---
title: "How to vet a roofer: the 6 checks that protect you"
description: "Before you let anyone near your roof, run these six checks. TrustMark, NFRC, Companies House, insurance, written quotes and the deposit rule — the honest way to hire a roofer."
author: "Find Trusted Roofers"
published_at: 2026-07-01
canonical: "https://findtrustedroofers.co.uk/advice/how-to-vet-a-roofer"
tags: ["hiring a roofer","trust","consumer advice"]
---Roofing is one of the few trades where you can't easily inspect the work — it's ten metres up, behind scaffolding, and finished before you get a proper look. That's exactly why rogue traders gravitate to it. The good news: a handful of checks, done before any money changes hands, filter out almost all of them. Here are the six that matter.

## 1. Check the accreditations that actually mean something

Two schemes carry real weight in UK roofing:

- **TrustMark** is the government-endorsed quality scheme. A TrustMark-registered firm has been vetted for technical competence, trading practice and customer service, and you get access to dispute resolution if things go wrong.
- **NFRC** (National Federation of Roofing Contractors) members are audited and must carry insurance-backed guarantees. **CompetentRoofer** is the NFRC-run scheme that lets roofers self-certify their work under Building Regulations.

None of these is a legal requirement, so plenty of good roofers work without them — but membership is a strong positive signal, and it's easy to verify the number on the scheme's own website rather than taking a logo on a van at face value.

## 2. Confirm the business is real on Companies House

If the roofer trades as a limited company, look them up on the free **Companies House** register. Check the company is active, see how long it has existed, and note whether accounts are filed on time. A brand-new company isn't automatically a problem, but a string of dissolved companies at the same address is a warning sign.

## 3. Ask to see public liability insurance

Any roofer working on your property should carry **public liability insurance** — typically at least £2 million. If a tile falls on a car, or water damage follows a botched repair, this is what covers it. Ask for the certificate, check it's current, and note the insurer. A roofer who bristles at the question is telling you something.

## 4. Get everything in writing

A proper roofer quotes from a survey, not a glance from the pavement — and puts it in writing. A good written quote **names the materials** (tile or slate type, membrane, lead code), itemises **scaffolding** separately, states what's included and excluded, and gives a **guarantee period**. If a quote is a single round number scribbled on a business card, you have nothing to hold anyone to.

## 5. Never pay a large deposit

This is the single most important rule. Losing money to roofing scams almost always follows the same pattern: a large up-front deposit, then the roofer vanishes or drip-feeds excuses. A modest materials deposit on a big re-roof can be reasonable, but **never pay a large sum up front and never pay in full before the work is finished** and you've seen it. Pay by a method that gives you some protection, and hold a retention until you're satisfied.

## 6. Compare two or three quotes

Roofing quotes for the identical job routinely vary by thousands of pounds. Get **two or three itemised quotes** and compare like with like. The cheapest often skips scaffolding or uses a lesser membrane; the dearest isn't automatically better. Comparing forces each roofer to justify their price — and shows you the outlier.

## Where we fit in

Find Trusted Roofers is a national network that connects homeowners with local roofers. We're not a roofing contractor, and we're honest about what we do: we check the roofers in our network against Companies House, confirm public liability insurance, and note any TrustMark, NFRC or CompetentRoofer membership. We verify credentials — we don't guarantee the work, which is contracted directly between you and the roofer. Run the six checks above regardless, and you'll hire with confidence.