HOW TO HIRE · HOME REPAIRS & HANDYMAN

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

No register applies to shed repairs. Old cement roofs may be asbestos, and waste taken away needs a registered carrier.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a shed repairer in five steps

  1. Empty the shedSo floor and walls can be checked.
  2. Cement roof?Have it checked for asbestos before anyone breaks it.
  3. Felt or EPDM?Felt is cheapest; EPDM lasts longer.
  4. Waste in the price?Who takes the old felt and timber, and are they registered.
  5. Clear the pathFor timber and roofing rolls.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or register applies to shed repairers in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, so anyone may offer shed repairs. The law steps in only where shed repairs turns into gas work, notifiable electrical work or building work.

Ask for a business name, the insurer and a written description of the shed repairs.

Asbestos in older buildings

Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (Northern Ireland has its own 2012 Regulations) some asbestos work may only be done by an HSE-licensed contractor, and HSE classes broken-up asbestos cement sheeting as notifiable work. Old garage and shed roofs are where it turns up in a shed repair.

Before the shed repair breaks up any old cement sheet or board, ask how it will be checked for asbestos. hse.gov.uk →

Waste carrier for old felt and timber

Under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 you must hand household waste only to an authorised person in England and Wales; a business taking it away must be a registered waste carrier with the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA or the NIEA.

Ask for the waste carrier number if the shed repairer is taking waste away. gov.uk →

Public liability insurance

No law requires a repairer to be insured, but a drill through a pipe or cable, or a heavy item coming off a wall, is exactly what public liability covers. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 entitles you to shed repair done with reasonable care and skill; insurance is what pays if it was not.

Ask the repairer for the insurer's name and the cover level before the shed repair starts.

VAT

Shed repair is standard-rated at 20% when the repairer is registered, roofing felt and timber included. A trader whose taxable turnover passes £90,000 must register, charge it and show it as a separate line; one below that threshold adds none.

Ask the shed repairer for a VAT number before any VAT is added. gov.uk →

“What needs replacing on the shed — roof, floor or walls?”

A good answer: A clear diagnosis after looking.

“Which roof covering would you use for this shed?”

A good answer: Felt or EPDM, with the difference explained.

“Is the shed roof asbestos cement?”

A good answer: They check, or say it needs testing, before touching it.

“Will you take the old shed materials away?”

A good answer: Yes with a waste carrier number, or leave them for you.

“How will you treat the new timber?”

A good answer: Treated timber and a preservative on the cladding.

“What is the total shed repair price?”

A good answer: Materials and labour, before work.

Getting the quote right

  • Roof, floor and wall work listed
  • Roof covering type
  • Timber treatment
  • Waste removal and the carrier's number
  • Who actually attends to repair the shed — the person you met, or a subcontractor
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% listed separately

Walk away if

  • Breaks up a cement roof without checking
  • Takes waste away with no carrier registration
  • Patches over rotten bearers
  • No total price
LOW
£65
TYPICAL
£250
HIGH
£450

What a shed repairer costs: £65–£450 per job

Shed repairs are priced per job by the work and materials; waste removal is often extra. Shed 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

Shed 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. SurveyRoof, walls and floor checked.
  2. StripOld felt or boards removed.
  3. RepairRotten timber replaced.
  4. Re-coverRoof covered and edges finished.
  5. ClearWaste removed by a registered carrier or left bagged.

Shed felt
Bitumen roofing sheet.
EPDM
A rubber roof membrane.
Bearer
A timber under the shed floor.
Cladding
The boards on the walls.
Asbestos cement
Old cement sheet that can contain asbestos.
Waste carrier
A business registered to carry waste.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check after rainThe roof should be dry inside.
Test the floorFirm underfoot.
Keep the invoiceMaterials and any waste receipt.
Say how it wentYour rating of the shed repair sits on the shed repairer's Locufy profile for others to read. Something wrong? Use make-it-right first and we follow it through.

STEP 1Complain to the shed repairer firstPut the problem with the shed repair in a message or email, with photos and the date. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 reads reasonable care and skill into every contract like this one, so you can require the shed repairer to redo the faulty part within a reasonable time at no cost to you, or give a price reduction.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right stepGive the shed repair fewer than four stars and you can send the issue to the shed repairer first; we stay on it until there is an answer, and then your review is posted.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplinesTrading Standards is reached through a helpline, not directly: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland can log a complaint about the shed repairer and pass it on.
STEP 4Small claims, if money is owedTo get money back for the shed repair, the small claims limits are £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland; court fees start at £35 in England and Wales and £23 in Scotland.

Hiring a shed repairer: questions people ask

No. No register applies; asbestos and waste rules can.

Old cement sheet roofs can. Have it checked before it is broken up.

A registered waste carrier; in England and Wales your duty of care requires it.

£65–£450 per job, with about £250 typical. See the shed repair price guide for the breakdown, then put your town in the search above to compare repairers.

No; it is a choice. Felt is cheaper; EPDM lasts longer.

A few hours for a patch; a day for a re-felt or floor.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in home repairs & handyman

How to hire: Garage Door RepairHow to hire: HandymanHow to hire: Odd JobsHow to hire: Door Hanging & RepairHow to hire: Window RepairHow to hire: Lock RepairHow to hire: Spray PaintingHow to hire: Furniture RestorationAll 701 hiring guides →

Shed repairers near you

Shed repairers in LondonShed repairers in ManchesterShed repairers in BirminghamShed repairers in GlasgowShed repairers in BelfastAll shed repairers on Locufy →Do it yourself: repairing a garden shed →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. HSE — deciding if asbestos work must be done by a licensed contractor
  2. Control of Asbestos Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012
  3. gov.uk — register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer (England)
  4. Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 34 — duty of care
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  6. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  7. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  8. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  9. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register