PLEASE read before you start pricing your flat roofing project
The Dangerous Quality Gap Between âValue for Moneyâ and âCheapâ
Sooner or later, all your flat roofing research will bring you to the dreaded price conversation â where different roofers give you different costs and expectations.
Welcome to the minefield!
âŚOne roofer tells you âquality costsâ , and quotes a fee that feels steep.
âŚAnother tells you âtheyâre ripping you offâ and comes in at half the price â or lower.
âŚA third says, âyou donât need all those extrasâ and shaves off 20%.
Leaving you dazed and confusedâŚwondering which way to turn.
Of course, it depends on who you talk to. But chances are, you will get dragged into the confusion - especially if you shop around for a low price.
Then you could easily make a decision that costs you more in the long-termâŚand brings extra cost, stress and upheaval in just a few years.
So weâd best get this out in the open, right here at the start:
No matter what any sales rep claims, quality costs â and âcheapâ is dangerous. But that doesnât mean you should accept a sky high price as gospel! You need to make sure youâre getting a rock solid roof, and value for your money. Itâs a balancing act.
So letâs get into some home truths: whoâs quoting you what, and why?
3 types of flat roofer: do you know the difference?
Broadly speaking, flat roofers come in these three guises:
1. The Rogue
2. The Novice
3. The Pro
They all work differently, all quote differently. Hereâs what you need to knowâŚ
The Rogue Roofer
Youâve probably seen them exposed on TV consumer shows. Theyâll put a leaflet on your car windscreen, making a ludicrous offer to tempt you in. Or theyâll knock your door and show you pictures of flat roofs theyâve printed from the internet.
Let them in, and theyâll do the hard sell using every trick they know:
âŚThrowing in technical terms (they donât understand) â hoping you wonât notice.
âŚClaiming roofers âconspireâ to keep their prices high.
âŚDismissing essentials like insulation as âluxuriesâ!
âŚInventing horror stories and stats, to put you off any roof they donât fit.
And then?
Theyâll quote you a fraction of the going rate, and back it up with a staggering 50 year guarantee.
(Yes, 50 years!)
For customers on a tight budget, itâs often too good to resist.
But when the contractâs signed, the nightmare beginsâŚ
Theyâll start work straight away â ignoring the 14-day cooling-off period theyâre obliged to give you under Consumer Contract Regulations.
Theyâll bring in untrained labourers â because they canât afford a crew of experienced, qualified roofers.

Theyâll fit flimsy materials â not the strong, certified system they promised you. (They canât fit that, because top manufacturers wonât deal with untrained installers!)
So now, youâve got a low-grade roof thatâs not designed to stay the distanceâŚfitted by amateurs whoâll make rookie mistakes.
And it gets worseâŚ
Theyâll skip steps, or lower specifications for critical items. Not just insulation â thereâs boarding, fixings, bonding materials...everything gets downgraded.
Theyâll be flouting Building Control Regulations, and often invalidating your home insurance too.
But unfortunatelyâŚ
It all looks legitimate while the work is going on. You might be none the wiser until a few monthsâŚor perhaps a few yearsâŚlater, when the roof starts to fail.
So what happens?
The first signs could come early â like a draught that blows through the living space, even with the heating on full.
Later, if could be condensation clinging to windows and mirrors â a sign that vapours are lingering up in the roof space, and eating away at the timbers.
Or a few years on, water comes leaking through the ceiling. But by that time, the damage is done. Open up the roof, and the deck is rotten. It all has to come off â and you have to start over again.
Sadly, thatâs when youâd realise your ârooferâ has skipped town, and started trading somewhere else under a new name.
And that 50-year guarantee?
It turns out to be worthless â because it wasnât underwritten by an insurance company.
FOR THE RECORD: no insurer would ever guarantee a flat roof for 50 years. The industry standard is up to 20 years â even if the roof is built to last twice as long. Thatâs how insurers work.
The Novice Roofer
Rogue roofers are con artists â purposely selling a dud product, to trick their customers out of their life savings.
But theyâre not the only people who could botch your roof. There are novices, who may have better intentionsâŚbut still leave you saddled with an unfit roof.
A novice roofer is typically a tradesperson who doesnât have the full set of skills for flat roofing â but offers the service, to fill the empty space in their order books.
Builders are the most common offenders, but others get in on the act too. Glazing firms especially.
But theyâre not always from other trades. They could be wannabe roofers who believe â mistakenly â that they can learn as they go.
Either way, a novice roofer like this canât build you a solid flat roof. They might do their best â but just like the rogue:
âŚThey can only supply low-grade imitations materials.
âŚThey charge too little to invest in quality fixings.
âŚThey lack the skill or knowledge of a fully-trained flat roofer.
They may have watched a YouTube video or read some half-baked instructions, but this is a complex subject. They simply donât know what they donât know.
So â even if they mean well, the roof is doomed from the start.
BUT...like the rogue, they still get hired by customers who simply donât know any better.
The Pro Roofer
A professional flat roofer is easy to spot:
- Theyâll belong to a trade body, like The Federation of Master Builders or The Confederation of Roofing Contractors.
- Theyâll be vetted and approved by schemes like CompetentRoofer or Trustmark.
- Theyâll show you testimonials, or even put you in touch with happy customers.
- Theyâll be able to answer all your questions â without dodging the issue or getting defensive!
- Theyâll give you a fixed quotation, itemised line by line â not a figure theyâve plucked from the air and scrawled on the back of an envelope.
- Theyâll give you a genuine guarantee â and invite you to check it, to make sure itâs backed by a known insurer.
- And when you sign a contract, theyâll give you time to cool offâŚunless the work is urgent and has to start right away.
Of course, weâre simplifying here!
These are all the hallmarks of a quality flat roofer. But you canât put two side by side and expect an identical service.
In practice, one will be more thoroughâŚmore diligentâŚthan the other. Taking time to understand all your needs in detail.
And occasionally, even pro roofers will get out of their depth â offering to build a roof type thatâs outside their expertise:
âŚLike the pitched roofing specialist who offers to build a flat roof.
âŚOr the flat roofer who specialises in one system, and offers to fit another.
So please keep this in mind:
Different roofing types call for different skills. A roofer canât flit between systems without specialist training.
But if you insist on (letâs say) a PVC Single-Ply roofâŚwill a felt roofer come clean and turn down the work?
They should!
But they might well take it on, and bite off more than they can chew.
Thankfully, thatâs the exception. Most pro roofers abide by the standards of the industry. But it does happen.
So you should look beyond their basic credentials, to make sure they can fit the roof type youâve agreed.
What about cost?
As youâd expect, a highly skilled and experienced flat roofer doesnât come cheap. Theyâll only use the very best crews and materials, so they canât possibly compete on price with a rogue or novice.
But remember, going cheap is a false economy. A dud roof will need endless repairs, followed by early replacement. So chances are, youâll write off every penny you spend on the first roof, then pay the going rate for the second roof.
And thatâs just the basic cost.
Youâve got other expenses too. Like replacing furniture and other possessions that get damaged if the roof caves in. (If the work wasnât up to code, your home insurance could dig their heels in).
Add to that the stress and upheaval of turning your life upside down, and you can see why going cheap is crazy.
But how do you make sure you donât pay over the odds?
As weâve said already, a pro roofer should itemise everything â so you can easily check.
Compare quotes if you need to â but be sure to compare like for like:
âŚDONâT COMPARE a pro roofer with a rogue or novice!
âŚDONâT COMPARE a long-life system like PVC Single-Ply with a short-life system like felt.
âŚDONâT COMPARE the roofer who understands your needs with the one who treats you like âjust another jobâ. (Sometimes, that special service is worth a little extra.)
Ultimately, the question is: are you getting value for money?
Is it worth the investment to get a sturdy roof that meets all your requirements â whether that means low maintenance or an outdoor living space, or an end to draughts and condensation?
Does it stand up â as a âwhole of lifeâ cost, from now until the day you (or your family) come to replace it?
Now letâs talk specifics
We can only give you general information on a page like this. You wonât know the actual numbers until we take a look at your roof â or your plans.
So the next step is a free on-site survey and consultation with one of our flat roofing experts, whoâll give you all the details you need.
Then you can make an informed decisionâŚ
Need Help or to Book Your FREE Flat Roof Survey Call Now onÂ
01784 730640