Questions people ask before booking a roofer

It depends on what's wrong, so I don't publish prices: I price each repair once I've seen the roof, and the quote is free. Three things move the figure most: how big the problem is, how easy the roof is to reach, and what it's covered in. Re-fixing two slipped tiles from a ladder is a very different job from a repair that needs scaffolding, or one that means matching old plain tiles or slate. Hidden damage counts too, because rotten battens or perished felt only show once the tiles are lifted. If I find more work like that after I've started, I talk it through with you before doing it.

Yes, my quotes are free, and you get them in writing. I come and look at the roof first, then send you the quote. The written figure is what you pay. It only changes if I uncover more work once the job is under way, and then I explain it and talk it through with you before going any further, so you hear about it from me first. If you'd like the whole roof checked rather than one fault priced, I also do free roof surveys, with a written report of all the work needed sent by email.

No, there's no call-out fee: me coming out to look at your roof is free, whether it's a weekday morning or the middle of the night. Evenings, weekends and bank holidays carry no extra charge either. What you pay for is the work itself, and you have that price in writing before I start. If water is coming in right now, ring 07306 077999 rather than sending a message, so I know straight away. My emergency page explains what I can do on the night to stop the water.

For a roof that can wait a little, I usually come and look the next day; for an emergency, I'm usually with you in about an hour. You can call me at any time, evenings, weekends and bank holidays included. Ring rather than message if water is getting in, so I hear about it at once. I'm based in Oxford and cover the whole of Oxfordshire, including Abingdon and Kidlington. How long the work itself takes depends on the job.

Yes: a new roof comes with a 20-year guarantee, and repairs come with at least 5 years. The 20 years applies to flat roofs as well as pitched ones, so a new EPDM rubber, GRP fibreglass or felt flat roof gets the same term as a re-tiled roof. I send the guarantee in writing by email when the job is done, so you have it on file. There's more on each kind of work on my roof repairs and roof replacement pages.

I do: Altin Lila, the owner of Alto Roofing. I look at your roof, write the quote and carry out the work, and if you have a question halfway through, you can ask me directly. I've been roofing since 2015 and working in Oxford as Alto Roofing since 2024, and I carry £2 million public liability insurance. There's more about me on my about page.

Yes, send them on WhatsApp to 07306 077999, and they help me understand the problem before I come out. The useful shots are one of the whole roof from the street or garden, a closer one of the damaged area and, for a leak, the stain on the ceiling or in the loft. Don't climb onto the roof or lean out of a window to take them: a phone photo from the ground is enough. Photos show me what I'm dealing with, but I still give the price after seeing the roof. You can also attach photos to the enquiry form.

Yes, I price every job after I've seen the roof in person, because a photo rarely shows the whole story. From the ground or a picture you can see a slipped tile, but not whether the battens under it are rotten, the felt has perished or the flashing beside it has lifted. Those details decide what the repair involves and what it costs. The visit is free and I can usually do it the next day. If you'd like the condition of the whole roof rather than a price for one fault, ask for a free roof survey: you get a written report by email listing all the work needed.

Yes, I leave everything clean when the job is done. The old roof covering and the waste go into a skip and are taken away, so they don't sit on your drive or in your garden. Roof work does shed bits: broken tiles, old mortar, nails and moss can end up in gutters, on paths and in flower beds below, and I clear those up before I go. Scaffolding is something I arrange, and its cost is in the quote, so there's nothing for you to book.