Quoting a roof you have only seen from the ground is a guess

3 days ago
3 min read

Introduction

From the pavement you can see the tiles and roughly nothing else. What determines the price is underneath: the condition of the battens and felt, whether the timbers have suffered where water has been getting in, the state of the flashings and valleys, and whether previous repairs were done properly or simply covered over.

Quote from the ground and one of two things happens. You price low and discover rotten timber on day two, which becomes an uncomfortable conversation with the scaffold already up. At that point the customer has no easy alternative and knows it. Or you price high to cover the unknown and lose the job to somebody who guessed cheaper and will have the same conversation later.

Inspecting properly, or pricing the unknown explicitly, is the only honest route. Either is better than a confident guess.

1. Quoting a roof you have only seen from the ground means pricing blind

Be clear with yourself about what you can and cannot see.

Name what is hidden

Battens, felt, timbers, insulation, the condition of flashings and the state of any previous repair. Any of them can double the job. None of it is visible from below. Say so to the customer as well.

Do not let binoculars substitute for access

They show you the covering. The covering is rarely the expensive part. Timber is what turns a job into a bigger one.

2. Get access before quoting anything firm

The inspection is what makes a price possible.

Use a ladder, a drone or a scaffold tower

Whichever is safe and proportionate. Photograph everything. A drone pays for itself in a season.

Look inside the loft

Daylight through the covering, staining on timbers, damp insulation. Take a torch. Ten minutes inside frequently tells you more than an hour outside. Ask to go up before you quote.

3. Quote the covering firm and the substrate provisionally

Split the price the way the risk splits.

Fix the price on what you can measure

Area, covering, ridge, verges, labour, scaffold, disposal. That is most of the quotation. Measure rather than estimating from the drive.

Price the unknown as a stated rate

A figure per batten run, per square metre of felt, per metre of timber replaced. With an estimate of the likely quantity. Give the likely and the worst case.

4. Name the specific risks with figures

Vague exclusions protect nobody.

List what would change the price

Rotten timbers, inadequate ventilation, unsuitable previous repairs, asbestos-containing material in older felts or flues. Five named risks is enough.

Give a rough figure against each

A client who understands the range accepts it. One who receives a surprise mid-job does not. Most jobs come in below the worst case.

5. Handle the discovery properly

The moment the covering comes off is the test.

Stop, photograph and price before proceeding

Not afterwards. A homeowner shown a photograph of rotten timber understands immediately. Include something for scale.

Get the variation agreed in writing

However obvious the necessity. A message with a figure and a yes is enough. Keep it with the job file.

Conclusion

From the ground you can see the covering, and the covering is rarely where the money is — so get proper access before quoting anything firm, photograph everything, and spend ten minutes in the loft, which frequently tells you more than an hour outside.

Then split the quotation the way the risk splits: firm on area, covering, ridge, verges, scaffold and disposal, and a stated rate for battens, felt and timber replacement with an estimated quantity. Name the specific risks with a rough figure against each so the client understands the range rather than receiving a surprise. And when the covering comes off, stop, photograph, price and get the variation agreed in writing before carrying on.