How to Choose a Roofer in Godalming

The 10-Point Roofer Checklist

1. NFRC or TrustMark Registration. The National Federation of Roofing Contractors vets members for quality, safety and financial stability. TrustMark is the government-endorsed quality scheme. Ask for the registration number and verify online.

2. Public Liability Insurance. Minimum £2m, ideally £5m. Ask to see the certificate — verbal assurances are not enough.

3. Written Quote After Survey. A roofer who quotes over the phone without seeing the roof is guessing. Insist on a site visit and a written, itemised quote specifying materials.

4. Local Knowledge. In Godalming this means knowing lime mortar for Bargate stone, conservation tile requirements, and which estates have concrete tiles past their design life.

5. Guarantee Terms. Minimum 5 years for repairs, 10 years for major work. Written, with company details and clear scope. Ask what happens if the company ceases trading.

6. References. Ask for 3 recent references from local jobs. A good roofer will provide them without hesitation.

7. Payment Terms. 10–20% deposit is normal. Balance on completion. Never pay the full amount upfront — this is the single biggest red flag in the roofing industry.

8. No Doorstep Selling. Legitimate roofers do not knock on your door offering to fix problems they spotted from the road. This is the most common entry point for roofing scams in Godalming and everywhere else.

9. Clear Waste Removal. The quote should include removal of all old materials and debris. If it does not, add £200–£500 for skip hire.

10. Detailed Specification. Tile type, lead code, mortar specification, membrane brand — these should be in the quote. Vague descriptions mean vague work.

Common Scams in the Godalming Area

Doorstep callers claiming they spotted damage while passing. Leaflets offering unbelievably cheap re-roofs. Cash-only operators with no insurance. Companies that request full payment before starting. Roofers who start unrequested work then demand payment. If you encounter any of these, contact Surrey Trading Standards.

Red Flags — When to Walk Away

Certain behaviours should immediately disqualify a roofing contractor from your consideration. These are not judgement calls — they are clear warning signs of substandard or fraudulent operators.

Doorstep selling: Any roofer who knocks on your door claiming they spotted damage while passing is almost certainly running a scam. Legitimate roofers have full order books and do not cold-call. In Godalming, doorstep roofing scams spike after storms, when anxious homeowners are most vulnerable. Surrey Trading Standards reports that roofing is consistently among the top three complaint categories for doorstep fraud.

Full payment upfront: No legitimate roofer needs full payment before starting work. A deposit of 10–20% is reasonable for larger projects. If a contractor demands the full amount before lifting a tile, they are either planning to disappear with your money or are so financially unstable that they cannot fund materials — neither scenario ends well for you.

No written quote: A verbal estimate is not a contract. It protects neither party. Insist on a written, itemised quote specifying materials by name, scope of work, timeline, payment terms and guarantee. If a contractor will not put their quote in writing, they are not confident enough in their pricing to commit to it.

Pressure to decide immediately: "This price is only valid today" or "I have a cancellation tomorrow and can fit you in" are pressure tactics designed to prevent you from getting comparative quotes. A fair price is a fair price next week too. Any contractor who creates artificial urgency is trying to prevent you from discovering that their price is not competitive.

What Good Looks Like

A trustworthy Godalming roofer will: arrive when they say they will for the survey, spend 30–60 minutes inspecting your roof properly (not 5 minutes from the ground), provide a written quote within 2–3 days with full material specifications, answer questions about their approach without defensiveness, provide references from recent local jobs without hesitation, hold NFRC or TrustMark registration verifiable online, carry insurance demonstrable by certificate, and offer a written guarantee with clear terms.

We meet every one of these criteria. We are NFRC registered, carry £5m public liability insurance, provide fully itemised written quotes after in-person surveys, offer a 10-year written workmanship guarantee, and are happy to provide references from recent work in your area. Call 01483 346 855 for a free quote that demonstrates exactly what a proper roofing quotation looks like.

Getting Comparative Quotes

We recommend obtaining two to three quotes for any roofing work over £500. This is not about finding the cheapest price — it is about establishing the fair market rate and identifying outliers. If two quotes are within 15% of each other and the third is 40% cheaper, the cheap quote is almost certainly cutting specification or planning to add extras. If two are similar and the third is 40% more expensive, that contractor may be pricing in unnecessary work. The quotes in the middle of the range, from contractors who surveyed properly and specified clearly, are usually the ones to trust.

Understanding Roofing Guarantees

Not all guarantees are equal. A roofing guarantee should specify: exactly what is covered (workmanship, materials, or both), the duration (5 years minimum for repairs, 10 years for major work), what is excluded (acts of God, subsequent work by others, normal wear), and what happens if the company ceases trading (insurance-backed guarantees survive; company guarantees do not). Ask these questions explicitly before accepting any quote.

Insurance-backed guarantees (IBGs) provide protection if the roofing company ceases trading during the guarantee period. The insurance policy sits with a third party and can be claimed against regardless of the original contractor's status. NFRC members offer IBGs as standard through the federation's scheme. This is a significant advantage over non-registered contractors whose guarantee is only as good as their continuing existence.

Our Guarantee — Exactly What It Covers

Our 10-year workmanship guarantee covers defects in our installation work — tile fixing, lead dressing, ridge bedding, membrane installation, gutter fitting and all other work carried out by our team. It does not cover damage from events beyond our control (storms, tree impacts, subsequent work by others) or normal wear and tear on materials. Material warranties from manufacturers (typically 15–40 years for tiles, 20–25 years for membranes) are registered in your name separately and provide additional coverage beyond our workmanship guarantee. You receive full documentation on completion of every job. Call 01483 346 855 for a roofer you can trust.