The short answer
Not in full. A modest deposit, or payments split across stages of the job, is a normal way to run roof work when it is tied to a written scope and agreed before anything starts. Demanding the whole sum first, or cash only, is a warning sign. Get the payment terms on paper and keep your cancellation right in mind.
Roofers buy materials and book scaffold before they start, so a request for some money first is not unusual. What matters is how much, when and on what paperwork.
What a fair payment plan looks like
On anything bigger than a small repair, payment terms often follow the stages of the work. That protects both sides: the roofer is not funding materials from his own pocket, and you are not paying for work that has not been done.
Is a deposit normal?
It can be. A deposit towards materials or booked scaffold is something many reasonable roofers ask for. The test is whether the amount makes sense against the job and whether the terms are on paper before you pay. If you cannot see why a sum is needed, ask what it is buying.
What are staged payments?
The price is split across set points: a deposit, a second payment when the old covering is stripped and the new roof is under way, and a balance at completion. They work best when each stage is described in the written scope, so nobody argues later about whether a stage has been reached.
The price itself is a single total fixed once the survey is done. Our roofing quote checklist sets out what that document should contain, payment terms included. The homepage shows the kinds of job these terms apply to.
Warning signs around money
Most bad stories start with the payment rather than the workmanship. A few patterns are worth knowing.
Why is full payment before the work a problem?
Once you have paid everything, you have nothing left to hold back. If the roofer is late, leaves the job half done or does not return, your leverage has gone. A final payment kept until you have seen the finished roof keeps both sides honest.
What about cash only?
A demand for cash with no receipt and no written terms leaves you without a record of what you paid, to whom and for what. A bank transfer or card payment, with a written quote, a deposit receipt and a named business behind it, gives you a trail.
Is pressure to pay today a red flag?
Yes. Pressure to decide on the doorstep, a price that vanishes if you wait, or a claim that materials are going spare are all reasons to slow down. Citizens Advice suggests collecting at least 3 written quotes first.
Our wider guidance on spotting a dodgy roofer covers the rest of the list.
Your right to cancel once you have signed
A survey followed by a signature in your own front room puts the contract in cancellation territory, and the law gives you time to think again.
How long do I have?
A contract agreed anywhere other than the trader's own premises is an off-premises contract, and that includes one signed at home once the survey is done. Cancelling needs no reason, and the window runs for 14 days from the day after you agree the deal.
What if the roofer never mentions it?
If you were not given the cancellation information, the period stretches by up to 12 months beyond its normal end. That is why a written quote should carry the cancellation wording.
Does starting early change this?
Should you want work to start before those 14 days are up, your request must be recorded in writing that you can keep, such as an email or a signed page. There is one exception to know about. Regulation 28(1)(e) of the 2013 Regulations leaves out a visit you have specifically requested for an urgent repair, and a call-out to a sudden leak is the kind of case it describes.
Our answer on how to cancel a roofing contract walks through it step by step.
If a payment goes wrong
Even with care, jobs sometimes go badly. Knowing the next step in advance makes it easier to take.
Who can I turn to?
The Citizens Advice consumer helpline, 0808 223 1133, advises individuals with a dispute over a trader. Begin with a written complaint to the roofer setting out what was agreed, what was paid and what is wrong. Keep copies of everything you send and receive.
What standard applies to the workmanship?
Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 sets the bar: a trader must show reasonable care and skill. A disputed job is measured against that, and it is one reason photographs from the survey and from the finished roof are worth keeping, because they show what the work looked like before and after.
Our answer on how to complain about a roofer goes through the steps in order, including the dispute resolution information a trader must give you.
If you are weighing up a job now, send a photo of the problem. We survey first, show you photos of the roof itself, and leave the payment terms for you to read before anything is signed.
More on payments
How much deposit is reasonable for a roofer?
The law sets no figure, so judge it against the job. A deposit that covers booked materials or scaffold, written into the quote alongside the payment stages, is easier to defend than a large round sum with nothing on paper. If the amount puzzles you, ask what it pays for.
Can I cancel a roofing job after paying a deposit?
Often yes. If the contract was made at home after a survey, the 14-day window applies, and it lasts longer if nobody told you about it. A visit you ask for yourself to deal with an urgent repair falls outside the right. Check the cancellation wording on the quote and keep the deposit receipt.
The full picture: Roofers in Taunton ยท More short answers