Roofing quote template UK: clear wording for customers
Roofing quotes carry two risks other trades do not: a scaffolding bill that often dwarfs the actual roofing labour, and weather that can postpone a job halfway through. The wording on the quote is what determines whether either of those becomes a customer dispute. Here is what belongs on a UK roofing quote and the language that protects both sides.
A vague roofing quote loses jobs to clearer-looking competitors even when the price is fair. A customer looking at three quotes for a re-roof picks the one that names the tile, lists the scaffolding hire period, mentions the underlay specification and shows how rain delays are handled before they pick the cheapest. The vague quote loses on credibility - the customer assumes things are missing because there is no breakdown.
Roofing also has more variation risk than most trades. You can quote a flat roof replacement from the ground, get the felt off, and find rotten timber decking that has to be replaced before the new membrane can go on. You can quote a tile repair from a photograph, lift the tiles, and find that the batten is rotten or the underfelt has perished across the whole pitch. The wording on the page is what stops those discoveries turning into shouting matches with the customer.
The article below is the template: the nine line items every UK roofing quote should carry, the wording for the bits that catch roofers out (scaffolding hire period, weather delays, found-on-site work, asbestos awareness on older roofs), the layout that gets the customer to read the page rather than skim it, and three worked examples: flat roof replacement, slate roof repair, and a full re-roof on a 1930s semi.
The nine line items every roofing quote needs
A good roofing quote separates the scaffolding, the materials, the roofing labour and the disposal into their own lines. The customer should be able to see at a glance where each pound goes. Nine lines cover most domestic roofing jobs from a flat roof repair to a full re-roof.
- Roofing labour - days x rate, clearly stated. "3 days @ £380/day" reads as a professional rate; "£1,140 labour" reads as opaque. Customers comparing quotes need this line to compare against the labour line on competing quotes.
- Scaffolding hire - per-week rate, total weeks, hire period. "Scaffolding to front and rear elevations, 3 weeks hire @ £180/week = £540." Scaffolding is often 20-30% of the total job cost; customers who do not see it broken out assume the labour line is padded.
- Materials - itemised by name and supplier. "Marley Modern interlocking concrete tiles (450 tiles), Klober Permo Air breathable underlay, 25x50 treated batten, lead flashing code 4" beats "tiles and felt".
- Access and preparation - removing existing tiles, stripping felt, cleaning the roof structure for inspection. Always its own line, never bundled into labour, because the customer often does not realise this is the day-one work before any new material goes on.
- Disposal and waste - skip hire, tile and felt removal, old lead recovery. Customers underestimate the skip hire cost on a re-roof (often £350-£500 for a 6-yard skip on a 3-bed semi).
- Building regulations and certificates - on full re-roofs the work is notifiable under Part L of the Building Regulations for thermal performance. State whether you handle the notification (via a competent person scheme like CompetentRoofer) or whether the customer needs to handle it via Local Authority Building Control. Note the certificate type that will be issued.
- Provisional sums and weather contingencies - allowances for things you cannot see until the tiles are off, plus a clearly-worded weather contingency. "Allowance: £400 for replacement of rotten batten or decking if found beneath existing covering; charged at cost if exceeded. Weather delay contingency: any working day lost to weather is added to the schedule at no extra charge; scaffolding hire extension billed at cost if weather extends total hire by more than one week."
- Guarantees and insurance - state the manufacturer warranty (typically 15-25 years on concrete tiles, 20 years on Marley Modern), your workmanship warranty (typically 10 years on a full re-roof, 5 years on flat roofs), and whether the warranty is insurance-backed (CompetentRoofer / GuaranteeProtection Insurance / similar). Insurance-backed warranties are the strongest credibility signal on a roofing quote.
- Total and payment terms - subtotal, VAT (if registered), grand total, payment schedule, accepted methods. "30% deposit on scaffold-up, 40% on materials delivery, 30% on completion" is the standard for full re-roofs over £5,000.
Wording for scaffolding, weather and find-on-site work
Four situations recur on roofing jobs and cause more disputes than anything else: scaffolding hire periods that overrun, weather delays that push the schedule, finding rotten timber or perished felt once the tiles come off, and asbestos in older flat roofs. The wording for each one belongs on the quote.
- Scaffolding hire period clause - "Scaffolding is hired for [X] weeks based on the work schedule. If the job runs over due to weather delays beyond [X+1] weeks total, scaffolding extension is billed at £[Y]/week with prior notice. If the job runs over due to additional work the customer has commissioned, the extension is included in the variation quote." Splits responsibility cleanly: weather extensions are at-cost, customer-driven extensions are part of the new scope.",
- Weather delay clause - "Working days lost to weather are added to the schedule at no extra charge. Roofing work cannot safely or properly proceed in sustained rain, high winds (gusts over 30mph), or freezing conditions. The job restarts on the first safe working day; the customer is notified by [phone/portal message] when work resumes." This is the line customers most often forget exists and most often complain about when work does stop for a week.
- Found-on-site work clause - "This quote covers the work described above based on visible roof condition. If lifting tiles reveals rotten batten, perished underfelt, decayed structural timber, or other elements that must be replaced for the new covering to perform as warrantied, we will stop, photograph the issue, and send a separate quote before continuing. Nothing is charged without your written go-ahead." Sets the customer up for a likely variation rather than springing it on them at the end.
- Asbestos clause (essential on pre-2000 flat roofs) - "Some older flat roof coverings contain asbestos in the bitumen layer or in the deck. If asbestos is suspected on lifting, work stops, the material is left undisturbed, and a licensed asbestos removal contractor is engaged before any further roofing work. The cost of asbestos removal is not included in this quote and is quoted separately by the licensed contractor." Critical for credibility on any pre-2000 property; customers shopping competing quotes value seeing it.
- Materials volatility clause - "Materials prices are based on supplier rates as of [date]. If tile, lead, or timber prices move more than 5% before the materials order is placed, the materials line is repriced and reconfirmed before any order goes in." Lead prices in particular move significantly.
How to lay out a roofing quote so customers actually read it
A clear roofing quote with headers, breakdowns, and one or two annotated photographs gets read in full. A wall of text gets skimmed and forgotten. The layout below is what works for UK domestic roofing quotes between £500 (small repair) and £15,000 (full re-roof).
- Top of the page - your business name, your CompetentRoofer registration number (or similar scheme), the customer name and the job address. Quote reference and valid-until date in the top right. CompetentRoofer / NFRC / FMB membership shown in the header is the fastest credibility signal on a roofing quote.
- Scope summary - two or three sentences describing the work before any prices. "Strip existing covering of front and rear pitches on 3-bed semi, replace rotten batten as found, fit new Klober Permo Air breathable underlay, refit existing salvageable tiles + 30% allowance for replacement Marley Modern tiles, new lead flashings to chimney and abutments (Code 4), three weeks scaffolding to both elevations, full clean-down, 10-year workmanship warranty insurance-backed by CompetentRoofer."
- Itemised table - description, quantity, unit, price per row. Customers compare roofing quotes by scanning the table; the more readable yours is, the more often you win on clarity rather than on price.
- Annotated photographs - one or two photos with simple annotations ("rotten batten in red - to be replaced", "good salvageable tiles in green") attached to the quote. CMA quote-builder lets you attach images; the photos do more selling work than any text line.
- Exclusions box - decorating after pointing or flashing work, structural timber replacement beyond the provisional sum, gutter replacement (unless explicitly quoted), removal of customer-supplied parts, asbestos removal (if found), repair of internal damage caused by pre-existing leaks. Roofing exclusions are the most-missed line in the trade.
- Accept-and-pay button - one click to accept; deposit clears through the portal. Roofing jobs are higher-value than most trade quotes, and acceptance rates jump significantly when the friction is removed.
Three worked examples: flat roof, slate repair, full re-roof
The three examples below cover most of the volume in UK domestic roofing work. Each follows the same structure: scope summary, roofing labour, scaffolding, materials, access and preparation, disposal, certificates (where applicable), provisional sums, total, payment schedule.
- Example 1 - Flat roof replacement (3m x 4m extension roof). Scope: strip existing felt, inspect deck, lay new 18mm OSB where needed, install new high-performance torch-on felt system (Garland White Cap or similar), new edge trims and drip flashings, full clean. Labour 2 days @ £400 = £800. Scaffolding (low-level edge protection) = £180. Materials: torch-on felt system (£280), OSB sheets (£90), trims and gas (£60), bitumen and primer (£35) = £465. Access and preparation = £120. Disposal (4-yard skip) = £230. Provisional sum: deck replacement allowance £150 (charged at cost if exceeded). Subtotal £1,945. VAT (if registered) £389. Total £2,334.
- Example 2 - Slate roof tile repair (12 broken slates, 1m of lead flashing). Scope: lift surrounding slates, replace 12 broken slates with matching colour and size, refit lead flashing to chimney (Code 4), point with hydraulic lime mortar where appropriate, clean down. Labour 1 day @ £380 = £380. Scaffolding to chimney pitch (1 week) = £180. Materials: matching natural slates x 12 (£72), Code 4 lead flashing 1m (£35), lime mortar (£12), fittings (£15) = £134. Disposal = £25. Subtotal £719. VAT (if registered) £143.80. Total £862.80. No deposit required; payable on completion.
- Example 3 - Full re-roof on 1930s 3-bed semi (front + rear pitches). Scope: strip both pitches, inspect rafters and battens, replace rotten battens and decayed timber where found, fit Klober Permo Air breathable membrane to BS 5534, refit Marley Modern interlocking concrete tiles (existing where serviceable + 30% replacement allowance), new lead flashings to chimney and abutments (Code 4), three weeks scaffolding to both elevations, CompetentRoofer notification to building control under Part L, 10-year workmanship warranty insurance-backed by CompetentRoofer. Labour 8 days @ £380 = £3,040. Scaffolding 3 weeks @ £180/week = £540. Materials: Marley Modern tiles (£780, includes 30% replacement allowance), Klober Permo Air underlay (£280), 25x50 treated battens (£180), Code 4 lead flashing (£220), ridge tiles and mortar (£95), fixings (£60) = £1,615. Access and preparation = £350. Disposal (large skip, x2) = £620. Building control notification (CompetentRoofer) = £45. Provisional sum: batten and decayed timber replacement allowance £400 (charged at cost if exceeded). Subtotal £6,610. VAT (if registered) £1,322. Total £7,932. Payment: 30% on scaffold-up (£2,380), 40% on materials delivery (£3,173), 30% on completion (£2,379).
Common mistakes that lose roofing quotes
A few patterns show up in roofing quotes that lose jobs they should have won. Most have nothing to do with price and everything to do with what the quote signals about your professionalism and how you handle risk.
- No scheme registration shown - CompetentRoofer, NFRC, FMB, or insurance-backed warranty scheme membership in the header is the fastest signal of competence. Customers comparing roofing quotes drop the ones without a registration body first.
- Scaffolding bundled into labour - "Supply and fit £4,200" tells the customer nothing. The competing quote that breaks out scaffolding (£540), labour (£3,040) and materials (£1,615) looks more transparent even if the total is identical.
- No weather clause - if you do not state how weather delays are handled, the customer assumes the job will start on date X and finish on date Y regardless of conditions. When it rains for a week, the customer feels misled. A short clause sets expectations once and saves a difficult phone call later.
- No asbestos awareness on older properties - any quote for a flat roof on a pre-2000 property without an asbestos clause is a red flag. Customers who know about asbestos (most do) will pick the quote that mentions it.
- No provisional sum for found-on-site work - quoting a re-roof from the ground without a clearly-stated provisional sum for rotten batten or decayed timber sets you up to either (a) absorb the cost yourself or (b) have a difficult conversation halfway through. The provisional sum lets you flag the issue, charge fairly when it appears, and keep the relationship healthy.
תהליך עבודה פשוט להכנת הצעות מחיר טובות יותר
Before sending the quote - itemise the nine line items (labour, scaffolding, materials, access, disposal, certificates, provisional sums, guarantees, total + payment). Customers comparing roofing quotes look for scaffolding and warranty terms before they look at the price.
Add the five wording clauses (scaffolding hire period, weather delay, find-on-site, asbestos, materials volatility) that handle the situations most likely to turn into disputes later.
Show your CompetentRoofer or NFRC registration number in the header. It is the fastest credibility signal on a roofing quote.
Attach one or two annotated photographs to the quote - rotten batten in red, salvageable tiles in green. Photos do more selling work than any text line.
Send via a quote-acceptance portal where possible. Roofing jobs are higher-value than most trade quotes, and a click-to-accept flow with milestone payments lifts conversion noticeably.
A good roofing quote does the credibility work for you before the customer ever rings to ask questions. The price is rarely the deciding factor on a re-roof - the clarity of the scaffolding line, the visible scheme membership, the weather clause and the asbestos awareness are what close the comparison against the competing quote that does not mention them.
Use the nine-line structure on your next quote, copy the five wording clauses, and watch what happens to your acceptance rate. Most roofers find they win more jobs at full price after the template change than they ever did with a "Supply and fit £6,000" bottom line and a hope-for-the-best phone call when the rain starts.
שאלות נפוצות
What should a UK roofer include in a quote?
Nine line items: labour (days x rate), scaffolding (weeks x rate, total hire period), materials (itemised by name and supplier), access and preparation, disposal and skip hire, building control notification on notifiable work (Part L for re-roofs), provisional sums for unknowns, guarantees (manufacturer + workmanship, insurance-backed if possible), and a total with VAT and payment schedule. Adding annotated photographs of the roof condition is the single strongest credibility move on a roofing quote.
How do I handle scaffolding overruns on a roofing quote?
State the planned scaffolding hire period on the quote and add a clause splitting responsibility for overruns. Weather-driven extensions beyond the planned period plus a one-week buffer are billed at cost with prior notice; customer-driven extensions (commissioning additional work) are included in the variation quote. This sets expectations once and avoids the moment where a £540 scaffolding line becomes a £900 bill the customer was not expecting.
How do I write a weather delay clause for a roofing quote?
State that working days lost to sustained rain, high winds (gusts over 30mph), or freezing conditions are added to the schedule at no extra charge, and that work restarts on the first safe working day. Note how you will notify the customer (phone, portal message). This is the line customers most often forget exists and most often complain about when work stops for a week. A one-paragraph clause prevents the difficult phone call.
Should I mention asbestos on roofing quotes?
Always on quotes for flat roofs on pre-2000 properties, and ideally on any older property. The clause should state that suspected asbestos in the bitumen layer or deck causes work to stop, leaves the material undisturbed, and requires a licensed asbestos removal contractor before further work can continue - with the removal cost quoted separately by the licensed contractor. Customers shopping competing quotes value seeing this; absence raises a doubt about whether you handle compliance.
How do I charge for find-on-site work like rotten battens or decayed timber?
Put a provisional sum on the quote with clear wording. "Allowance: £400 for replacement of rotten batten or decayed timber if found beneath existing covering; charged at cost if exceeded." When you lift the tiles and find more than allowed for, stop, photograph the issue, and send a separate variation quote before continuing. Never carry out variation work without written customer agreement. This wording is the difference between a fair extra charge and a "you said £7,900 then billed me £8,800" complaint.
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