Reading a quote
What should a written roofing quote include?
A good roofing quote is written, with one total price and a clear scope. Below: what it states, the legal points to check and what to ask.
The short answer
A written roofing quote should state the address and the work, the covering and materials, one total price, whether VAT and scaffold are included, how waste leaves the site, the start window and the payment terms. If a re-roof or insulation is involved, it should also say how the Building Regulations are being handled. A figure on a card or a text message is not a quote, and you can ask for it again in writing.
4 min read · Part of Roofing in Folkestone
What every quote should state
The core of a quote is a description of the job that you could hand to a different roofer and get a comparable price back. Look for these points.
- Your address and the parts of the roof the work covers.
- The covering and materials, named, so that a like-for-like comparison is possible.
- Where the old covering and the waste end up.
- One total price, with VAT stated as in or out.
- Whether scaffold, and its highway licence where needed, is part of that price.
- A start window and an expected length of work.
- When each payment falls due.
A short quote can be a good one if it covers these. A long one that skips them is not, however neat the cover page looks. Notice what a quote leaves out as well as what it says: if scaffold is not mentioned, ask. If the covering is described only as new tiles, ask which.
Ours is one written total price, and the survey notes sit behind it so you can see what was found.
Scaffold, VAT and waste
These three are where one quote can hold more than another, so read them with care.
On scaffold, a council licence is needed to stand it on the highway, and the fee is published: Kent County Council lists £52 per week for 2026 to 2027, and East Sussex Highways lists £127 for 28 days. A quote should say who arranges the licence and whether the fee is inside the price. We arrange the licence with our scaffolder.
On VAT, Which? Trusted Traders' figures exclude it, and MyJobQuote's carry no VAT basis, so a quote that does not say either way is hard to compare. Check that yours states whether VAT is included.
On waste, the old covering has to leave the site. Where the building was built or refurbished before 2000, HSE advises assuming asbestos is present, so the quote should say how soffits and cement sheets are checked before stripping. Asbestos waste goes in a lockable skip, never an open one, and it is not covered by the household consignment-note exemption.
Regulations a quote should recognise
| Subject | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Building Regulations | A statement of whether an application is needed and who checks the work |
| Insulation | How the roof will meet Part L if most of it is renovated |
| Site safety | A construction phase plan under CDM 2015 |
| Your rights | The 14-day cancellation period that applies to a contract signed at home |
The Planning Portal's guide says re-roofing does not normally need a building regulations application if less than 25 per cent of the building envelope and less than 50 per cent of the roof comes into the work, and that a new covering 15 per cent or more heavier does need approval, whatever its area. On Dover District Council addresses the council goes further: its building control page lists replacing roof coverings, even like for like, among work that needs approval.
On insulation, AD L expects the whole roof to be brought up to Table 4.3 where more than half of it is renovated and that is feasible. Under CDM 2015, a domestic client's duties are handed to the contractor, and every project, however small, needs a construction phase plan.
When a quote is vague, ask
A vague quote is not always a bad roofer, but it leaves the gaps for you to fill later. Turn each gap into a question, and ask for the reply to come in writing, dated, so it can be found again if the job changes.
- Which covering, which make and which fixings?
- Is scaffold in the price, and for how many weeks?
- Is VAT in or on top?
- What happens if the lifted covering shows rotten timber?
- When can the work start, and what happens if weather delays it?
- Who will be working on my roof, and who do I phone if a worry comes up?
- What will I be asked to pay, on which dates, and for what?
A reply that arrives in writing, with plain answers, is the best sign you will get before work begins. A reply that dodges is a sign as well, and it is far better to learn that now than halfway through the job.
For the next step, read about paying upfront and your right to cancel, and what you can check about a roofer. The homepage lists the roofing we do around Folkestone.
More questions
Should a roofing quote give one price or several?
One total price, set against a clear written description of the work, is what you want. The scope tells you what the price buys, so look for the covering, scaffold, waste, VAT and dates named in the document. A price with no scope cannot be compared with another, and a scope with no total leaves the cost open.
How long should a roofing quote stay valid?
A quote should state how long its price holds, because roofing materials and scaffold dates move. There is no single published validity period, so the figure is for you and the roofer to agree and write down. If the survey on the day finds more than expected, ask how the price would change and who agrees it before work goes ahead.
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