Two quotes for the same roof can differ by a factor of two. That is not always margin: often the two are simply not describing the same job. Here is what a serious quote contains — and what should put you on alert.
The lines that must appear on it
- The actual surface area in m², not a flat ‘roof’ rate.
- The exact material: tile or slate model, brand, colour.
- The roofing underlay and the counter-battens, listed separately.
- The scaffolding or the platform lift, with its duration.
- Waste disposal and sorting.
- zinc work reworked: roof valleys, flashings, ridge, verges.
- The VAT rate applied and why (the reduced rate depends on precise conditions about the age of the property).
- The insurance: professional liability insurance and the ten-year structural warranty, with policy number.
The wordings that should put you on alert
“Complete roof renovation, lump sum” with no detail: impossible to compare, and impossible to check what will actually be fitted. “Depending on condition” on an important line: that means the final price gets set once the job has started.
“Scaffolding to be provided” with no figure: that item can be ten to fifteen per cent of the job. If it is not priced, it is not compared.
A deposit of more than thirty per cent before any materials are ordered deserves an explanation at the very least.
Comparing two quotes properly
Line the items up row by row rather than comparing totals. Check that the roofing underlay appears in both. Check that the stated area is the same — a difference of twenty square metres often explains the price gap on its own.
What you don’t see on paper
Will the person who comes to price the work be the one who follows the job? Was the quote drawn up after going up onto the roof, or from the pavement? Those two questions often separate the quotes that hold from the ones that slip.
