Terms and conditions for a roofing business

Roofing is a trade where the customer cannot see the work, the weather decides the programme, and the word 'guarantee' is thrown around by everybody. Terms that say what you will do when you find rotten timbers, who provides the scaffold, what your guarantee covers and how long it lasts are what protect a roofing business. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Roofing contractors in England and Wales doing repairs, re-roofs, flat roofs, leadwork and guttering for homeowners, landlords, managing agents and businesses. The terms are written for consumers and business customers together, with the sections that only apply to consumers clearly marked.

What matters in roofing terms

Access, scaffolding and the neighbours

The terms should say whether scaffolding is included in your price or hired separately, who is responsible for the scaffold and for how long, and that access over a neighbour's land, a shared drive or a flat roof belonging to someone else is for the customer to arrange. A scaffold that has to come down and go back up because a neighbour objected is a cost somebody has to bear, and the terms should say who.

Weather and the exposed roof

No roofer controls the weather, and a roof that is open when the rain arrives is a risk to the building. The terms should make completion dates estimates, allow the programme to move for weather without breach, describe the temporary protection you will provide, and say that water ingress during works caused by weather rather than by a failure to take reasonable care is not your liability.

Hidden defects and variations

You cannot see rotten rafters, failed felt or a chimney that needs rebuilding until the covering is off. The terms should treat those as extras, to be reported, priced and agreed in writing before you continue, and should give you the right to make the roof safe and charge for it if the customer will not decide. Matching existing tiles or slates is never exact, and the terms should say that reclaimed or nearest-match materials are acceptable.

Guarantees, insurance and insurance-funded work

Your workmanship guarantee should be defined in scope and length, and separated from any manufacturer's guarantee on materials, which is theirs and depends on their conditions. Where the customer is funding the job through an insurance claim, the terms should say that the customer remains your customer and is liable for the price whether or not the insurer pays, and that you are not party to the claim. Your public liability cover should be stated.

Waste, payment and the right to cancel

Old tiles, felt and timber are waste, and if you take them away you must be registered as a waste carrier with the Environment Agency. Payment should be by deposit, stages on longer jobs and the balance on completion; business customers can be charged interest and compensation on late payment under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. A job agreed at the customer's home or by phone gives a consumer 14 days to cancel under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, subject to the exception for urgent repairs the customer asked for, which covers only the urgent work.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted around your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want to know how much of a problem they are. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Buying online forms the engagement on payment. The scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A full set of terms drafted around your business, not a template with your name inserted
• A covering note in plain English explaining every commercial choice I made and why, so you can defend the terms in a negotiation without ringing me
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions set at a level that will survive a procurement review
• Consumer-facing wording drafted to be enforceable where you sell to consumers
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly, which is where most businesses actually fail
• One round of amendments after you have read them

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country

Questions I am often asked

Can I offer a twenty-year guarantee?

You can offer whatever guarantee you choose, but the terms should say exactly what it covers, what it excludes, such as storm damage and work by others, and whether it transfers to a new owner. An open-ended promise is a liability with no end date.

What if the customer refuses to pay because they cannot see the work?

The terms should provide for photographs of the completed work and any hidden repairs to be supplied with the invoice, and should make payment due on completion rather than on the customer's inspection.

Do I need the customer's permission to leave a scaffold up?

The scaffold is on their land and the terms should say how long it may stay, that it is not to be used by the customer or anyone else, and who is responsible for it while it is there.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495, if a main contractor or business customer has sent you their terms to sign
• Terms and conditions for a builder doing domestic work, which deals with the same variation and stage-payment issues

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.