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According to Citizens Advice, homeowners are being targeted by scammers posing as legitimate roofing contractors who charge thousands of pounds for work that is either poorly done, unnecessary, or never completed. This type of scam has become the most frequently reported, accounting for one in ten scams recorded by the charity in the past year. Such experiences can be financially and emotionally distressing, as seen in the case of Crystal, a 68-year-old woman from the Midlands.
Crystal described being pressured into costly roofing repairs, paying £5,500 to a contractor who ultimately sent his son to do the work. The job was left unfinished, resulting in dislodged bricks and blocked gutters. Heavy rain shortly after the work caused water to cascade down her walls, and the damage extended to her neighbour’s property. She recounted, “We had heavy rain a couple of weeks after he did the job, and it ended up like a waterfall coming down the wall,” and added her neighbour suffered brick damage and water ingress into his home. The ordeal has had a lasting impact on her well-being: “I can’t sleep. I don’t eat properly.”
In the year leading to August, Citizens Advice Consumer Service logged 9,000 complaints linked to roofing issues, covering a range of problems including construction, repairs, and weatherproofing. Of these, around a quarter—2,205 cases—were suspected scams, marking a slight increase from the previous year. Dame Clare Moriarty, the charity’s chief executive, urged consumers to conduct thorough checks on any tradesperson before hiring them. She emphasized, “Scammers exploit the fact that roofs are out of sight and reach, knowing most people can’t easily inspect the work themselves.” Many victims experienced intimidation and aggressive sales tactics, with approximately 75% of fraudsters engaging in unsolicited doorstep approaches.
Another example involves Charlotte, a 65-year-old woman from the northeast of England, who was approached by two tradesmen she found online. Initially quoted £250 to fix a leaking gutter, the cost quickly escalated to £2,500 for additional work they claimed was necessary. Feeling vulnerable as it grew dark and knowing she was alone, Charlotte paid a total of £3,500, only to discover the next day that no work had been carried out. “They knew I was alone, I didn’t feel like I could deal with anything that might happen after, so I paid £3,500,” she said. In response to these types of scams, Lord Bichard, chair of National Trading Standards, condemned rogue traders as criminals who prey on people in their homes, describing roof fraud as “particularly cruel.” He highlighted the severe consequences for victims, including financial loss, damaged property, and psychological distress, and assured that legal action would be taken to pursue offenders
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