Renegotiating or walking away
One roofer prices a patch and another prices a full strip. Why should you not average them into a single demand?
Because a patch and a full strip are different jobs, and the average is a price nobody gave. One roofer has priced a local repair. The other has priced taking the covering off. Adding them and dividing invents a third scope that repairs neither what the first described nor what the second described. Do not send that invented figure to the seller as the demand. Present the quotes as alternatives, tied to what each one says it will do, and to what the survey actually marked.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Averaging feels fair when two numbers disagree. It is fair only if they price the same work. These do not. A patch leaves most of the covering in place. A strip replaces it. The survey's rating sits on a described defect, not on a blend of both contracts. If you demand the midpoint, the seller can accept a sum that buys neither repair, and you will still have to choose a real roofer afterwards. The arithmetic has not specified the work.
Put the two quotations side by side with the survey paragraph. Ask each roofer to confirm the area, the layers and whether they are patching or stripping. If you need a single demand, choose the scope that matches the defect, or obtain a third quotation for that same scope. Do not manufacture a compromise number. Your solicitor can send a clear proposal. A made-up average is not clear, and it is not what either roofer offered.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which roof defect should a quotation be matching?
- Would a patch answer that note, or are you describing something wider?
- What must a quote say so it is not the other roofer's job?
What are the typical next steps?
- Do not average the patch price with the full-strip price.
- Match any demand to one stated scope and to the survey note.
- Ask the solicitor to send a proposal only when the scope is clear.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
If the two quotes are far apart, is the truth in the middle?
No. The gap may be the scope, not a bargaining range. A patch and a strip do not meet in an average. Choose a described job.
Can the agent average them to speed the negotiation?
No. Speed does not create a real price. An average is not a quotation for either job, and it should not be sent as the demand.