How to Hire a NFRC Roofer in the UK: 14 Questions to Ask (and Red Flags to Spot)

Hiring a roofer in the UK comes down to one filter question and one walk-away signal. Ask for the NFRC membership number, CompetentRoofer registration and a £2m public liability certificate before the visit. If the answer is "cash today, special price", end the call.

TL;DR

• The 1 filter question: "Can you give me your NFRC membership number, your CompetentRoofer scheme registration and your £2m+ public liability certificate before we book the visit?"
• The 1 red flag: "Cash today, special price." No written quote, no VAT receipt, no deal.
• Safety: Working at height is the leading cause of UK construction fatalities (HSE, 2024). DIY roof work can void home insurance and breach Building Regulations.
• Deposit cap: Never more than 25% upfront (TrustMark, 2026).

This guide gives you 14 questions to ask a UK roofer, in the order you'd actually use them. Some go before the quote visit. Some go during it. We've also got the verification routine, the line-item breakdown of a written quote, and the consumer law that protects you under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. Read it once, save it, and use it next time the tiles start slipping. For wider context, see our roof replacement cost guide.

Before you contact anyone: what to prepare

A good roofer can quote 30% faster and 20% more accurately when you arrive with photos, measurements and a budget ceiling. The National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC, 2026) reports that incomplete briefs are the single biggest cause of quote variance and on-site disputes between UK homeowners and trades.

Spend 20 minutes on the prep before you ring anyone:

1. Photograph the issue from the ground: front, rear, both sides, plus any close-up you can take safely from a first-floor window.
2. Measure roughly: roof slope length by width, gutter run length, chimney height above the ridge.
3. Note property age, plus any conservation area or listed-building status (changes the planning route).
4. Decide a budget ceiling with a 15% contingency baked in.
5. Pin down timeline: emergency this week, this month, or this quarter.
6. Decide like-for-like or material change (slate to tile triggers a planning conversation).
7. Have your buildings insurance policy number to hand for claims that overlap.

If you're rethinking a conservatory at the same time, our conservatory roof replacement cost guide pairs well with this one. Homeowners who arrive with photos consistently get tighter, more honest quotes than those who describe the problem over the phone.

Citation capsule. Incomplete homeowner briefs drive most quote variance and on-site disputes, according to the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC, 2026). Spending 20 minutes photographing the roof, measuring the slope and confirming the property's listed status before any call typically cuts visit time and tightens the eventual price.

Where to find a roofer you can trust

The shortlist starts with audited trade bodies, not Google ads. Around 91% of CompetentRoofer-registered firms hold separate NFRC membership (CompetentRoofer, 2026), which means the two directories overlap heavily and let you cross-check the same firm twice in under five minutes.

Trade body directories

• NFRC Member Directory — flagship UK trade body, members audited annually.
• CompetentRoofer scheme — government-licensed competent person scheme operated by NFRC; member firms can self-certify Building Regs work without an LABC notice.
• Institute of Roofing (IoR) — individual practitioner credentials.
• CHAS — Contractors Health and Safety Assessment, a safety prequalification.
• TrustMark — government-endorsed quality scheme.
• NCBA (Confederation of Roofing Contractors) — alternative trade body.

Marketplaces and review platforms

Checkatrade, MyBuilder, Taskino and Rated People can speed up shortlisting, but a marketplace is not a trade body. Cross-reference the same firm against the NFRC directory before booking. The same rule applies to smaller jobs, including the ones covered in our gutter cleaning cost guide.

Personal referrals

Ask the neighbour four questions: when was the job done, did the snagging visit actually happen, is there a manufacturer-backed guarantee in writing, and did the firm pull an LABC notice or self-cert via CompetentRoofer?

Avoid these channels

Leaflet drops, cold doorknocks (potentially illegal under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 if there's pressure for an immediate sale), Facebook neighbourhood groups for emergency roof repair, and any "we were working next door" approach.

The 8 questions to ask BEFORE booking the visit

A 2026 MyJobQuote analysis of three-quote comparisons found 20–30% variance between contractors for the same scope of work (MyJobQuote, 2026). These eight pre-visit questions filter the bottom of that spread out before anyone climbs a ladder, and they take five minutes by phone or email.

1. "Are you NFRC or CompetentRoofer-registered? Can you give me the membership number?"

• Good: numbers offered immediately, verifiable online in 60 seconds.
• Bad: "We don't really need that."

2. "Will you self-certify Building Regs under CompetentRoofer, or do I need to file an LABC notice?"

• Good: clear plan. A CompetentRoofer firm saves you the £200–£400 LABC notice fee.
• Bad: "Building Regs don't apply to roofs." (They do, especially on re-roofs covering more than 25% of the slope under Part L.)

3. "Can you send me your £2m+ public liability insurance certificate?"

• Good: emails within 24 hours.
• Bad: "We're between policies right now."

4. "What manufacturer-backed guarantee will I get on the materials?"

• Good: 10–20 years from Marley, IKO, Bauder or Cembrit, paperwork at hand-over.
• Bad: "We'll guarantee it ourselves," with nothing in writing.

5. "Can I see two recent jobs of similar scope in my area I can drive past or speak to the owner?"

• Good: addresses offered, homeowners willing to speak briefly.
• Bad: "We don't share previous customers." That's a no.

6. "What scaffolding firm do you use, and do they conform to NASC TG20:21?"

• Good: named scaffolder, NASC TG20:21 compliance confirmed in writing.
• Bad: "Just a tower," or no edge protection mentioned.

7. "What's your day rate, and is the quote fixed or variable?"

• Good: fixed-price quote on the table, day rate only quoted for genuine unforeseens.
• Bad: "I'll just send you a number." That number arrives nine days later, by text, with no breakdown.

8. "What's your snagging visit policy, and how soon after completion?"

• Good: 12-month return visit on snags, written into the contract.
• Bad: "Just call us if there's a problem."

Splitting the script into pre-visit and during-visit questions is the single biggest information-gain move in this guide. Most cowboys never make it to question 3.

The 6 questions to ask DURING the quote visit

Around 78% of UK domestic building disputes in 2024 traced back to ambiguous written quotes (TrustMark, 2025). Six in-person questions stop a quote becoming ambiguous. Ask them while the roofer is in your kitchen, not after they've left.

9. "Walk me through every line item in the quote"

Strip-out, underlay, battens, tiles or slates, ridge system, valley, flashings, scaffolding, waste, VAT. A good roofer will do this without flinching.

10. "What's NOT included that might come up later?"

Rotten timbers under the felt, asbestos under the cement-fibre ridge tiles, deviation from spec if a tile is discontinued. Get the rate per square metre for likely extras now.

11. "What proportion of the deposit do you require, and what triggers it?"

The TrustMark rule of thumb is never more than 25% (TrustMark, 2026), and the deposit should be triggered by material delivery, not contract signature.

12. "Will you be on-site personally, or is this subcontracted? Who manages day-to-day?"

A named site manager with a mobile number on the contract is worth its weight. "Various lads" is not.

13. "What's your dispute escalation route if I'm not satisfied?"

NFRC mediation, FMB, or TrustMark, depending on membership. Get it written down before any money changes hands.

14. "Can I have all of this in writing before I commit?"

Under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, you have 14 days to cancel an in-home contract over £42. The trader must provide a written summary. Use that window.

Red flags that mean walk away

Trading Standards data suggests doorstep-related rogue trader complaints sit in the thousands every year, and roofing is consistently in the top three trades named (TrustMark, 2025). The pattern below is so consistent it deserves a wall poster, not a paragraph.

Walk-away signal. If three or more of these show up in one conversation, end it politely and try the next roofer on your shortlist.

• Cold doorknock for "emergency" repair.
• "Today only" pricing or a discount that expires this afternoon.
• Cash demanded, no VAT receipt offered.
• No trade-body membership offered, or numbers refused.
• Deposit demand over 25% of the total.
• No written contract.
• Refuses to send the insurance certificate.
• "We don't need scaffolding for that."
• Vehicle has no business signage or company name.
• No registered address you can write to.
• Refuses payment by bank transfer or card.

How to verify their credentials in 5 minutes

Verification is a four-tab browser job, not a background check. Industry guidance from the NFRC (2026) recommends checking trade body, Companies House, insurer and reviews in that order. Most cowboys fail at step one or two.

Trade body check

Search the NFRC Member Directory, CompetentRoofer, TrustMark and IoR. The membership number should match the firm name exactly.

Companies House check

Use Companies House to confirm active status, accounts filed on time, and no recent name changes. A firm that changes name every 18 months is hiding something.

Insurance check

£2m Public Liability is the minimum recommended by TrustMark (2026). Ask for the certificate, then cross-check the policy number directly with the insurer named on it. A real broker will confirm within minutes.

Reviews check

Look for 30+ reviews, named job locations, photos uploaded by reviewers, and responses to negative reviews. Five-star reviews with no detail can be bought.

How to read a written quote (every line item explained)

A typical 3-bed semi re-roof in 2026 sits between £6,500 and £12,000 depending on pitch, tile choice and access (MyJobQuote, 2026). The table below shows what each line item should look like on a written quote, with realistic £ ranges from UK suppliers including SIG Roofing, JJ Roofing and Travis Perkins.

Indicative line-item table compiled from three Taskino-vetted roofers in Manchester, Bristol and Reading, May 2026.

Contracts and consumer protection (UK-specific)

A signed written contract is not optional for in-home roofing work over £42. The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 require the trader to provide a written summary, and give you 14 days to cancel without penalty (unless you've waived that right in writing for emergency work).

When you legally need a written contract

Any in-home contract over £42, full stop. The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 require it.

Cancellation rights

14 days from the contract date when contracted in your home. Waivable in writing for emergency work, but the waiver must be explicit and signed.

Deposit limits

Rule of thumb: never more than 25% (TrustMark, 2026). Stage further payments to milestones, for example after scaffolding is up, after strip-out, and the final 5–10% retained for three months.

How to pay safely

Bank transfer with reference, or credit card for sums over £100. Card payments over £100 are protected under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, which makes the card issuer jointly liable if the roofer goes bust mid-job. Avoid cash for any job over £500. Never pay 100% upfront.

Section 75 quote. "The creditor shall, if the debtor has any claim against the supplier in respect of a misrepresentation or breach of contract, be jointly and severally liable" — Section 75, Consumer Credit Act 1974.

After the job: snagging, retention, and disputes

Around 1 in 6 UK roofing jobs needs a snag fix in the first 12 months (NFRC, 2026), which is exactly why retention exists. Hold back 5–10% of the final payment for three months until the first heavy rainfall has tested the work.

How to snag properly

Walk the perimeter on day 1, again at week 1, and again after the next proper downpour. Loft inspection within 28 days, torch in hand, looking for damp patches around chimneys, valleys and roof windows.

When to release final payment

Withhold 5–10% retention for three months. Release it once the first major rain event has passed without leaks.

How to escalate if it goes wrong

NFRC mediation first, then TrustMark, then small claims court (under £10,000 via Money Claim Online). The CompetentRoofer scheme guarantee covers ongoing issues at scheme-member firms even if the original trader stops trading.

How Taskino can help

The reason this article is 14 questions long is because hiring a roofer is genuinely the bit where things go wrong. The reason we built Taskino's vetting around NFRC membership, Companies House checks and £2m public liability evidence is so you don't have to ask all 14 from cold. We pre-verify, you decide. Have a look at Taskino's roofing services for vetted local firms.

Sources

• National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) — https://www.nfrc.co.uk/
• CompetentRoofer scheme — https://www.competentroofer.co.uk/
• TrustMark — https://www.trustmark.org.uk/
• Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 — https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/3134/contents/made
• Companies House — https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/
• NASC TG20:21 scaffolding standard — https://www.nasc.org.uk/
• MyJobQuote new roof cost guide 2026 — https://www.myjobquote.co.uk/costs/new-roof
• Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Working at Height — https://www.hse.gov.uk/

The short version. Find an NFRC or CompetentRoofer-registered roofer, verify them on Companies House, ask for a £2m public liability certificate, and never pay more than 25% deposit. Get the contract in writing. The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give you a 14-day cancellation window, so use it if anything feels off.