The short answer
Compare the scope behind each written total, not the totals alone. Write down what the job should include: stripping, underlay, battens, covering, ridge and verge fixing, roofline, scaffold, waste removal and VAT. Then check every quote against that list. Citizens Advice recommends collecting at least three written prices. A lower total that leaves things out is not a lower price.
What to put on your own checklist, which questions expose a gap in a quote, and how to weigh three written totals against each other.
Start with your own list of work
Quotes are hard to compare because each roofer describes the job in their own words. The simplest fix is to make a list yourself before the quotes arrive, then hold every one up against it. Before choosing anyone, Citizens Advice advises gathering several written prices, at least three, so you will have a few to test.
Your list should cover the things a roof replacement involves. Stripping the old covering and taking it away. Underlay, which is the waterproof sheet under the tiles. Battens, the narrow timbers the tiles are hooked over, and whether they are new or reused. The covering itself, named by maker and range. How the ridge and verge are secured, because BS 5534 expects mechanical fixings and mortar alone should not be relied upon. Roofline work such as fascias, soffits and gutters. Scaffold. Waste removal. Whether VAT is included.
Each quote is one total price. You are not asking for the total to be split up; you are checking that every item on your list is in the work that total pays for. If one is missing, ask for a written answer. Our guide to roof replacement lists the stages in the order they happen.
The gaps that make one total look lower
When two totals differ by thousands of pounds, the cause is usually the scope. Common gaps are battens left as they are when the old ones are tired, an underlay of a lower grade, ridge tiles bedded in mortar when another quote prices a dry-fix system, and gutters and fascias left out. Another is scaffold left off the total entirely. Checkatrade's October 2026 replacement guide gives scaffolding for a new roof as £700 to £1,300, so a quote that excludes it can look that much cheaper.
The same applies to VAT. The standard VAT rate is 20%, and Checkatrade's roof replacement table is marked as plus VAT. Ask each roofer in writing whether VAT is in the number you are looking at.
A scaffold that overhangs the pavement or road needs a highways licence, whereas one inside your boundary needs none. Ask who arranges any licence and whether its fee is in the total. For the cost side, see scaffolding cost for a new roof.
Questions that test a quote
A few plain questions show how well a quote has been thought through. What covering has been priced, by name? What is the pitch of the roof, and does the covering suit it? What if the timbers underneath prove rotten after stripping, and who agrees the extra cost, in writing, before it is done? What is the plan for rain on the roof? Who clears up each day, and where does the waste go?
Check the person as well as the paper. Citizens Advice warns that a written reference is not always genuine, and that a trader who only offers a mobile number deserves caution. It suggests asking for recent examples and contacting those customers. It also advises checking any claimed membership on the relevant scheme's own website, and checking that you and your trader have insurance.
A quote should name the firm, give an address or company details, and say how long it stays valid. A price that comes with pressure to sign today, or a demand for a large payment up front, is a reason to stop and ask someone else. Read the whole page again with a clear head. Our page on the cost to re-roof a 3-bed semi gives national figures to measure the totals against.
Choosing, signing and your cancellation rights
With three quotes checked against one list, the choice is usually clearer than the totals suggested. Choose the one that covers everything you listed, explains its answers, and gives a start date and a rough duration. Lean toward the lowest total only if its scope genuinely matches the others.
Sign a roofing contract in your living room after a survey visit and it is classed as off-premises under the 2013 consumer contracts rules. Those rules let you cancel without giving a reason, and for services the cancellation period runs until 14 days after the contract is made. If the trader does not give you the cancellation information, the period can be extended by up to 12 months. Asking the roofer to start work within that period is a separate step, and you must ask for it in writing on something durable, such as an email. There is an exception for urgent repairs that you have specifically asked for, so read the paperwork.
For help with a dispute, Citizens Advice runs a consumer helpline for individuals. Send us the other quotes you hold if you want help reading them, and we will show you which parts of our written total answer each of your questions. See also whether a new roof adds value.
More on this in Roof Replacement & New Roofs in Crawley
Two more quote questions
How many quotes should I get for a new roof?
Citizens Advice advises at least three, in writing, from separate traders. Three gives you enough to spot a total that is far above or below the others, and the reason is usually the scope. Give every roofer the same facts about the roof and the same list of what you want included.
Should I pay a deposit to a roofer?
That is for you and the roofer to agree in writing before the work. Be cautious of a large payment demanded up front, and ask what it buys, such as materials ordered. Keep receipts and a copy of the written quote. If you pay by card, your card provider can explain what protection applies.