The short answer
Do not agree to work, pay a deposit or allow anyone onto your roof at the door. Ask for the firm's name, address and a written quotation, then get an independent check from a roofer you choose. Contracts signed at your home normally carry a cooling-off period, but do not rely on it. Citizens Advice can explain your rights in detail.
What to do in the first five minutes
The pattern is familiar. Someone calls, says they are working nearby, and tells you they have noticed slipped tiles, moss or a leaking gutter. They offer to look at it now, often at a bargain rate because their van is already in the street. The pressure is the point, because a decision made quickly is rarely a good one.
You do not need to argue. Say you will arrange your own inspection and close the door. If you want to be more careful, ask for the firm's full name, a landline, an address and the vehicle registration, and write them down. A genuine firm will give them without fuss. A pushy one often will not.
Do not hand over cash, sign anything or agree to a start date. Do not let anyone onto the roof to photograph it for you, because a roof can be damaged by a visitor, and a photograph can show a different roof or an old problem. If you feel unsafe, keep the door closed and call someone you know. If the caller will not leave, the police non-emergency line is the place to ring.
Warning signs that deserve caution
Genuine problems do exist, and a caller can occasionally be right. The warning signs are less about what is claimed than how:
- An urgent, one-day-only price. A fair quote will still be fair next week.
- Vague faults. "Your whole roof is rotten" should come with specific parts named, such as the ridge, a valley or a flashing, and visible evidence.
- A request for cash up front. A large deposit on the doorstep removes your leverage if the work is poor.
- No paperwork. No written quote, no address, no terms and no written guarantee.
- Work you did not ask for. A small repair that turns into a long list once the ladder goes up.
- A cleaning or coating offered as a fix. Moss on a roof is rarely an emergency and seldom the cause of a leak.
None of these proves a fraud, but several together should end the conversation.
Your cooling-off rights
Contracts made in your home, or away from the trader's business premises, usually come with a right to cancel within a set period, and the trader must tell you about it in writing. The period is normally 14 days, but the details depend on how the contract was made and whether you asked for work to start sooner. If you did, you may owe payment for what has been done.
Because of that last point, do not sign a form asking for work to begin straight away unless you truly want it. Waiving the cooling-off period is a common way for the right to be quietly lost. Urgent repairs are different. If you specifically asked a trader to visit to carry out urgent repairs or maintenance, the right to cancel does not cover that work, though it still covers anything extra they sell you during the visit. Even then you can ask for a written description and price first.
The detail is not simple, and we are roofers rather than lawyers. Citizens Advice explains consumer rights on goods and services bought at home, and can help if a dispute has already begun. If you think you have been targeted by a scam, report it through them as well.
Getting an independent check
The calmest response is to find out what your roof actually needs, from someone you chose. Ask friends and neighbours who they have used, and ask each firm for a written quote you can compare. A proper inspection should include photographs of the roof, a list of faults tied to those photographs, and an explanation of the cause, not just a price.
Many roof faults can be seen safely from the ground or through the loft hatch. Binoculars on a dry day will show slipped slates or a missing ridge tile. From inside, look for stains, damp timber or daylight through the roof. The page on dating your roof lists more of what to look for.
With our free survey you get photographs taken on your roof, followed by a written fixed price. You are welcome to use that as one of your comparisons, or to ask for a second opinion on a quote someone else has already given you. Repair is recommended where repair works, and a full replacement is only suggested when the evidence supports it.
If you have already agreed to work or paid
It happens, and there is no shame in it. If you have signed, check the paperwork for the cancellation notice and the date you signed. If the trader never gave you the cancellation information, the period is extended by up to 12 months, and failing to give it on a contract made at your home is a criminal offence under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. Contact Citizens Advice before you pay further, and keep every document, text message and photograph.
If work has begun, photograph the roof in its current state, note what has been done and ask for it in writing. Do not pay the balance until you are satisfied. Pay by a method that offers some protection and avoid cash where you can. If you are in doubt about the quality, arrange an independent inspection before more damage is done, since a bad patch can hide a leak for a winter.
To prepare for the work you do want, read about the first morning of a roofing job, and what typical jobs cost in roofing costs explained. Start from the home page, or call 01225 285181.
