HOW TO HIRE · TRADES & CONSTRUCTION

How to hire a roof repairer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

A roof repair needs no approval, but it does need safe access and an honest diagnosis. The checks, the questions and what to be shown.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a roof repairer in five steps

  1. Note where water gets inThe ceiling stain, when it drips, and photos from the ground.
  2. Ask how they will reach itA short job may suit a ladder; longer work needs a tower or scaffold.
  3. Get a fixed price for the repairNamed materials, access and a call-out if any.
  4. Ask for before-and-after photosYou cannot see the roof; the photos are your proof.
  5. Get the guarantee in writingEven a small repair should have one.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

There is no register for the roof repair: 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. Public liability cover protects you if the roof repair damages your home or someone is hurt; ask for the insurer and limit. Dealing with a trader gives you the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and booking the roof repair at home or online normally gives 14 days to cancel under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 — minus the value of anything you asked to be done in that time, and excluding goods made to order for you.

Ask how the roof repair will be reached — scaffold, tower or platform — and see the access priced. Ask for the insurance certificate before the roof repair is booked, and look for the trader and ID-checked badges on the Locufy profile. hse.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 roof repair needs a tower or scaffold under the Work at Height Regulations.

For a day or more on the roof repair, check the quote includes proper access. hse.gov.uk →

Repair or re-roof

In England, a repair such as replacing a few tiles or slates is not notifiable, but replacing the whole roof covering is building work needing approval or a scheme roofer's self-certification; a repairer should tell you if the roof repair has become a replacement.

Ask whether the roof repair is a patch or a replacement, and get the answer in writing. gov.uk →

Asbestos cement

HSE classes asbestos cement roof sheeting that will be substantially broken up as notifiable non-licensed work under the Control of Asbestos Regulations, so it matters if the roof repair involves an older garage or outbuilding roof.

Ask whether the materials on the roof repair have been checked for asbestos. hse.gov.uk →

VAT

HMRC puts roof repairs at the standard rate of 20%; once a trader's taxable turnover passes £90,000 it must register, charge the 20% and list it apart from the price of the work.

Ask for the VAT number, and look for VAT as its own line on the repair quote. gov.uk →

“What is causing the leak behind the roof repair?”

A good answer: A diagnosis from the roof or loft — a slipped tile, cracked flashing, blocked valley — not a guess from the doorstep.

“How will you reach the roof safely?”

A good answer: A ladder for a short, low-risk repair; a tower or scaffold for longer work, priced.

“Is this a repair or does the roof need replacing?”

A good answer: An honest answer with photos; a repair should not be sold as a re-roof, or the other way round.

“What materials will you use for the roof repair?”

A good answer: Matching tiles or slates, lead or a named alternative for flashing.

“Will you send before-and-after photos?”

A good answer: Yes, of the fault and the finished roof repair.

“What guarantee comes with the repair?”

A good answer: A written workmanship guarantee with its length.

Getting the quote right

  • The fault and the fix described
  • Access equipment and any scaffold hire
  • Materials named
  • Call-out or minimum charge
  • Who actually attends — the roofer on the ladder or scaffold, employed or subcontracted — and the business's VAT number, with VAT at 20% shown as its own line

Walk away if

  • Finds 'much more wrong' once up the ladder, with no photos
  • Asks for cash before starting
  • A cold call after a storm
  • Uses sealant on a slipped tile instead of refixing it
  • No written price
LOW
£150
TYPICAL
£350
HIGH
£1,000

What a roof repairer costs: £150–£1,000 per repair

Roof repairs are priced per repair; the fault, the height and whether a scaffold or tower is needed set the figure. Roof Repair 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

Roof repairers 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. DiagnoseThe repairer finds the source of the leak from the roof or loft.
  2. AccessLadder, tower or scaffold set up to suit the job.
  3. RepairTiles refixed or replaced, flashing or mortar repaired.
  4. CheckSurrounding tiles and gutters checked; photos taken.
  5. Hand overPhotos, invoice and guarantee sent to you.

Slipped tile
A tile that has slid out of place, often from a failed nail.
Tile clip
A fixing that holds a replacement tile in place.
Flashing
The seal where the roof meets a chimney or wall.
Pointing
Mortar at the ridge or verge.
Valley
The internal angle where two slopes meet, a common leak point.
Underlay
The membrane beneath the tiles.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the photos and invoiceBefore-and-after photos and the invoice describing the roof repair.
Check after the next heavy rainThe ceiling and loft dry.
Know the guaranteeWritten on the invoice with its length.
Review the jobOnly booked jobs can be reviewed on Locufy, so yours carries weight; if the roof repair 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 roof repair 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 roof repair 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 workHSE takes reports of dangerous work at height, so tell it if the roof repair put people at risk; in England an unapproved re-roof that no scheme roofer certified goes to building control. For a dispute about the roof repair 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 roof repair 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 roof repairer: questions people ask

No; there is no roof repair register to check. Safety on the roof is governed by the Work at Height Regulations.

Not in England for a repair; replacing the whole roof covering does, unless a scheme roofer self-certifies it.

£150–£1,000 a repair, typically around £350. The type of fault, the height and any scaffolding set the price. How the figure is built up is in the Roof Repair price guide; search by postcode above to see what roof repairers near you quote.

A short, low-risk job can; HSE treats ladders as suitable for up to 30 minutes in one go.

Storm damage often is; gradual wear usually is not. Keep the photos and invoice for a claim.

Ask for before-and-after photos as part of the job.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in trades & construction

How to hire: RooferHow to hire: Flat RoofingHow to hire: Chimney RepairHow to hire: Guttering InstallationHow to hire: Fascias & SoffitsHow to hire: ScaffoldingHow to hire: Water Damage RestorationHow to hire: SteeplejackAll 701 hiring guides →

Roof repairers near you

Roof repairers in LondonRoof repairers in ManchesterRoof repairers in BirminghamRoof repairers in GlasgowRoof repairers in BelfastAll roof repairers 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. HSE — deciding if asbestos work must be done by a licensed contractor
  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