditional roofing metals, and they’re widely used on extensions and dormers in conservation areas. New dormers, extensions and changes of material usually need planning permission, and listed buildings need listed building consent. We supply samples and product information for the application.
Which zinc finish suits Oxford stone and slate?
Pre-weathered blue-grey zinc sits quietly next to slate and pale stone. Darker grey suits brick and more contemporary designs. We can bring samples to the site so you and your architect can see them against the building.
How much does a zinc roof cost in Oxford?
It depends on the area, access, zinc finish, build-up and details such as rooflights and gutters. After a site visit we give a fixed, itemised written quote.
Do you take on small jobs?
Yes. No job is too large or too small, from a single zinc dormer or bay roof to a whole house.
Nearby
Along the Thames we also have pages for zinc roofing in Henley-on-Thames and zinc roofing in Marlow. Closer to home we cover Windsor, Berkshire, Surrey and London.
Get a quote for zinc roofing in Oxford
Call 01753 867288, email info@thespecialistroofingcompany.co.uk, or send us your drawings.
The Specialist Roofing Company, Meadow Way, Windsor.