How to complain about a roofer's work

Evidence is the whole of a complaint, so gather it first. Photograph the problem from outside at ground level and from inside the loft. Stay off the roof yourself. A phone held up through the loft hatch shows a great deal: daylight through a course, a stained rafter, a slipped tile lying in the gutter.

Note the date and the weather. A leak that shows only in driving rain tells a different story from one that appears after a dry week. Write down where water arrives inside, and put a bowl or towel there so the damage does not grow while the argument continues.

Then collect the paperwork: the quote, the invoice, the messages in which the work was agreed, and any written guarantee. Read what the quote said was included. A complaint about something that was never in the price is a different conversation from one about a line the roofer did charge for.

Hold off on letting a second firm start repairs. Fresh work over the fault can blur who is responsible. If water is coming in and cannot wait, ask for a make-safe only, photograph before and after, and keep the receipt.

A phone call is easy to forget and impossible to prove. After any call, send an email or letter so there is a dated record. Keep the tone plain. Say what job was done and when, what you have found, and attach the photographs. Then say what you want: a visit within a stated period, the fault corrected, or a refund of the relevant part of the bill.

Describe what you can see rather than what you assume. "Three ridge tiles have moved and a stain is spreading on the ceiling beneath" is stronger than "your men did a terrible job". If you do not know the cause, say so and ask the roofer to explain. Name the part where you can: the ridge, a valley, a flashing (a lead or metal strip that seals the joint where roof meets wall or chimney), the verge, the gutter line.

Set a date for a reply. Seven to fourteen days is a fair window, shorter if water is entering the house now. Say that you will arrange an independent inspection if you hear nothing. That is a statement of your next step, not a threat.

Retain copies of all you send, and log each phone call with its date, time and who you spoke with.

Many roofing complaints are settled at this stage, and offering the firm a fair opportunity to return is usually expected before anything formal. Be available for the visit and be specific about what you want checked. Ask for an explanation that names the part and the cause: a flashing not tucked deep enough into a mortar joint, a batten that split, a valley left too narrow for the water it carries.

Sometimes the cause lies elsewhere. A blocked gutter overflowing behind the fascia can look like a roof leak. A cracked chimney pot, an old cement fillet or condensation in the loft can mimic a failed repair. Hear the explanation out. If it is reasonable, accept the visit and have the fix done. If it sounds evasive, ask for it in writing.

Agree any remedial work on paper with a date. Photograph the finished repair and look at the area again after the next heavy rain, because roofs show their faults when it rains and a dry week proves little.

If the firm stays silent, fails to turn up, or denies a fault you can plainly see, commission an independent inspection from a different roofer or a building surveyor with no stake in the dispute. Ask for a written report with photographs saying what is wrong, what probably caused it and what a repair would involve.

According to MyBuilder (2026), a roof survey typically costs £150 to £500: £150 to £250 for a standard inspection, more for drone or thermal work. That is modest beside a dispute over a re-roof, and the report is useful whichever way it falls. If the work was sound, you learn the real cause.

Tell the surveyor the report may be shown to the original roofer. Ask for defects to be set against the yardsticks that apply. Ridge and hip tiles, for instance, should be mechanically fixed under BS 5534:2014 rather than relying on mortar alone, and a flat roof should meet the falls recommended in BS 6229. A report that measures observed defects against those carries more weight than a general opinion.

Send it to the original firm with a final dated chance to respond. A report sometimes changes minds.

If a letter, a fair chance and an independent report have not produced a fix, the next step depends on how you paid and what the contract says. Check whether you paid by card, since your card provider may offer a dispute route. Check what the contract says about any deposit or stage payment. If the firm claims membership of a trade body, look at what its paperwork actually says before relying on a complaints scheme.

The law sets a baseline. Under section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a trader must perform a service with reasonable care and skill. Where work falls short, the Act gives you the right to require repeat performance and, in some circumstances, a price reduction. Free guidance on these rights, including a template letter for complaining about poor-quality work, is available from Citizens Advice. This page is not legal advice, and a claim through the courts is a job for a solicitor or adviser who can read your paperwork.

Keep the tone factual throughout. Once you hold a report, a paper trail and proof you offered a fair chance to put things right, you are in a far stronger place than someone with only a phone call to point to.

Good paperwork at the start makes all of this easier. Our answer on roofer guarantees explained shows how workmanship, materials and insurance cover differ, so you know which one a complaint would rest on. Church and chapel roofs raise their own permission questions, set out under church roof repairs and consent, and whether a covering suited the slope can turn on what roof pitch means. Everything else starts from our home page.