The short answer
A written roofing quote should describe the work, the covering and fixings, how the roof will be reached, what happens to the waste, whether building control is involved, the start date, your cancellation information and whether VAT is in. It should end in one total price. A figure sent by text with no scope is not a quote.
A good quote answers questions before you ask them. Here is what to look for in the document, and what its absence tells you.
The work itself, in words
The core of a quote is a description of what will happen to your roof. If that is missing, nothing else in the document means much.
What should the scope say?
Which slopes or areas are covered, what comes off and what goes on. For a re-roof, that means the covering, the battens, the underlay (a layer under the battens that backs up the covering), the ridge and verge details, and the lead or flashings at chimneys and walls. For a repair, it names the part of the roof and what is being replaced.
Why do materials need naming?
Because a covering is chosen, not assumed. Natural slate, clay and concrete are different products with different lives, and the quote should say which one you are paying for. On a listed or conservation-area house the choice also affects consent.
Photographs from the survey should sit beside the document, so the description matches what the roofer saw on your own roof.
If a quote runs to a single line, ask for more detail before you say yes. A roofer who has read the roof can say what is going on it in a paragraph or two, and a description that thin usually means the reading was thin as well.
Access, waste and the paperwork around it
A roof job involves more than the roof. The quote should say how the work will be reached, where the old materials go and which approvals apply.
Is scaffold included?
The quote should say whether scaffold or access equipment sits inside the price, and who books it. Where scaffold stands on the highway, Highways Act 1980 s169 applies, and the quote should make clear who deals with the licence. Our answer on the scaffold licence in Somerset sets out who applies in each council area.
What about waste?
Old slates, tiles, battens and felt have to go somewhere, and the quote should say they are taken away. Asbestos cement is a separate matter with rules of its own, so say so at the survey if the roof or garage may contain it.
Does building control come into it?
Sometimes. The Planning Portal's tests are 25 per cent of the building envelope and 50 per cent of the roof. Separately, a covering that is 15 per cent or more heavier needs approval. The quote should say whether building control is involved and who handles it. See also the homepage for the jobs where it comes up.
Dates, terms and your cancellation rights
The administrative end of a quote protects you if plans change. It is also where weak quotes tend to have holes.
What dates should appear?
A start date, or a clear way of fixing one, and a rough length for the job. Roof work depends on the weather, so a good quote explains what happens when the forecast turns. A promise that ignores rain is not worth much.
Should the quote mention cancelling?
Yes. Where a contract is agreed in your home after a survey, you get 14 days to cancel without a reason. If the roofer gave you no cancellation information, that window stretches by up to 12 months. A quote or contract silent on the point is missing something it should carry.
What about payment terms?
They belong in writing, with any deposit and the date each payment falls due. Our answer on whether to pay a roofer upfront explains how deposits and staged payments should work.
Citizens Advice suggests collecting at least 3 written quotes. The points in this list make it easier to tell whether each one describes the same job, which is the only fair basis for reading them side by side.
A quote you can follow from start to finish is a good sign about the person who wrote it.
One total price and what it covers
Every quote should end in a single figure you can accept or turn down. That is the number that matters, and it should be plain what sits behind it.
Why one total?
A single written price, fixed after the survey, tells you what you will pay for the scope described. It avoids the arguments that follow a quote full of vague extras. If something unexpected turns up once the covering is off, the quote should say how that will be raised with you and agreed before more work is done.
Does the price include VAT?
Check. GOV.UK gives 20% as the standard rate for roof repairs and re-covering on an existing house, so the gap between a figure with VAT and one without is large. Our answer on VAT on roofing work covers the point.
Is a lower quote better?
Not if it leaves things out. A lower number that leaves out scaffold, waste or the right covering buys a different job from the dearer one that includes them.
To start ours, send a photo and a few details. A written price follows the survey, and the scope in this checklist is how you hold it to account.
More on quotes
Is a text message with a price a proper roofing quote?
Rarely. A proper quote describes the scope, covering, access, waste and approvals, gives the start date and cancellation information, and ends in one total price. A number sent by text with no description of the work leaves you with nothing to hold anyone to if the job changes.
Should a quote say whether VAT is included?
Yes. GOV.UK gives 20% as the standard VAT rate for repairs and re-covering on existing homes, so a quote that is silent on it can mislead. Check whether VAT and scaffold sit inside the total before setting it beside another quote, and write the answer down so it can be checked later.
The full picture: Roofers in Taunton ยท More short answers