What Should a Roofing Quote Include?

The 12 point checklist

Hold every quote you receive against this list. Anything missing is something that can become an extra later.

• ▸Full company name, address and contact details
• ▸Clear scope: exactly what is being stripped, replaced or repaired
• ▸Named materials and quantities, including tile or slate type and lead code
• ▸Underlay, battens and fixings specified, not just implied
• ▸Scaffold or access: included or excluded, and who arranges it
• ▸Waste removal and skip costs
• ▸Whether the price is a fixed quote or a variable estimate
• ▸VAT position stated plainly
• ▸Start window and realistic duration
• ▸Payment schedule, with any deposit and what it covers
• ▸Workmanship guarantee length, in writing
• ▸Public liability insurance confirmed

Quote or estimate, it matters

A quote is a fixed price for a defined scope. An estimate is an informed guess that can move. Both are legitimate, but you should know which you are holding. Where something genuinely cannot be seen until the roof is open, such as the state of the rafters under old felt, a good quote says so and gives a rate for that work rather than leaving it blank.

Three questions worth asking

Ask what happens if the timber underneath is rotten, ask what code of lead is going on the chimney (Code 4 or 5 for most domestic work, and anything thinner is a corner cut), and ask who will actually be on the roof. The answers separate a considered price from a cheap one.

Red flags

Pressure to decide today, a large cash deposit before materials are ordered, no written paperwork, no insurance details, and a price far below everyone else with no explanation of why. None of these mean a bad roofer automatically, but each is worth a straight question before you sign anything.

FAQs