It’s one of the most common frustrations in home improvement: you get three quotes for the same roof and they land at £6,000, £11,000, and £18,000. Your first instinct is that someone’s trying it on. Sometimes that’s true — but very often, the quotes genuinely aren’t for the same job. Here’s why roofing quotes vary so much, and how to compare them properly.

Reason 1: The scope isn’t actually the same

This is the biggest cause of price spreads, and it’s almost always invisible in a one-line quote. Consider a “new roof” quote. Does it include:

• Stripping the old covering back to the rafters, or overlaying?
• New battens and breather membrane, or re-using the old ones?
• New lead flashing and valleys, or “re-use where possible”?
• New fascias, soffits, and guttering, or leaving the old ones?
• Scaffold hire, or is access priced separately (or not at all)?
• Waste removal and skips?
• A written guarantee, and for how long?

One roofer quoting £6,000 might be pricing a re-cover over existing battens with the old flashing left in place. Another at £12,000 might be pricing a full strip, new membrane, new battens, new leadwork, and scaffold. Those are different jobs with different lifespans. The cheaper one isn’t necessarily a bargain — it’s a shorter-life roof. Always ask for an itemised breakdown; if a roofer won’t provide one, that’s information in itself.

Reason 2: Materials differ enormously

On a pitched roof, the covering material is a major cost driver. Concrete tiles are the cheapest; natural slate costs two to three times more in materials alone, and takes longer to lay. Within “slate,” there’s another split: Spanish or Chinese slate vs premium Welsh slate, with very different prices and lifespans. Two quotes that both say “new roof” can differ by thousands purely on material specification.

The same applies to flat roofs (felt vs EPDM rubber vs GRP fibreglass), leadwork (code 4 vs code 5 lead thickness), and even mortar and fixings. Ask each roofer to name the exact materials: brand, type, and grade. Vague quotes hide cheap specifications.

Reason 3: Access and scaffolding

Scaffolding is one of the most underestimated costs in roofing. A straightforward terrace with good access might need £400–£900 of scaffold; a tall Victorian property, a roof over a rear extension, or a job needing a pavement licence can run well into four figures. Some quotes include it, some list it as “to be confirmed,” and some quietly assume ladder access that isn’t safe or legal for the job.

If you’re comparing quotes, check what each one says about access. Our guide to scaffolding costs for roof work in London breaks down what drives the price.

Reason 4: Labour quality and business costs

A proper roofing firm carries public liability insurance, employs or subcontracts skilled roofers (not day labour), pays for training, and will still exist in five years to honour a guarantee. All of that costs money, and it’s in the price. A man-with-a-van operation has almost none of those overheads — and no office to visit if the roof leaks in year two.

This doesn’t mean the most expensive quote is automatically the best. But a quote that’s dramatically cheaper than the others usually means something has been left out: insurance, proper access, waste disposal, or simply the skill level of the people on your roof.

Reason 5: What’s hidden underneath

No roofer can see through your roof. Experienced roofers price in a sensible allowance for the unknowns — rotten battens, a sagging rafter, perished underlay — or they spell out day rates for extras. Others quote the rosiest possible scenario to win the job, then “discover” problems once the roof is off and you’re committed. Ask how each quote handles unforeseen work: is there an agreed rate, or is it open-ended?

How to compare quotes like-for-like

1. Get at least three quotes, and make sure each roofer actually got on the roof (or used a drone) rather than quoting from the pavement.
2. Demand itemisation: materials specified by type and brand, labour, scaffold, waste, and guarantee terms — all in writing.
3. Check the guarantee: “fully guaranteed workmanship” should mean a written guarantee with a named term, not a verbal promise. Our roofing guarantee explained guide tells you what to look for.
4. Verify the basics: public liability insurance, a real business address, and reviews you can check. See how to find a good roofer and questions to ask a roofer.
5. Be suspicious of pressure: “this price is only good today,” demands for large cash deposits, or quotes that appear without a proper survey are all red flags — see our cowboy roofer warning signs.
6. Compare the middle, not the cheapest: throw out the outlier at each end, then compare the remaining quotes line by line.

For ballpark figures before you start, our new roof cost guide for London gives realistic 2026 price bands.

The honest answer

Roofing quotes vary because roofs, materials, access, and roofers vary. The goal isn’t to find the cheapest price — it’s to find the best-defined job at a fair price, from a roofer who’ll still be around to stand behind it. A detailed, slightly higher quote from an established firm is almost always better value than a vague cheap one.

Victoria Roofing Expert Ltd is a family-run roofing contractor at 188 Camden High St, London NW1 8QP, serving Camden and all of London since 1982. Our quotes are itemised, our materials are named, and our workmanship is fully guaranteed — and with a 5.0 rating from 338 Google reviews, you can see what our customers think. Visit our homepage to see what we do, or check our FAQ for common questions.

Call 07848 256099 — open 24 hours — or get a free quote via our contact page, and compare it properly against the others.