HOW TO HIRE · TRADES & CONSTRUCTION

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

No register applies to roofers. The checks that matter — access, approval for a re-roof in England, the scope and the guarantee — and the paperwork to keep.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a roofer in five steps

  1. Photograph the problemFrom the ground and inside the loft: slipped tiles, damp patches, daylight through the roof.
  2. Ask how they will get up thereScaffold, tower or platform for anything more than a short, low-risk job.
  3. Get the scope in writingWhat is stripped, reused and replaced, with materials named.
  4. For a re-roof in England, ask about approvalBuilding control, or a roofer on a competent person scheme who self-certifies.
  5. Get the guarantee on paperWorkmanship and materials, each with its length.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Roofing needs no licence in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland; what governs the roofer's work is how the work at height is carried out, under the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and Northern Ireland's 2005 equivalent. Ask who insures the trader doing the roofer's work and for how much; public liability is standard. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 covers the roofer's work when the provider is a trader, and a contract made off-premises or online can usually be cancelled within 14 days under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 — less what was done if you asked for an early start, and not at all for goods made to your specification.

Ask how the roofer's work will be reached — scaffold, tower or platform — and see the access priced. Before booking the roofer's work, ask to see current insurance and check the Locufy profile for its trader and ID badges. hse.gov.uk →

Ladders for short jobs only

HSE treats a ladder as suitable only for low-risk jobs lasting up to 30 minutes in one go, set at one out for every four up; anything longer on the roofer's work needs proper access equipment under the Work at Height Regulations.

If the quote for the roofer's work has no scaffold or tower for a day's work, ask why. 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 roofer's work falls.

Get the scheme name, or the building control reference, for the roofer's work. gov.uk →

Bats (England)

Natural England's standing advice says bat roosts in buildings are protected, and damaging or destroying one is an offence even when no bats are present; roof work such as the roofer's work can affect a roost and may then need a survey and a licence.

For an older roof space, ask whether a bat survey is needed before the roofer's work. gov.uk →

VAT

Expect 20% VAT, the standard rate, on roofing work on an existing home: a business above the £90,000 registration threshold is required to charge it and to show it separately from the labour and materials.

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

“Will you go up and look before you quote for the roofing work?”

A good answer: Yes, or a close inspection from a safe position; a roof priced from the pavement is a guess.

“How will the roofer reach the roof, and is that in the price?”

A good answer: Scaffold or a tower shown as a line on the quote, sized to the job; a ladder only for a short, low-risk task.

“Is this a repair or a re-roof?”

A good answer: An honest answer from the roofer. In England a full replacement covering needs building control approval or a scheme roofer's self-certification; replacing a few slates does not.

“What will the roofer strip, reuse and replace?”

A good answer: A written scope: tiles or slates, battens, membrane, lead flashings, ridge and verge.

“What happens if you find rotten timbers?”

A good answer: A day rate or a price per metre agreed in advance, and photos before anything extra is done.

“What guarantee does the roofer give?”

A good answer: A written guarantee for workmanship and the maker's for materials, each with its length.

“Who clears the waste?”

A good answer: Skip or removal included, with any old asbestos cement handled separately and properly.

Getting the quote right

  • Access: scaffold or tower, with the hire period
  • The scope: what is stripped, reused and replaced
  • Materials named — tile or slate, membrane, lead
  • Waste removal and any skip
  • Who actually attends — the roofing gang on the scaffold, employed or subcontracted — and the business's VAT number, with VAT at 20% shown as its own line
  • The guarantee, and for a re-roof in England who handles approval

Walk away if

  • Knocks on the door to say your roof needs urgent work
  • Wants to work a full day from a ladder
  • Cash only, or a large deposit before scaffolding goes up
  • No written scope, just 'sort the roof'
  • No answer on building control for a full re-roof in England
LOW
£150
TYPICAL
£350
HIGH
£2,000

What a roofer costs: £150–£2,000 per job

Roofers price most work per job from a written scope; scaffolding is often the biggest single line, and the roof material and size of the repair set the rest. Roofer 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

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. InspectThe roofer inspects from a safe position and in the loft, and writes the scope.
  2. AccessScaffold or tower erected and checked before anyone works on the roof.
  3. Strip and repairOld coverings removed as agreed; timbers checked and any rot shown to you before repair.
  4. Re-coverMembrane, battens and tiles or slates laid; flashings, ridge and verges finished.
  5. Clear and sign offWaste cleared, gutters cleaned out, photos and guarantee handed over.

Battens
Timber strips the tiles or slates hang from.
Membrane
The waterproof layer under the tiles.
Flashing
Lead or other material sealing joints at chimneys and walls.
Ridge
The top line of the roof, capped with ridge tiles.
Valley
Where two roof slopes meet in an internal angle.
Verge
The edge of the roof at a gable end.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the paperworkThe invoice with the scope, the guarantee, and for a re-roof in England the scheme certificate or building control completion.
Look before the scaffold comes downAsk for photos of the ridge, valleys and flashings, or look yourself from the scaffold with the roofer.
Check the loft after rainNo new damp patches or daylight.
Rate the workOnly booked jobs can be reviewed on Locufy, so yours carries weight; if the roofer's work falls short, use the make-it-right step first and the provider is asked to fix it before the review is published.

STEP 1Contact the roofer in writingExplain clearly what has gone wrong with the roofer's work, what the quote or contract said, and when you need it put right. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 treats reasonable care and skill as part of the deal, and lets you claim a redo or a reduction when it is not met.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepRate the roofer's work 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 roofer's work 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 roofer's work 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 roofer's work 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 roofer: questions people ask

No. Roofing is an unlicensed trade in all four nations. The Work at Height Regulations govern how the work is done, and in England a re-roof needs approval or a scheme roofer's self-certification.

In England, replacing a pitched or flat roof covering does, unless a roofer on a competent person scheme for roof coverings self-certifies it; repairs do not.

£150–£2,000 a job, typically around £350. Repairs sit at the low end; scaffolding, slate or clay, and larger work push it up. See the Roofer price guide for the detail, then search your postcode above to compare roofers nearby.

Not for every job, but HSE treats a ladder as suitable only for short, low-risk work; most roof work needs proper access.

In England, bat roosts are protected; work that may affect one can need a survey and a licence.

A written workmanship guarantee with its length, and the maker's guarantee on the materials.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in trades & construction

How to hire: Roof RepairHow to hire: Flat RoofingHow to hire: Chimney RepairHow to hire: Fascias & SoffitsHow to hire: Guttering InstallationHow to hire: ScaffoldingHow to hire: Loft InsulationHow to hire: BuilderAll 701 hiring guides →

Roofers near you

Roofers in LondonRoofers in ManchesterRoofers in BirminghamRoofers in GlasgowRoofers in BelfastAll 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 — bats: advice for making planning decisions (England)
  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