Independent Kent roofer with over 30 years experience · Direct personal service across Sittingbourne and North Kent
Call Chris: 01795 904566Checkatrade & Three Best Rated® verified
About C.L. Baker: Independent Tiled Roofing in Sittingbourne
I’ve been roofing around Sittingbourne and across North Kent for more than thirty years. When you hire C.L. Baker, you get me on your roof—not a commission-based sales rep or a team of agency subcontractors.
Chris Baker — Founder & Lead Roofer
On site during a pitched roof renewal in Kent
30+ Years in the Trade
Kent born, bred & educated
No Subcontractors
Surveyed & completed by Chris
Vetted & Recognised
Checkatrade & Three Best Rated®
Bapchild, Sittingbourne
Serving a strict 20-mile radius
Three Decades of Hands-On Roofing Across Sittingbourne & North Kent
I am Chris Baker, founder and owner-operator of C.L. Baker (trading as C L Baker Kent). I am Kent born and bred, educated locally here in Sittingbourne at Ethelbert Road School (now The Abbey School), and I have spent over 30 years working hands-on across the rooftops of Swale, Medway, and Mid Kent.
Operating from our base in Bapchild (Lomas Road, Bapchild, Sittingbourne, ME9 9BD), this business was built on a straightforward principle: homeowners and commercial property managers deserve to deal directly with the tradesman actually doing the work. We are not a national multi-branch franchise, a lead-generation brokerage, or a desk-based agency that sells your job on to the lowest-bidding subcontractor.
When you ring C.L. Baker about water ingress, a perished flat roof, or a full pitched roof strip and retile in Sittingbourne, I come out to inspect your roof myself. I climb the ladder, examine the battens, underlays, lead flashings, and mortar courses, explain the exact point of failure in plain English, and provide a clear, written quotation for what it takes to make your property watertight.
"If I’m halfway up a roof when you ring, I won’t always answer instantly—but I return every call promptly and keep you updated at every stage of the build."
— Chris Baker, Owner & Lead Roofer at C.L. Baker
Built for Kent’s Specific Building Stock & Coastal Weather
Working exclusively within 20 miles of Sittingbourne since the 1990s means understanding the specific brick, batten, and tile profiles found across our local boroughs. A roof in Kent faces very different pressures depending on which town it stands in:
- Conservation & Period Properties: In historic areas requiring Kent peg tile repairs in Faversham or slate roof repairs in Canterbury, off-the-shelf modern concrete tiles are unacceptable. We source reclaimed and matched handmade clay tiles, dress Code 4 and Code 5 milled lead, and point with traditional hydraulic lime and sand mortars.
- Estuary & Coastal Wind Exposure: Properties exposed to driving salt rain and high wind loads off the Thames Estuary and North Sea frequently need GRP fibreglass flat roofers in Sheerness or a storm damage roof inspection in Whitstable. We install mechanically fixed dry ridge systems and heavy-duty verge clips that will not shear in coastal gales.
- Steep Terraces & Shared Rooflines: Across Victorian streets needing chimney stack repointing in Medway, lead valley and flashing repair in Chatham, or chimney removal on a terraced house in Rochester, we handle high-level scaffolding access, spalled brickwork remediation, and advise homeowners on Party Wall considerations.
Local, Signwritten & Accountable
Based at Lomas Road in Bapchild (ME9 9BD), our vans are a familiar sight across Sittingbourne, Swale, and Medway.
Proper Access & Safe Working Standards
Whether erecting full scaffolding on a tight street terrace or staging access for uPVC fascia and guttering replacement in Gillingham, every site is set up safely and tidied thoroughly on completion.
Independent Trade Standing
- Checkatrade Verified: Vetted track record with verified homeowner feedback across pitched, flat, and roofline work.
- Three Best Rated® in Sittingbourne: Independently inspected and recognised among the top local roofing contractors in Sittingbourne.
- Building Regulations Compliant: Full understanding of Part L thermal upgrades when renewing 25% or more of your roof envelope.
- Fully Insured: Comprehensive Public Liability insurance for domestic, period, and commercial roofing contracts.
Why Homeowners, Landlords & Businesses Choose C.L. Baker
Roofing problems are stressful enough without pushy sales tactics or vague estimates. Here is what you can expect when you ask us to inspect or work on your property.
Honest Diagnosis: Repair vs. Retile
We never push for a full roof replacement if a targeted repair will solve the problem. If a leak is caused by a slipped Welsh slate, a cracked concrete tile, or perished lead step flashing, we will seal it cleanly. We only recommend a full strip and retile when the underlying 1F bituminous felt has rotted and the timber battens are failing across the pitch.
Direct Owner Accountability
From your first phone call through to the final check of the gutters, you deal directly with Chris Baker. There is no disconnect between the person who quotes the job and the person who strips the tiles, dresses the Code 4 lead, or lays the GRP resin.
Proven Materials & Weather Discipline
We never cut corners on unseen components. Whether we are carrying out a flat roof replacement in Bapchild ME9 using seamless GRP fibreglass or fitting breathable membranes and graded battens, we only lay flat roofing systems in dry conditions that allow proper resin curing.
Building Control & Highway Logistics
When renewing over 25% of a roof’s thermal envelope, Building Regulations Part L applies (administered locally by STG Building Control Partnership across Swale, Medway, and Canterbury). We also coordinate street scaffolding licences with Kent County Council or Medway Council when working on pavement-fronting terraces.
Responsive Leak Containment
When you need an emergency roof leak repair in Swale after heavy rain or high winds, you need a practical tradesman who will get out to inspect the rafters and flashings quickly, contain the water ingress, and give you a straight answer.
Domestic, Landlord & Commercial Scope
Alongside domestic cottages, terraces, and 1930s semis, we support landlords with photographic repair evidence and carry out commercial roofing repairs on Sittingbourne Eurolink and industrial estates across Maidstone and Medway with minimal disruption to operations.
Examples of Our Work Across Kent
Tiled Roofing & Strip and Retile
Kent peg tiles, Welsh slate, and concrete interlocking tile renewals with breathable membranes and graded battens.
GRP Fibreglass & Felt Flat Roofs
Joint-free GRP fibreglass resin roofs and high-performance multi-layer torch-on felt for extensions, dormers, and garages.
Chimney Repairs, Removal & Repointing
Dust-extracted mortar raking, lime and sand repointing, flaunching, spalled brick replacement, and stack removals.
Leadwork, Valleys & uPVC Roofline
Code 4 and Code 5 milled lead step flashings, soakers, back gutters, valley troughs, and deep-flow uPVC guttering.
Areas We Cover From Sittingbourne
Based in Bapchild, Sittingbourne, C.L. Baker provides direct, owner-operated roofing services across North and Mid Kent within a 20-mile radius.
Need an Honest Appraisal of Your Roof?
Whether you have water coming through a ceiling right now or you are planning a full strip and retile, call me directly. If I’m on a roof when you call, leave a message and I will get straight back to you.