HOW TO HIRE · TRADES & CONSTRUCTION

How to hire a flat roofer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Replacing a flat roof covering in England needs approval or a scheme roofer. The checks, the deck and material questions, and the guarantee to get.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a flat roofer in five steps

  1. Measure and photographThe roof size, any ponding water and stains on the ceiling below.
  2. Ask about approval in EnglandBuilding control, or a scheme roofer who self-certifies the new covering.
  3. Choose the materialFelt, EPDM rubber, fibreglass or single-ply, with the guarantee each comes with.
  4. Ask about the deck and insulationRotten boards and missing insulation change the price.
  5. Get the guarantee in writingWorkmanship and the membrane maker's, each with its length.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

There is no register for the flat roof: the legal control is the Work at Height Regulations 2005 (Northern Ireland has its own, also of 2005), which require high work to be planned and done safely.

Ask how the flat roof will be reached — scaffold, tower or platform — and see the access priced. hse.gov.uk →

Re-roofing approval (England)

Replacing a whole roof covering in England needs building regulations approval, unless a scheme roofer (NAPIT is one of the authorised schemes) self-certifies it; patching a few tiles does not. Find out which side of that line the flat roof falls.

Ask which scheme the roofer self-certifies the flat roof through, or who is notifying building control. gov.uk →

Ladders for short jobs only

A ladder suits only brief, low-risk work in HSE's view — up to 30 minutes at a stretch, at a 1-in-4 angle — so a full day on the flat roof needs a tower or scaffold under the Work at Height Regulations.

If the quote for the flat roof has no scaffold or tower for a day's work, ask why. hse.gov.uk →

Insurance and trader status

For the flat roof, a trader should hold public liability insurance; check the insurer and the cover. Trader status matters: it brings the Consumer Rights Act 2015 into play, and under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 an off-premises or online booking usually has 14 days' cancellation, with any work you asked to start early charged for and personalised goods outside the right.

Have the insurance details in hand before the flat roof, and check the trader and ID-checked marks on the profile.

VAT

A flat roof covering is standard-rated at 20%, but insulation fitted into the roof of a home is zero-rated (0%) until 31 March 2027, so a roofer above the £90,000 threshold should charge VAT on the covering and show the insulation, VAT-free, on a separate line.

Ask for the VAT number and check the flat roof quote splits the covering from the insulation and that VAT sits on its own line. gov.uk →

“Which flat roof material do you recommend, and why?”

A good answer: A reasoned choice — EPDM, fibreglass, felt or single-ply — for your roof, with the life and guarantee of each.

“Will you check the deck under the flat roof?”

A good answer: Yes; rotten boards are replaced at an agreed rate, shown to you first.

“Will the flat roof be insulated?”

A good answer: A clear answer on warm or cold roof construction and the insulation thickness.

“Who handles building regulations in England?”

A good answer: The roofer self-certifies through a named scheme, or building control is notified before work starts.

“How will water drain off the flat roof?”

A good answer: Falls to a gutter or outlet so water does not pond.

“What guarantee will I get?”

A good answer: Workmanship in writing and the membrane maker's guarantee, with their lengths.

Getting the quote right

  • Roof area and the material named
  • Deck replacement priced per board or square metre
  • Insulation type and thickness, with its VAT treatment
  • Edge trims, outlets and flashings
  • Access, waste and building regulations handling
  • Who actually attends — the roofers laying the covering, employed or subcontracted — and the business's VAT number, with VAT at 20% on the covering and 0% on the insulation, each on its own line

Walk away if

  • Lays a new covering over a rotten deck
  • No answer on approval in England
  • No falls, so water will pond
  • Torch-on felt with no fire precautions mentioned
  • No written guarantee
LOW
£1,200
TYPICAL
£2,800
HIGH
£6,500

What a flat roofer costs: £1,200–£6,500 per roof

Flat roofs are priced per roof by area and material; deck repairs, insulation and scaffolding are the lines that move it. Flat Roofing price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Flat roofers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. SurveyRoof measured, deck and drainage checked.
  2. StripOld covering removed; deck boards checked and replaced where rotten.
  3. Insulate and deckInsulation and new deck laid to falls.
  4. CoverMembrane laid and edges, upstands and outlets finished.
  5. Sign offWaste cleared, guarantee and approval paperwork handed over.

EPDM
A rubber membrane laid in one sheet.
GRP
Glass-reinforced plastic, or fibreglass, roofing.
Deck
The boards the covering is laid on.
Falls
The slight slope that drains a flat roof.
Warm roof
Insulation laid above the deck, under the covering.
Upstand
Where the covering turns up a wall.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the guarantees and approvalWorkmanship guarantee, the membrane guarantee and, in England, the scheme certificate or building control completion.
Check after rainNo ponding and no stains below.
Keep it clearLeaves and debris off the outlets.
Review the jobOnly booked jobs can be reviewed on Locufy, so yours carries weight; if the flat roof falls short, use the make-it-right step first and the provider is asked to fix it before the review is published.

STEP 1Complain to the roofer firstEmail or message so there is a record, setting out the defect in the flat roof and what you expect. A trader owes reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015; the remedies it sets are a second attempt, then a price reduction.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepRate the flat roof under four stars and you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then the review goes up.
STEP 3Dangerous or unapproved workReport dangerous working at height during the flat roof to HSE; in England, a roof covering replaced without approval or self-certification is for the council's building control. For a dispute about the flat roof with the trader, Trading Standards is reached through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeIf the flat roof is still not settled, you can claim without a solicitor: the small claims track takes claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a flat roofer: questions people ask

No licence or register applies. In England, replacing the roof covering needs building control approval unless a scheme roofer self-certifies it.

In England, yes, unless a roofer on a competent person scheme for roof coverings self-certifies it.

£1,200–£6,500 a roof, typically around £2,800. Size, material and the state of the deck decide most of it. Read the Flat Roofing price guide for what is in and out of the price, and use the postcode search above to find local flat roofers.

Insulation for a roof installed in a home is zero-rated until 31 March 2027; the covering itself is not.

It varies by product and installation; ask for the maker's guarantee period in writing.

Often, for a small split; if the deck is rotten or the covering is failing widely, replacement is better.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in trades & construction

How to hire: RooferHow to hire: Roof RepairHow to hire: Guttering InstallationHow to hire: Fascias & SoffitsHow to hire: House ExtensionHow to hire: Garage ConversionHow to hire: ScaffoldingHow to hire: Insulation InstallerAll 701 hiring guides →

Flat roofers near you

Flat roofers in LondonFlat roofers in ManchesterFlat roofers in BirminghamFlat roofers in GlasgowFlat roofers in BelfastAll flat roofers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. HSE — work at height: the law
  2. HSE — work at height myths (ladders and the 30-minute guide)
  3. HSE — types of ladder and using them safely
  4. Work at Height Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005
  5. gov.uk — building work, replacements and repairs to your home (England)
  6. gov.uk — competent person schemes: current schemes and the work they cover
  7. gov.uk — VAT on energy-saving materials and heating equipment (Notice 708/6)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  9. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  10. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — the 14-day cancellation period
  11. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  12. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started within the cancellation period
  13. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track limit (England and Wales)
  14. Scottish Courts and Tribunals — making a claim under simple procedure
  15. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  16. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  17. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  18. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register