Our workmanship guarantee

When we finish a roof, you receive a workmanship guarantee in writing that runs for ten years. It is a promise about how the work was done: that the tiles, felt, flashings, lead, gutters or other parts we fitted were fixed properly, in the right places, to a sound standard.

You get it as a document you can keep, which is worth more than a verbal assurance. When you sell the house, a buyer's solicitor may ask for paperwork about work done to the roof, and the guarantee, the invoice and the survey photos make a tidy set to hand over.

People mix these up, and so do some roofers, so it helps to separate them.

Workmanship

This is the quality of the fixing. A flashing that was not dressed properly into a wall, a row of tiles nailed too sparingly or a valley laid wrongly are workmanship faults. A workmanship guarantee is there for these.

Materials

A manufacturer stands behind its own product, such as a tile, a membrane or a ridge system, under its own terms. Those terms come from the maker and are separate from ours, so keep any product paperwork we pass to you.

Lifespan

A roof covering has a typical working life, and the figures vary a good deal with material, pitch, exposure and upkeep. A lifespan is an expectation, not a promise, and it is not the same as a guarantee period. A covering can outlast its guarantee by decades, and a guarantee can run longer than a poorly chosen material survives.

The guarantee document names the property, describes the work that was done and gives the date it was completed. It sits alongside your quote and final invoice, so the three papers describe the same job in the same terms.

The detail of what is covered and for how long belongs in that document, because it is specific to your roof. We go through it with you at the end of the job so nothing in it is a surprise, and you are welcome to ask us questions before you accept the work.

A roof stays sound for longer when it is looked at now and then, whoever fitted it. A few habits make a real difference.

• Keep gutters and downpipes clear, because overflowing water soaks fascias, felt and walls.
• After a storm, look from the ground, or with binoculars, for slipped or missing tiles and lifted ridge sections.
• Keep the survey photos and invoice together with the guarantee.
• Tell us promptly if a stain appears on a ceiling or a drip starts in the loft, rather than waiting for the next heavy rain.

Damage caused by someone else is a different matter from a workmanship fault. Climbing on the roof, fitting an aerial or a solar array and hacking at a chimney stack can all disturb a covering, and the cause matters when we assess a claim.

If you think something we fitted is failing, ring 01293 974253 or send a message through the enquiry form or WhatsApp. Please include the address, the date of the work, and photos showing the problem and where it is on the roof.

We will arrange to come and look. A leak can have several causes, and the cause may be unrelated to our work, so we check what is happening before we decide what to do. If the fault is in the work we did, we put it right. If it is something else, we tell you what we found and show you the evidence, and we can price a repair if you want one.

If we disagree, the complaints page sets out the next steps, and your rights under UK consumer law remain in place throughout.

The guarantee adds to the protection the law already gives you. Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 says a service has to be delivered using reasonable care and skill, and that applies whether or not a guarantee exists.

Treat any guarantee from any roofer in the same way. Ask for it in writing, read what it covers and for how long, and find out who to contact, and be wary of one that is vague. A promise that cannot be read, kept and checked is worth very little when a roof starts to leak.