Comparing roof replacement quotes? Start with what is included.

A cheaper total can cover a different job. Compare the written specification alongside the price, and ask for anything unclear to be put in writing before accepting.

1. Scope: which parts of the roof are included?

Check whether the quotation covers the main roof, bays, extensions and adjoining flat roofs. It should explain stripping and preparation, underlay, battens, ridge and edge details, ventilation and waste removal. Chimneys, valleys, flashings, roof windows and roofline work should be expressly included or excluded.

Concealed timber defects cannot always be assessed before stripping. Ask how discoveries will be photographed, explained and separately priced before additional work proceeds.

2. Materials: compare the specification

Look for the proposed tile or slate, membrane, battens and ridge system. For flat roofing, compare the deck, insulation, covering and drainage details. Reusing sound components and replacing them are different scopes; the quotation should identify which is proposed.

3. Access and disposal

Check whether scaffolding, towers, skips and any necessary permits are included. Discuss access through neighbouring property, where materials will be stored and how the site will be cleared. These arrangements can materially change the total.

4. VAT and the total payable

Compare the final amount you will pay, including applicable VAT. An estimate or guide range is not the same as an agreed quotation. Check provisional allowances, exclusions and how variations will be authorised rather than assuming every possible repair is included.

5. Payment stages

Ask when the deposit and balance are due, and what any staged payment relates to. Keep a copy of the accepted quotation and payment record. Roofing Ninjas generally uses a 30% booking deposit and 70% on completion, with any different stages stated in the quotation.

6. Guarantees and responsibility

Check who provides each guarantee, its duration, what it covers and its exclusions. A workmanship guarantee, a manufacturer’s warranty and an insurance-backed guarantee are different things. Ask for the actual terms rather than relying on a headline.

Questions to send before accepting

• Are access, disposal and VAT included in this total?
• Which roof sections, junctions and roofline items are included?
• What will be reused, and what will be replaced?
• How will you agree the cost of any concealed defects?
• When are payments due and what documents will I receive?
• Who provides the guarantee and what does it cover?

See our roof replacement service and photographs of completed work, or request a quotation for your property.