What questions should I ask a roofing contractor?

The short answer

Ask what has failed, how they established it, what they could not see, what exactly will be repaired, which materials are new and which reused, how access will be managed, and what the price excludes. The specificity of the answers tells you more than any single answer does.

What could this mean?

Vagueness is the signal. A roofer who has genuinely looked can tell you which slope, which detail and what they saw there.

What should you be shown before agreeing to the work?

What defect was found, described specifically
How it was identified and what evidence exists
Which areas could not be inspected, and why
What is included, what is excluded, and how variations are priced
Who will carry out the work and when

Not every job needs every item. The point is that whatever is recommended should be supported by evidence you can see and a scope you can read.

Related services

Roof RepairsA roof repair fixes a localised fault — slipped slates, cracked tiles, failed flashing, a leaking valley or a split flat-roof seam — without replacing the whole roof. Most Cumbrian domestic repairs are completed in a single visit once the true cause of the leak has been identified.

What should you do next?

Write the questions down before the visit and note the answers. Comparing notes afterwards is much easier than comparing impressions.

Reviewed by Aaron, Owner, Elite Roofing Services Cumbria Ltd — last reviewed 17 September 2026.

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