Consumer guide
How to spot a rogue roofer, and what to do if you've been caught out
Roofing is now the most common scam Citizens Advice deals with. In the year to 31 August 2026 its consumer service handled 2,205 suspected roofing scams, more than any other trade and up on the year before. Most of them started with a knock at the door.
The pattern is nearly always the same. A small, cheap job turns into a large, urgent one once someone is up the ladder. In one case Citizens Advice published in October, a £250 gutter repair became a £2,500 bill for 'eave protection', and the next day there was no sign any work had been done at all.
We're a Mansfield roofing firm, so we see the aftermath: roofs we're called to put right, and customers who have stopped trusting anyone with a ladder. This guide covers what to look out for, the checks that take ten minutes, and what to do if you think it's already happened to you.
At a glance
| Rogue trader | Legitimate roofer | |
|---|---|---|
| The problem | They 'noticed' it while working nearby, and it's urgent | You called them, or they offer a free survey with no obligation |
| The price | Given verbally, or on a scrap of paper, and it grows once they're up there | Itemised, in writing, with the company name, address and landline on it |
| Timing | Today only, or 'we've got materials left from a job round the corner' | Time to think, get other quotes and check them out |
| Payment | Cash, or a transfer up front, sometimes with a lift to the bank | A deposit after you've signed a written quote, the balance on completion |
| Your rights | Never mentioned | Your 14-day cancellation right given to you in writing |
The warning signs
None of these proves someone is a crook on its own, but two or three together should end the conversation:
- They turn up unannounced and tell you there's a problem with your roof you didn't know about
- They go up uninvited and come down with photos or a broken tile. A photo can be of any roof, and a broken tile can come out of a pocket
- The price is only spoken, or written on something with no company name, address or landline
- There's pressure to decide now: a discount that expires today, or spare materials from a nearby job
- They want cash, payment before any work starts, or a bank transfer to a personal account
- A small job grows once they're on the roof: 'while we're up here, you'll want…'
- They can't, or won't, give you a full company name, a fixed address and a landline
- They name a trade scheme, but you can't find them on its register when you search it yourself
Not every knock on the door is a scam
We don't knock on doors ourselves, but plenty of legitimate local firms do, to offer a free survey. The knock isn't what gives a rogue trader away. What happens next is.
A genuine roofer books a time to survey the roof properly, sends you a written quote and leaves you to decide. They don't start work the same day, they don't ask for cash, and they don't mind you getting two other quotes. If the answer to 'can you put that in writing and give me a few days?' is anything other than 'of course', you have your answer.
Checks to make before you agree anything
These take about ten minutes and catch nearly every rogue trader:
- Look the company up on Companies House (it's free) and check the registered address is real
- Find the trade scheme's register yourself and search for the company. Don't use a link or phone number the trader gives you
- Read reviews on more than one platform. Look for detail and dates, not just a high score
- Get at least two written quotes covering the same work, so you can see if one is out of line
- Ask for photos of the problem with something recognisable from your house in the shot
- Ask for proof of public liability insurance
- For a re-roof, ask how building regulations will be handled. A genuine firm will know straight away
- Pay a deposit by credit card where you can. Under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, the card provider is jointly liable for purchases between £100 and £30,000
Knowing a fair price is the quickest way to spot one that isn't. What a new roof really costs.
We publish our ratings from Google and the trade platforms side by side, so you can check them in one place. Read our reviews across every platform.
Your rights if you agreed the work at home
If you agree roofing work in your own home, or straight after a trader approached you there, the Consumer Contracts Regulations give you 14 days to cancel. The trader has to give you that cancellation right in writing. If they don't, the cancellation period can run for up to a year longer.
If you ask them to start inside those 14 days, you can still cancel, but you may have to pay for work already done. That's exactly why rogue traders push to start the same day, and why you should be wary of anyone who does.
Separately, under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, any work must be done with reasonable care and skill. If it isn't, you're entitled to have it put right or to get money back.
If you think you've been caught out
Act quickly. The sooner you do, the better your chances of getting money back.
- Stop paying, and don't let them back on the roof
- Call your bank straight away. If you were tricked into paying by bank transfer, it may have to refund you under the authorised push payment fraud rules
- If you paid by credit card, contact the card provider about a section 75 claim
- Report it to the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133, which passes reports to Trading Standards
- If you feel threatened, or they come back, call the police
- Get an independent roofer to inspect the roof and photograph what was (or wasn't) done. That's your evidence for the bank, Trading Standards and any claim
If you've been left with an open or leaking roof, we keep slots for urgent call-outs around Mansfield. Emergency roof repairs.
Our verdict
A rogue roofer is rarely given away by the knock on the door. It's the pressure that follows: a problem you didn't know about, a price that's only spoken, a start date of today and a request for cash. Get every price in writing, check the company yourself, take your time, and remember you have 14 days to cancel work agreed at home.
We'll survey your roof free, with no call-out charge, and send a fixed written quote within 48 hours. We're NFRC Competent Person Scheme registered (contractor no. 12701) and Trading Standards Buy With Confidence approved, and you're welcome to check both before you decide anything. If someone else has quoted you or already started, we'll look at it and tell you honestly what we find.
Want a straight answer about your roof?
Book a free survey with no call-out charge. You get photos of what we find and a fixed written quote within 48 hours, with no pressure to decide on the day.