Terms and conditions

Every quote starts with a survey of the roof. Our surveyor photographs your own roof, and the pictures reach you together with the written quote, which lets you check what we saw. The quote comes from our contractors as one total price for the work described.

A quote is based on what the survey could see. Some faults are hidden until work starts, for example rotten battens under old slates, a damaged rafter under a leaking valley or a sagging deck beneath a flat roof covering. If we find something that changes the work, we stop, show you what we have found and agree any change with you before carrying on. We will not add to the price without telling you first.

We aim to price only what the fault demands. A repair that cures the problem is quoted as a repair. A repair that merely buys time before a larger failure is flagged as that, with the reason.

Look at the quote to see if VAT and scaffolding are included in the total. Both can make a large difference to the final figure, and the quote should say plainly how each is dealt with. The quote also states how long the price stays open.

A contract exists once you have accepted the written quote and we have confirmed the start date. Please accept in writing, and an email or message is fine. Tell us if anything in the quote does not match what you expected before you accept it, because afterwards it becomes harder to change.

We may agree changes to the work once the contract is made. Any change should be recorded in writing, with its effect on the total price and the timing, before the change is carried out.

You confirm that you own the property or have the owner's permission for the work. If the building is leasehold, jointly owned or subject to a covenant, please tell us at the start, because you may need consent from a freeholder, a management company or a neighbour.

If you agree a contract with us at your home, or by phone or online, the law normally gives you 14 days to cancel without giving a reason. The period ends 14 days after the contract is made. That right comes from the 2013 Consumer Contracts Regulations (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges).

To cancel, tell us clearly in writing. A short email or letter is enough, and we will confirm that we have received it.

No work begins within the 14 days unless you ask for it in a letter or an email. Asking on the phone alone is not enough. Should you request an early start and cancel afterwards, you pay for what has been supplied up to that point, in proportion to the whole job. Where the work has been finished in full, the right to cancel can be lost, but only if you asked for early work in writing and acknowledged that you would lose the right.

Urgent call-outs are different. If you ask us to visit specifically to carry out urgent repairs, the law excludes those repairs from the cancellation right, though it still covers any extra work agreed on that visit.

The price is the total in your written quote, plus any change you have agreed in writing. Nothing is charged unless it appears in the quote or in a change you have agreed.

The quote sets out when payments fall due. This often means a payment at the start of larger jobs and the balance when the work is finished and you are satisfied, but the quote for your job is what counts. Please pay by the method stated on it. If a payment is late, we may pause work after telling you, and we may charge interest and reasonable costs of recovery as the law allows.

Materials remain ours until they are paid for. On commercial work, the payment terms in the written quote apply and are agreed before the work begins.

We need safe access to the roof and to the area around it. That can mean scaffolding, a clear drive, space for a skip, and a way for the crew to reach a tap and a toilet where the job runs for more than a short visit. Please tell us in advance about anything that limits access, such as a shared drive, a narrow lane, parking restrictions or a low overhead cable.

Scaffolding on a pavement or the highway can need a licence from the council. Please tell us if neighbours will be affected, and let them know the work is coming.

Roof work causes some noise, and old tiles, dust and debris can fall. Please move cars, garden furniture and anything fragile out of the working area, and keep children and pets clear. We take care of your property, and we expect the same of anyone who can reach the work area.

Once the roof is done we sweep up, and rubbish goes in our vehicle, not your bins. Where the waste is hazardous, such as asbestos cement, it must be handled and consigned as the law requires, and the quote will say how this is dealt with.

Putting back a covering that matches the old one seldom needs planning permission. Listed buildings, conservation areas and homes under an Article 4 direction can be different, and the survey will flag it if yours looks affected. Anything beyond that is for the local planning authority, such as Swindon Borough Council, to decide, so check with its planning team where you are unsure.

Some roof work needs a Building Regulations application, for instance when much of the roof is disturbed, where the new covering is heavier or where the structure changes. Our part is to explain which consents apply and to send the Building Regulations notice where the job calls for one. A freeholder or a lender may also need to agree, and a neighbour may be owed notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996; arranging these is up to you unless we have said otherwise in writing.

Wildlife has its own legal protection, and if bats or nesting birds turn up under the covering, work may have to wait for expert advice.

Roofing is outdoor work. Rain, ice or strong wind can make it unsafe or can damage the work, so dates are our best plan and not a fixed promise. If the weather stops a day's work, we make the roof watertight where we can and tell you when we will return.

We will keep you informed if something else delays us, such as a hidden fault, a late delivery from a supplier or a change you have asked for. We will not be liable for delay or failure caused by events outside our reasonable control, but we will do our best to complete the work as soon as it is safe and practical.

Where water is already getting in, stopping it comes first, and we put leaks and storm damage ahead of routine jobs. A temporary repair limits further damage and is not a lasting fix, and we will tell you which one you are getting.

The work comes with a written guarantee on workmanship, lasting 10 years. The full wording of what it covers, what it does not and how to make a claim is on the guarantee page.

Like any guarantee on building work, it does not cover damage you cause, damage from storms or other events, wear and tear, faults in parts of the building we did not touch, or work that someone else has altered. A manufacturer's warranty on a product is a separate document from our guarantee. Any lifespan mentioned for a roofing material is a general range, never a pledge from us.

Please keep your quote, any change records and your photographs. They are the best evidence of what was done if you ever need to make a claim.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 says we must carry out a service with reasonable care and skill. If we do not, you can ask us to repeat the work, and if that fails, to have the price reduced. These rights sit alongside our guarantee and nothing in these terms takes them away.

We are responsible for loss or damage that is a foreseeable result of us breaking the contract or failing to use reasonable care and skill. We are not responsible for loss that could not have been foreseen, for loss of profit on a business property to the extent the law allows us to exclude it, or for faults that existed before we started and were not visible at the survey. Nothing limits liability that the law does not allow us to limit, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, and for fraud.

If you are unhappy with any part of the work, let us know early, in writing if you can, and with photographs where they help. Our complaints procedure explains the steps and how we deal with each one.

We would like to put things right ourselves and will return to inspect the problem. When we give you our answer, we also point you to any alternative dispute resolution route you can use if you remain unhappy, and Citizens Advice can explain the options. You always keep the right to go to court.

The information on this website is general guidance about roofing, written to help you understand your options. It is not a survey of your own roof, and it is not legal, planning or structural advice. Prices quoted from third-party guides are typical UK ranges and not our prices. Your written quote is the only price that applies to your job.

We try to keep the content accurate, but regulations, product details and costs change, and we cannot promise that every page is current at the moment you read it. Check anything that matters with the council, your building control body or the manufacturer.

The text, layout and photographs on this site belong to us or are used with permission. You may read and print pages for your own use, but you may not copy them for another business. Our privacy policy and cookie policy explain how we handle your information.

We may update these terms from time to time. The version in force on the day you accept a quote is the one that applies to that job, and later changes do not alter an existing contract.

These terms and any contract with us are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales can hear any dispute. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may also be able to bring a claim in your local courts.

If any one term is found to be unenforceable, the rest stay in force.

Note: this page is a first plain-English draft, and a qualified legal adviser is due to review it; wording may change once that review is done.