Questions for roofers
What should you ask a roofer before you hire them?
The short answer
Ask the roofer to explain the fault in your roof, show photographs of it, and give you a single total in writing. Then ask about scaffolding, VAT, building control, waste removal, payment stages, start and finish dates, and what written cover comes with the work. Clear, specific answers are the sign of a roofer worth hiring.
The questions that separate a roofer who knows your roof from one who wants the job, with the answers to listen for.
Questions about the problem itself
Begin with the roof. Ask: what exactly is wrong, where is it, and how do you know? A good roofer names the fault, points to it in a photograph and says what caused it, whether that is a slipped tile, a failed valley, a worn flashing or a membrane that has split.
Then ask whether the roof wants mending, a temporary patch, or a full replacement. This is the question that exposes the pushy. If the answer is always a new roof, ask what a repair would cost and why it would not hold. A fair roofer will explain, and should favour the smallest fix that does the job.
Ask also what happens if the roofer finds something worse once work starts. Rotten battens under a tiled slope, or a damp deck below a flat roof, can change the job. You want to know now how the roofer will tell you and how any extra work would be agreed, in writing, before it goes ahead.
Questions about cost, timing and paperwork
Ask for a single total price in writing, and ask what it takes in. Does the total include scaffolding? Does it include VAT? Does it cover taking the waste away? These three answers account for many of the differences between quotes that look alike on the surface.
Ask how and when you pay. Be wary of a large sum before any work, and read our answer on paying a roofer a deposit. Get a receipt each time you pay, by whatever method.
Ask who will arrange the scaffold and whether it will stand on the pavement. If so, a highway licence from the county council is needed. West Sussex County Council asks for at least 10 working days' notice before a scaffold goes up, so the start date must allow for the wait.
Last, ask the roofer to put the dates in writing: the earliest start, the likely length of the job and what happens if rain stops work.
Questions about consent and the rules
Some roof work needs a building control notification, and some roofs sit in places where planning rules differ. Ask the roofer whether your job needs either and who will deal with it. Re-covering a roof usually does not need planning permission, but a listed building or a property in a conservation area may be different, so check with Arun District Council, or the council for your area.
Notification is normally unnecessary where under 25 per cent of the building envelope and under 50 per cent of the roof is touched, yet Arun's building control page lists roof covering replacement among works needing approval. Ask the roofer which applies to you, and have the answer noted in the quote.
If the work is notifiable, ask who submits it and who pays. With JJ Roofing Bognor Regis we explain consent and handle the notification where it applies. Any roofer you consider should be able to say the same, and to tell you what happens if the council asks for more detail.
Questions about who does the work and who stands behind it
Ask who will be on your roof. Is it the person you met, an employee or a subcontractor? There is nothing wrong with subcontracting, but you should know about it and know who is responsible if something goes wrong.
Ask whether the roofer holds public liability insurance and ask to see the certificate with its dates. Ask which trade body, if any, they belong to, then check with that body yourself.
Ask what written cover comes with the work, and read it through: who gives it, for how many years and which faults it takes in. A tile maker's product warranty and the roofer's own workmanship cover are different things, and you want to know which one is on offer.
Finally, ask for the names of one or two recent customers whose roofs are close to yours in type, and whether you can see the work from the street. A roofer who is proud of the job will usually agree. Our guide to finding a good roofer covers where to look for them.
Questions to ask yourself before you sign
Having asked, step back. Did the roofer answer plainly, or dodge? Did the survey include photographs? Did the quote arrive in writing, with a total you can read without a calculator?
Check the answers against what you have heard elsewhere. A second or third opinion is sensible on any large job, and it is easier to weigh when each roofer has been asked the same things.
Do not sign under pressure. If a roofer insists the price disappears tonight, the right response is to wait. Work agreed at your home brings a 14-day cooling-off period, and our answer on cancelling a roofing contract explains how, but it is better to leave nothing to cancel by taking a day to think. When you are ready, a written quote follows our survey, and the JJ Roofing Bognor Regis home page shows the work we take on.
Related questions
Hiring a roofer, answered
Is it rude to ask a roofer for photographs of the fault?
No. A roofer who has inspected your roof will have taken pictures and should be glad to share them. They are the evidence for the diagnosis and for the price.
What if a roofer will not give a written quote?
Treat it as a reason to look elsewhere. A quote on paper showing one price protects both sides, because it records what was agreed. Without one, any disagreement later is your word against theirs.