How we chose
We build the candidate list from the roofers Google Maps (Places) shows across Telford, then match each business at Companies House and read its own website for services, areas and terms. Claimed memberships are checked against the bodies that matter for this trade — NFRC for roofing standing, plus TrustMark and the Federation of Master Builders where claimed [1] [3] [4]. Before we score anyone, we check that each business is who it says it is, is trading today and can actually be reached. We then score every eligible business against our scoring system, which looks at the things you care about when hiring: what customers say, the qualifications and registrations that matter for this trade, how the business responded when we contacted it, how long it has traded, insurance and safeguards, how clearly it prices, and how useful its website is. Anything we cannot verify stays neutral rather than counting against a business. The ranking shows its evidence date so you can see how fresh every check is.
How to hire
Match the firm to the roof first. A roofer owns pitched coverings, flat roofs, leadwork, chimneys and rainwater goods — not structural timber alterations, which need a builder or surveyor's judgement, and not internal damp diagnosis alone, which may need a damp specialist. Say the covering type, the roof's age if you know it, and where water shows inside; leaks travel along timbers, so the stain rarely sits under the hole.
Check standing before anyone climbs up. NFRC members work to an industry code with dispute procedures, and TrustMark or Federation of Master Builders membership is further evidence of a managed business [1] [3] [4]. Ask for public liability insurance details with the limit stated, and a recent local job you could verify. Be wary after high winds: doorstep callers offering today-only deals deserve a closed door — invite two or three established firms to look properly instead.
Get two or three itemised written quotes on the same scope: materials by name, scaffolding in or out, waste removal, start and finish dates, and how bad weather is handled. A deposit for ordered materials is normal; full payment before completion is not. Citizens Advice sets out your rights with traders and the steps if work goes wrong — keep every quote, photo and invoice together [6].
Before paying, check the work from the ground and the loft: straight courses, sound ridges and verges, clear gutters, and daylight where it should not be. Ask for dated completion photos of details you cannot see, confirm Building Control sign-off where structure or insulation changed [5], and get the guarantee terms in writing. If anything is hidden before you have seen it, ask for it to be shown.
Pricing
As of autumn 2026, rough Telford ranges run like this: replacing a handful of standard tiles £75–£400; a single ridge tile £80–£300; clearing gutters front and back £75–£350; re-covering a garage-size flat roof £1,400–£3,500 in felt or £1,950–£4,000 in rubber EPDM; and a full tiled re-roof on a three-bedroom house £7,000–£21,000 [2]. These figures include labour and materials but exclude VAT [2].
What moves the price most is access: scaffolding on a two-storey roof can dwarf the repair it serves, and steep pitches, fragile slates and hidden rotten battens all add labour [2]. Tile type matters too — standard concrete is quick to match, natural slate and reclaimed tiles are not [2].
Get the quote in writing with the scaffold position stated, materials named, waste removal included or excluded, VAT shown, and start and finish dates agreed. Never accept a re-roof price given from the ground with no loft or ladder inspection; agree a contingency for rotten timbers found mid-strip.
Red flags
Prices a full re-roof from the pavement with no ladder inspection, no loft look and no photos.
Asks for a large cash deposit or the full balance before materials arrive [6].
Knocks after a storm offering a today-only discount and pressures you to sign on the spot.
Plans two-storey work with ladders only and no edge protection or scaffold.
Gives no business address beyond a mobile number and cannot produce insurance details.
Corrections and business responses
Tell us what needs checking, or ask to claim a listing and reply to an assessment.