Roofing is one of those trades where the difference between a good hire and a bad one might not show up for two winters. By then the van’s long gone. The best protection you have is the ten minutes of questions you ask before committing. Here are the ones that actually reveal something.
“Who will actually be on my roof?”
Some firms quote with an experienced assessor and then send whoever’s available. There’s nothing wrong with a firm having a team — but you want to know whether the person who diagnosed the job is connected to the people doing it. With us the answer is simple: the person who quotes is the person on the roof. Whatever roofer you’re talking to, ask, and notice whether the answer is specific.
“Can I see the quote in writing, itemised?”
A verbal figure isn’t a quote, it’s an opening position. A written quote should name materials and spec, labour, scaffolding, waste removal and VAT. Our cost guide explains what fair Bristol prices look like line by line.
“What guarantee do you offer — and what does it cover?”
“Ten-year guarantee” means little until you know: workmanship or just materials? In writing? What happens if the firm stops trading? Separating these is exactly why we published our guarantee page — take it along as a checklist for anyone you’re comparing.
“Are you insured, and for how much?”
Public liability insurance is non-negotiable for roof work. A legitimate roofer will name their cover level without hesitation and can show the certificate. Hesitation here should end the conversation.
“What happens if you find something worse up there?”
Roofs hide things — rotten battens under sound-looking tiles, crumbling mortar behind a chimney. The question isn’t whether surprises happen; it’s how the roofer handles them. The right answer involves photos, a conversation, and a revised written figure before extra work starts. The wrong answer is a bigger invoice at the end.
References beat reviews
Online reviews are useful but gameable. A roofer who’s been working locally for years can give you addresses of recent jobs and customers happy to take a call. We’re upfront that we’re still building our online review base — and equally upfront that we’ll share references from recent Bristol jobs with anyone who asks.
Ask us any of the above — get in touch for a free site visit and written quote, and compare us against anyone.