The short answer
Yes, at the standard rate. GOV.UK gives 20% as the standard rate, and it is the rate on repair and re-cover work to a house that already exists. The domestic reverse charge is a trade arrangement for VAT-registered subcontracting, and a homeowner is not part of it. Ask each roofer whether VAT is in the total.
VAT can add a fifth to a roof bill, so it pays to know what the rules say and what the paperwork should show.
The 20% rate on repairs and re-roofing
The standard rate of VAT in the UK is 20%, and GOV.UK's VAT rates page applies it to work on existing homes such as repairs and re-roofing. A new slate roof on a house you already live in, a patch to a leaking valley and a replacement ridge all sit under that rate.
Is there a lower rate for roof repairs?
Not for ordinary repairs. Lower and zero rates exist for particular things, and a repair to an existing home is not one of them. If an adviser or advertisement tells you otherwise, ask them to show you the GOV.UK page.
Does the rate change from town to town?
No. The rate is national, so it is the same for a terrace in Taunton, a cottage in the Quantocks or a farmhouse on the Levels.
Where a quote is silent on VAT, what then?
Ask before you accept it. A total with no mention of VAT can mean the tax is still to be added, or that it is already in. Get the answer in writing so the figure you accept is the figure you pay.
The GOV.UK VAT rates page is the place to check the standard rate. The homepage shows the roof work this rate covers.
What the domestic reverse charge does and does not mean
Some builders mention a reverse charge, and homeowners sometimes wonder whether it applies to them. It does not.
What is the domestic reverse charge?
GOV.UK describes it as covering supplies between VAT-registered UK businesses within the Construction Industry Scheme. In those cases the customer, not the supplier, accounts for the VAT. A subcontractor working for a main contractor is the typical setting.
Does it reach my roof?
No. It operates between businesses inside the scheme and leaves homeowners out. If you are paying for work on your own home, you are an end user, and the roofer's quote deals with VAT in the ordinary way. A quote telling a homeowner they must account for VAT themselves is wrong.
What about commercial buildings?
The picture for a business customer differs, and it depends on whether that customer is itself VAT-registered and within the scheme. Our answer on the reverse charge for roofing covers the commercial side.
If you are a landlord or run a business, ask your accountant how the scheme applies to you. That is a question for a tax adviser, not for a roofer.
Reading VAT on a quote
Because VAT adds a fifth to the price before tax, a quote that leaves it out can look far cheaper than one that includes it.
What should the quote say?
Whether the total includes VAT, and at what rate. A clear quote states the single total and says what it covers, which is why the roofing quote checklist lists VAT alongside scaffold and waste.
Why does it matter when I set quotes side by side?
Citizens Advice suggests collecting at least 3 written quotes. If one includes VAT and another does not, the totals sit on different footing, so ask each roofer to confirm the basis.
Do cost guides include VAT?
MyJobQuote does not state the VAT basis on its headline figures, so read its typical UK prices (Oct 2026) as a starting point. Our costs page names the guide and date for each range.
Sums that look close can end up 20% apart once VAT is added, and a deposit may be a share of either figure. Ask which, as our answer on whether to pay a roofer upfront explains. A written total that states its VAT position removes the guesswork from both questions.
Energy-saving work and other special cases
VAT has some special rules, and they are narrower than they first sound.
What are the rules for energy-saving materials?
GOV.UK's Notice 708/6 deals with the installation of energy-saving materials and heating equipment. It sets a zero rate that applies to installations completed from 1 May 2023 until 31 March 2027, and the reduced rate there is 5%. Those rules are about energy-saving products such as insulation. They do not turn an ordinary repair or re-roof into a reduced-rate job.
What if the roof job includes insulation?
Then the quote needs to be clear about which part is which, and an accountant or the notice itself is the source of the answer. We cannot give tax advice, and we would rather say so than guess.
What about a roofer who is not VAT-registered?
Ask the same question: does the total include VAT, and will any be added? Get the answer in writing before work starts.
The takeaway is simple. Expect 20% on a repair or a re-roof of an existing home, check that the quote says so, and start with a survey. If the job is a larger re-cover, see our page on roof replacement.
More on VAT
Is VAT charged on roof repairs?
Yes. GOV.UK gives 20% as the standard rate, and that covers repair and re-roofing work to a house already lived in. An ordinary roof repair has no reduced rate. Have any roofer confirm in writing whether the quoted total includes VAT, and keep that confirmation with the quote before you agree to anything.
Will I have to pay the reverse charge as a homeowner?
No. The domestic reverse charge runs between VAT-registered businesses whose work is reported under the Construction Industry Scheme. A homeowner who hires a roofer to work on their own house sits outside that chain, so VAT is handled in the ordinary way on the quote, and the quote should say how.
The full picture: Roofers in Taunton ยท More short answers