How to spot a roofing scam before it costs you thousands
Your roof is one of the most expensive parts of a home but also, one of the hardest to check the quality and condition yourself and that is exactly why rogue traders love it. This week, Citizens Advice issued a warning to all UK homeowners, the consumer advice charity says:
One in 10 of all the scams it recorded over the past year were related to roofing
This means that it the most common type of scam brought to them. Even more concerning, one in four roofing complaints is suspected to be a scam and three quarters of those suspected scams started with someone selling on the doorstep.
In reality - most of us cannot climb up and look at our roof, so we take someone else's word for what is wrong. Most scammers recognise this pattern and rely on it, they use the gap of knowledge between what is happening on your roof and what you can see on the ground looking up.
How roofing scams work
Most roofing scams work in the same way, there is someone you didn't contact tells you there is a problem with your roof, usually posing as a builder doing work across the road or a cosplaying a genuine concerned trade-worker... from there, the con-artists will follow one of these routes
The "just passing": A trades person will knock, let you know that they noticed a slipped tile or ridge from the street and they are happy to take a look at it today for you. Genuine roofers with busy diaries don't have time to drive around offering free inspections.
The storm chaser: After bad weather, they may work their way down affected streets offering urgent repairs and inflated prices, making it seem as though the homeowner doesn't have a choice. The work gets rushed, they get paid a lot more than a job is worth and they're gone before you notice that anything could be wrong.
The staged damage: Once on the roof, the trades person comes down with photos of serious damage, sometimes this is damage that was caused whilst they were up there or sometimes, it's not even your roof.
The price that keeps growing: A small, cheap job but magically turn into a big one once works start. Homeowners get quoted a low cost but then they are told, they need new felt, new tiles or sometimes a whole new roof. In some cases, home owners have been escorted to the bank to with-drawn the cash.
The deposit and the disappear: A large upfront payment - often in cash and "for materials", is the last time you see them.
The cost of being scammed, is huge and the scammers are sophisticated. Bromley Trading Standards reported that in summer 2026, there were four seperate cases in which residents had already paid over £130,000 between them with traders asking and expecting £140,000 more. And it's not just door-to-door style scams, a roofer was jailed in August 2026 when he targeted people who went looking for help on trades websites, charging 12 victims more than £41,000 for poor work.
Warning signs of a rogue roofer
If any of these happen, slow down and gets a second opinion before you agree to anything.
- They approach you. Whether it is by phone, knocking, leafleting.
- They say they have spotted a problem that you can't see from the ground
- They want to go on your roof to just "take a look"
- They are pushing for a decision today
- They make claims like "it will get worse overnight"
- They want a large deposit (for materials, usually) upfront or they want everything in cash
- They only provide a quote verbally or scribbled down and vague.
- There is no company name, landline or even an address - just a personal name and mobile number.
- They make you feel uncomfortable or pressured into saying yes.
It's important to remember this rule: Never let someone that you didn't invite onto your roof. You have the right to say no.
How to check a roofer before you hire them
A genuine roofer won't mind you doing your homework. These checks take less than an hour and can save you so much money and time.
- Find them yourself. Ask family, friend and neighbours for recommendations or use a Trading Standards approved scheme, such as Buy With Confidence.
- Check the business is real. Look them up on Companies house and confirm there is a trading address and name.
- Verify trade memberships at source. If they claim membership of a body such as Confederation Of Roofing Contractors (CORC) - search for them on their website.
- Get more than one quote. Ensuring that you get at least 3 itemised quotes. A good quote will contain, materials, labour, scaffolding, VAT and usually, what happens if extra problems are found, in writing.
- Take references and ask for past work. Ask for photos of recently completed jobs nearby, or similar jobs and check for any independent reviews.
- Ask for proof of insurance and a written guarantee. All companies will need to show public liability insurance as a minimum.
- Take your time. Don't pay them the day they turn up, never pay them upfront, pay in stages until the work is complete and don't make any same day decisions.
Questions to ask a roofer before you agree to anything
A few direct questions will quickly separate a professional to someone taking a chance.
- How long has your business been trading?
- Can you show me the photos of the problem with my roof? including specifics in the background so you identify that it is actually your roof.
- What exactly is included in the price, can I see an actually breakdown?
- How long will the job take, when do you expect to start and finish?
- What guarantee do you give on materials and labour, is it insurance backed?
- Do you need scaffolding, is that included?
- How do you want to be paid and what stages?
If a trader dodges these questions, gets defensive or tells you there isn't any time to put this in writing or tells you that they will 'do it later' - treat that as your answer.
Know your roof
What is the best way to avoid a roofing scam? Knowing and understanding your roof before someone tries to tell you.
Scammers succeed because homeowners don't know what is going on up on their roof but if you already know your roof's condition, roughly the age and what repair costs should look like - then the false roof claims the trades person may tell you, fall flat.
We've built something here at Planna to help you out with this. Roofscore.
We will give you an independent view of your roof's condition without anyone needing to climb a ladder, you'll have a trusted baseline and understanding on how your roof looks from an aerial view, as well as the condition and potential recommendations and costs.
With a RoofScore report you can:
- Understand your roof's condition from an independent source, not a sales-person.
- Spot when a doorstop claim, doesn't match reality.
- Go into conversations with roofers knowing what to ask for.
- Plan maintenance before small issues become expensive ones.
What to do if you've been caught out by a rogue roofer?
If you think you may of been scammed, acting sooner rather than later is the best option. The sooner you report it, the better your chance of getting the money back.
- Stop any further payments and don't agree to any more work being done.
- Call you bank immediately. Card payments or transactions can sometimes be recovered.
- Keep everything. Quotes, invoices, call logs, texts and document any photos of the roof and the traders vehicle.
- Report it. Contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133. They can pass your case to trading standards and report fraud via the Fraud Report Service.
Recovery is possible in some case. Citizens advice shared a story, a woman in the North East was pressured into paying £3,500 work for work that was never done. She got advice from Citizens Advice, Trading Standards and The Financial Ombudsman Service and her bank refunded her. Not just that, the website she used to find help, paid for £800 compensation.
Roofing scams usually target older people or those living alone. If you have elderly neighbours, family or friend - share this guide with them and make sure they know to follow steps before agreeing to any type of work.
Helpful numbers and contacts
If you are worried about a trader or think you may of been caught out by a rogue roofer, these are the people that can help.
In an emergency
Police: 999, if a trader is at your door and you feel threatened ot unsafe.
Police Non Emergency: 101, to report a suspected rogue trader in your area.
Advice and reporting
Citizens Advice consumer helpline (England & Wales): 0808 223 1133, It will pass cases onto Trading Standards.
Citizens Advice Welsh Language Line: 0808 223 1144.
Advice Direct Scotland: 0808 800 9060
Consumerline (Northern Ireland): 0300 123 6262
Reporting Fraud
Report Fraud (England, Wales and Northen Ireland): 0300 123 2040 or reportfraud.police.uk - This service replace Action Fraud in December 2025
Police Scotland: 101, Report Fraud in Scotland this way.
If you have paid money:
Your Bank: Call 159, this should connect you securely to most major UK banks so you can report a payment quickly.
Financial Ombudsman Service: 0800 023 4567. Contact them if your bank won't refund you.
Support for older people:
Age UK Advice Line: 0800 678 1602