How To Find A Reliable Roofer in Brighton & Hove

To find a reliable roofer in Brighton and Hove, check three things before anything else: current public liability insurance you can actually see a certificate for, a written itemised fixed-price quote rather than a verbal estimate, and photographic evidence of the specific defect being repaired. Any roofer who provides all three is worth talking to; any roofer who resists one of them is not.

Roofing is one of the trades most exposed to poor practice, because the customer usually cannot see the work being done, cannot verify what was found, and cannot inspect the finished result. That information gap is the whole problem — and it is entirely fixable.

Credentials worth checking

• Public liability insurance — ask for the certificate, check the expiry date and the cover level
• A verifiable trading address in Sussex, not just a mobile number
• Companies House registration if they trade as a limited company
• Membership of a recognised body such as the NFRC or a TrustMark scheme, where applicable
• CAA operator registration if drone surveys are part of the offer
• Recent reviews that mention the specific type of work you need, on a platform they do not control

Five questions to ask before you commit

"Can you show me photographs of the actual problem on my roof?" This is the single most useful question a homeowner can ask. A roofer with a drone or a camera can answer it in minutes. A roofer who says you will have to take their word for it has told you something important.

"Is this quote fixed, and what happens if you find something else?" A good answer names a fixed price for defined work and explains that anything additional will be photographed, quoted and agreed before it is done.

"Who will actually be on site, and are they employed or subcontracted?" Subcontracting is normal and fine. Not knowing who is coming to your house is not.

"What guarantee comes with the work, and is it in writing?" Ten years on a new flat roof covering and one to five years on repairs is typical. A guarantee only means something if it names the company and the scope.

"Do you need scaffolding, and is it in the price?" On Brighton terraces, scaffolding and any council pavement licence can be a significant share of the total. It must be in the quote, not a surprise afterwards.

Red flags

• Cold callers who "noticed a problem with your roof while working next door" — a known doorstep pattern across Sussex
• Pressure to decide today, or a discount that expires this afternoon
• Cash only, no VAT number, no paperwork, no written quote
• A large deposit demanded up front before materials are ordered
• A recommendation to re-roof after a five-minute look from the pavement
• Refusal to provide photographs of the defect

The doorstep re-roof is the classic Brighton scam and it targets older residents in particular. If someone knocks unannounced and tells you your roof is dangerous, do not agree to anything. Get an independent survey. If the roof really is dangerous, an independent report will say so and cost you a fraction of what the doorstep quote would have.

Why an independent survey changes the dynamic

When you have a dated, photographed condition report in hand, you stop being at an information disadvantage. You can send the same report to three roofers and get three comparable quotes for identical work. You can tell whether the quotes differ on price or on scope. And a roofer who was going to inflate the job knows the evidence is already documented.

Local knowledge matters in Brighton and Hove

A roofer who works here regularly knows that seafront properties in Hove and Kemptown need stainless or copper fixings rather than galvanised, that Welsh slate on iron nails across Hanover and Seven Dials fails at the nail rather than the slate, that Regency parapets and conservation-area rules constrain what materials can be used, and that gull nesting season blocks valleys every spring. That knowledge changes the diagnosis, not just the small talk.

How we work

Brighton Roof Surveys flies the roof first and quotes second. You see the imagery, you read the findings, and you decide what to do — including taking the report elsewhere if you want to. Straightforward, the way it should be.