How to check a roofer is genuinely insured and trading properly

Anyone can print a certificate. Verifying a roofer takes about fifteen minutes and it's the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy on a four-figure job.

The short answer

Ask for the public liability certificate showing the insurer, policy number, cover level and expiry date, then ring the insurer or broker to confirm it's live. Check the company or trading name on Companies House, verify the address independently, and never pay a large deposit in cash.

Public liability insurance: what to ask for and how to check it

Ask for a copy of the current employers' and public liability certificate. It should show the insured party's exact name, the insurer, the policy number, the level of indemnity — £2 million is a reasonable minimum for domestic roofing, £5 million common — and the expiry date. Then do the bit almost nobody does: ring the insurer or the broker named on the certificate, quote the policy number, and confirm it's live and covers roofing work at height. Certificates are easy to fake and easy to let lapse, and a policy that excludes work above a certain height is worthless on a two-storey re-roof.

Company status and trading history

If they're a limited company, search Companies House for free: incorporation date, registered address, directors, and whether accounts are filed on time. A company incorporated three months ago isn't automatically a problem, but it's worth knowing. If they trade as a sole trader or partnership, there's no register — which makes the other checks more important, not less. Watch for a pattern of dissolved companies at the same address with the same director, which is the classic phoenix arrangement.

Address, landline and local footprint

A verifiable physical address matters because it's where you go if something goes wrong. Check it on a map: is it a house, an office, a mailbox service? A mobile number alone isn't damning for a small firm, but a landline and a consistent local presence over years is reassuring. Look for a trading history you can trace — reviews spread over several years rather than fifteen five-star reviews posted in one week, and referees within a few miles of you whose jobs you can actually go and look at.

VAT and what the quote should show

A VAT-registered business must show its VAT number on invoices, and you can verify a UK VAT number through HMRC's online checker. Not being VAT registered simply means turnover below the threshold — perfectly normal for a small outfit. What isn't normal is a quote that adds VAT without a VAT number on it. Your quote should also carry a written scope, itemised access and materials, exclusions, a start window and payment terms.

Deposits and payment structure

For most domestic roofing, a deposit covering materials is reasonable — typically 10–25% for a large job, often nothing at all for a small repair. What should worry you is a demand for 50% or more before anything happens, pressure to pay in cash, a bank account in a different name from the company, or a request for payment into a 'new' account communicated by email. Stage payments tied to defined milestones protect both sides. Pay by card or bank transfer so there's a trail, and for larger jobs a card payment may give you additional protection.

Guarantees and what they're actually worth

There are two different things: a workmanship guarantee from the contractor, and a manufacturer's product guarantee, which usually requires the installer to be registered for that system. An insurance-backed guarantee is a third thing again — it pays out if the contractor ceases trading, and it costs a premium, so ask who underwrites it and get the policy document rather than a logo on a leaflet. A twenty-year workmanship guarantee from a firm that has existed for eight months is not a meaningful promise.

The warning signs we'd walk away from

Cold-calling at the door with news of a problem on your roof you can't see. Pressure to decide today. A price that drops sharply the moment you hesitate. Refusal to provide a written quote. Scaffolding described as unnecessary on a two-storey job. Cash-only. No documentation of what they found. And the classic: work starting, then a discovery of something far worse requiring immediate extra payment, with your roof already half-stripped.

How we do it

We're a family-run firm based in Hampton and we'll provide our insurance certificate, written itemised quotes, photographs of what we find and local references without being asked twice. We don't cold call, we don't ask for cash, and we won't quote at all for something we don't think you need doing. Ask us for whatever documentation you want to see — a roofer who's reluctant to hand it over is telling you something.

FAQs

What insurance should a roofer have?

Public liability, generally £2m minimum and often £5m, plus employers' liability if they have any employees. Confirm cover extends to work at height and to the specific type of work you're commissioning.

Is it safe to pay a deposit?

A materials deposit of 10–25% on a substantial job is normal. Pay by traceable means, into an account matching the business name, and avoid anything approaching half the value up front.

Should I use a trade body member?

Membership of a recognised body is a useful positive signal but not a substitute for checking insurance, company status and local references yourself. Verify the membership number with the body directly.

What should a written quote contain?

Scope of works, access and scaffolding, materials and quantities, waste removal, exclusions, price and VAT position, payment stages, start window and guarantee terms.

Get a fast quote

Family-run and Hampton-based. Tell us what you're seeing on the roof and we'll come and look properly before quoting.

Get a fast quote 07748 750711