The short answer
Three traders, three written quotes: that is the Citizens Advice advice, and each quote should be read for what it truly covers. Look for a written scope, a clear total price, payment stages tied to the work, and examples of roofs you can see. Whoever you choose, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 sets the same bar for the work: reasonable care and skill.
A good roofer is easy to spot on paper before a ladder goes up. These are the positive checks worth making, in the order they help most.
Get three written quotes
The Citizens Advice suggestion is simple: obtain at least 3 written quotes, from different traders, before settling on one. The reason is practical. One quote tells you a price, but three show you what is normal for your roof, what each roofer thinks is wrong with it, and who has actually looked at it.
What should a quote cover?
Check each one for the address, the date, the covering and parts of the roof being worked on, the total price, and whether it includes VAT and scaffolding. VAT is charged at 20 per cent on repairs and re-roofs for existing houses. Quotes that arrive without anyone climbing up or sending a photo of your own roof are guesses, and a guess can change on the day.
Look at what the roofer says is wrong as well as at the price. A roofer who explains why a ridge has failed, or why a valley is leaking, and who shows you evidence, is giving you information you can check with the others. A roofer who says the whole roof must go, without a reason you can see, deserves a second look from someone else.
A written scope and clear stages
The best protection is a document that says what will be done. A written scope names the work: strip and re-lay a slope, replace a valley, renew the lead at a chimney, take waste away. It also says what is not included, so there are no arguments halfway through.
How should payment be arranged?
Payment stages should follow the work, not run ahead of it. A modest deposit towards materials on a big job can be fair. A demand for most of the money before a single tile has been lifted is the cue to stop and ask questions. Our answer on paying a roofer upfront goes through the sensible limits.
Ask, too, what happens when the roof is opened up and something turns out worse than expected, say battens (the timber strips under the covering) that have gone soft. A reputable firm tells you before doing extra work and gives you the price in writing. Our roofing quote checklist lists the points to put in every request. After a survey, expect a single total in writing, which makes the comparison fair.
Work you can see
Photos are good, but a roof you can look at is better. Ask where a roofer has worked recently and whether you can see the result from the street, or speak to the owner. A roofer who is proud of a job is usually happy to point you to it, and a lead flashing, a ridge line or a new valley tells you plenty about finish.
Do trade body logos prove anything?
A logo is a starting point and no more. Roofing and building trade bodies exist, and a firm that belongs to one can say so, but a badge on a van or a website is a claim. If a roofer says they belong to a body, ask the body itself to confirm it, and ask what the membership means in practice, such as a complaints route or inspection of work.
The same goes for review pages and rating badges: read them as one input, not a verdict. A survey of your own roof is the stronger evidence, because it shows what the roofer sees and says about the actual building. We start every job with one and send you photographs of your roof, so you can follow the reasoning.
Your rights, whoever you pick
Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is where the reasonable care and skill standard lives. It follows you to any roofer, however they were found. It is a useful test in the choosing as well as the complaining: does this firm describe its work in terms that could be checked afterwards?
What should you ask about disputes?
A trader is expected by section 308 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 to say which alternative dispute resolution (ADR) route, if any, is open to you if you end up unhappy. Put the question to each roofer in advance. If a firm cannot answer, take note. The helpline at Citizens Advice, 0808 223 1133, can advise on any individual problem.
Be careful with callers who turn up uninvited and say they have noticed a fault on your roof. A good roofer shows you the problem and lets you take your time. Our guide to complaining about a roofer covers what to do if things go wrong, and you can send photos of your own roof through our homepage to see how a survey and one written price work in practice.
More on choosing a roofer
How to tell if a roofer is good?
Look at what they give you before the work. A good roofer visits, shows you photographs of your own roof, explains the cause of the fault, and puts the scope and total price in writing. Then compare it with two other written quotes and look at roofs they have finished, from the street if the owner agrees.
How do you know if a roofer is reliable?
Reliability shows in small things: turning up when they say, answering questions plainly, putting changes in writing and tying payment to progress. Ask how they will handle a leak found mid-job and what happens if the weather delays work. Straight answers, in writing, are a better sign than a confident sales manner.
The full picture: Roofers in Taunton ยท More short answers