Trading Standards - Roofing Scams - Extra Repairs

11th April 2025

There's been a recent increase in reports of rogue traders who have been contracted to carry out a small repair job to a roof, and then tell the homeowner that they have found further work that needs to be done urgently.

One couple were cold called by roofers who said they were offering free inspections. The workers went onto the roof and told the couple they had found a couple of slates that needed to be replaced, quoting around £200.

Soon after the roofers had started work, they told the couple they had discovered extensive damage and that a section of the roof would need to be replaced, at a cost of around £8,000.

The couple felt that they had to pay a desposit of over £4,000 as the workers were already on their roof.

The couple later decided to seek a second opinion from a roofer found via their local authority's approved trader site - he told them that the repair work carried out had been done to a poor standard, and should not have cost more than £1,000.

There was also a story in the media this week about a man in his 90s from Yorkshire who lost over £30,000 to rogue traders. Following Storm Darragh last winter, cold callers knocked on his door and told him they had spotted some loose slates and could repair them that day.
He then noticed that they had erected scaffolding and were stripping all the tiles off the roof and replacing them - work that he had not agreed to. He was unable to stop the work however, and was eventually presented with a bill for over £30,000. Read the full story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93nke05gwjo

We asked a roofer who is part of Scotland's Approved Trader Directory to answer some frequently asked questions about roofing to help consumers make informed decisions and avoid scams.
Read the Q&A here: https://www.tsscot.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Roofing-QA.pdf

How to Avoid
Any unsolicited trader who offers to carry out work on your property must give you their business name and address.
Don't agree to let a cold caller start work straight away - do plenty of research into their company and, if something doesn't look right, don't deal with them.

Rather than dealing with cold callers, find traders who have been vetted through a national or local authority approved trader scheme at approvedtrader.scot

Rogue traders often imply that urgent work is required in order to pressure householders into making a decision quickly. Always take time to think before making a decision - don't agree to make any payments for goods or services on the spot.

Sign up for Neighbourhood Watch Scotland Alerts to stay up to date with what is going on in your community: www.neighbourhoodwatchscotland.co.uk

Report any suspicious behaviour to Police Scotland on 101 or 999 in an emergency.
Report scams to Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000 or via scamwatch.scot.

Find Out More
Find traders in Scotland who have been vetted by Trading Standards: approvedtrader.scot
Police Scotland: www.scotland.police.uk/doorstep-crime-and-bogus-callers
Trading Standards Scotland: www.tsscot.co.uk/priority-areas/doorstep-scammers