“Are you insured?” gets a yes from every roofer who’s ever knocked a door. The follow-up questions — insured for what, how much, and can you show me — separate the professionals from the optimists. Here’s what cover actually matters, and how to verify it in five minutes without awkwardness.
Public liability: the non-negotiable
Public liability insurance covers damage to your property and injury to third parties — the ladder through the conservatory, the tile off the scaffold, the passer-by. For roofing, £1 million is a bare minimum; £2–5 million is standard for reputable firms. This is the certificate to actually ask for. A professional expects the question; hesitation or offence is itself an answer.
Employers’ liability: if they have a crew
Any firm with employees is legally required to carry employers’ liability insurance. Why do you care? Because if an uninsured worker is injured on your property, claims can wander in your direction. A sole trader genuinely working alone doesn’t need it — but then the person quoting should be the person on the roof, which is worth confirming anyway.
How to verify without being awkward
Ask for the certificate — by email is normal, and photographing it on-site is fine. Check three things: the named business matches the one on your quote (not a similar name, not a mate’s firm), the cover level, and the expiry date. Genuinely thorough? The broker’s number is on the certificate and they’ll confirm a policy is live. Two minutes, and entirely routine.
The uninsured discount isn’t a discount
Uninsured roofers are cheaper because you’re carrying the risk. One dropped tile through next-door’s extension roof and the saving is gone twenty times over — and your own home insurer may take a dim view of damage caused by uninsured trades you hired. It’s also a signal: a roofer who skips insurance skips other invisible things too. This belongs on the same checklist as the other questions we’ve covered.
Where guarantees fit in
Insurance covers accidents during the job; guarantees cover the quality of the work after it. You want both, in writing — see our guarantee page for how we handle the second half.
For the record: we carry full public liability cover and we’ll show the certificate to anyone who asks, before being asked. Get in touch and test us on it.