Roofing FAQs

Most roofers in Exeter price by the job, not the hour, and an hourly rate on its own tells you almost nothing. What matters is what the quote includes: the access, the materials by name, and what happens if timber is found rotten. Our roof repair costs guide gives researched 2026 UK ranges by job type so you have something to compare against.

Usually the access. One roofer has assumed a ladder will do, the other has priced a scaffold. Ask each what they have allowed for. A quote that is a third of the others is not automatically a bargain; it may be assuming access that turns out not to be safe.

A deposit for materials is normal, especially for slate or a re-roof. Full payment up front is not. Pay the balance when the work is finished and you have seen it.

Only in the three cost guides. Nothing on the service or area pages carries a figure, because a price taken off a website is not the price of your roof.

During working hours, quickly. Outside them, the next working day. If water is coming in, tell us and it goes to the front of the queue; see emergency roof repairs.

Repairs, yes, in dry spells. Re-roofs are done in sections so the house is never left open overnight. Fibreglass flat roofs need dry weather to cure, so those may wait for a settled spell.

It can. Exeter has twenty conservation areas and in some of them the roof material is part of what is protected. Ask Exeter City Council's conservation team before you order anything, and tell the roofer.

Check the gutters first. Water pouring over the edge in heavy rain is a gutter problem, and it is the cheapest fix on this site. See guttering, fascias and soffits.

Doorstep visits you did not ask for, pressure to decide today, a refusal to give a written itemised quote, no insurance certificate, a demand for full payment up front, a mobile number and no address. Any one of those is a reason to stop. Our guide to how to choose a roofer goes through the checks in order, including the Trading Standards register you can search yourself.

We do not name one, because we do not inspect or approve the firms we pass enquiries to and we would rather say so than pretend. The guide above shows you how to judge any roofer for yourself.

As a general rule, a competent contractor is responsible for the risks of their own trade, and a homeowner who hires one and lets them manage the job is not liable for their accident. That is general information, not legal advice; it is one more reason to see their insurance before they start.

No. We are an enquiry service. We pass your details to an independent roofing firm covering your area, and they do the work.

No, and we will not claim to. We do not inspect, approve or accredit anyone. We show you how to check them yourself instead.

Nothing. The roofing firm pays us for the introduction. See our referral marketing disclosure.