Transparency, how we quote

Free survey. Fixed-price quote. No surprises later.

Two roofers can look at the same house and quote a difference of three, four, five thousand pounds. Almost always the gap is not price. It is what has been left off the paper. Here is what a Clarkson survey actually includes, and exactly what will be on the written quote when it lands in your inbox.

Request a free survey Call 07497 711223
Free, no obligation Written within 3 working days Fixed price, itemised Family-run since 1985
A pitched clay tile roof and ridge line completed by the Clarkson Roofing family team in Sherington Every quote begins here
01 The survey

Forty minutes on site. A proper look, inside and out.

Every quote starts with a member of the family walking the roof, the loft and the gutters. It is unhurried. If the roof is safe to walk we walk it. If it is not, we get up on the scaffold or use a drone and a long pole camera. Then we sit down, talk you through what we found, and answer questions before we leave.

There is no obligation, no follow-up sales call and no charge. If the honest answer is a £180 repair, we will tell you and quote that. If it is a full re-roof, we will explain why, in plain language.

  • ✓

    Roof covering check

    Every slope inspected for slipped, cracked, missing or nail-fatigued tiles. Ridge, hip and verge condition assessed.

  • ✓

    Loft interior check

    Underlay condition, timber condition, insulation, ventilation, any daylight or damp staining. This is where most real problems show up first.

  • ✓

    Flashings and chimney

    Lead work around chimneys, valleys, abutments and dormers. Pointing condition. Cap and cowl condition.

  • ✓

    Roofline and drainage

    Fascias, soffits, gutters, downpipes. Whether run-off is landing where it should. Whether roofline replacement should be bundled while scaffold is up.

  • ✓

    Access and scaffolding

    What scaffold spec you need. Whether a road licence, drop or pavement suspension is involved. Photographs and measurements for the quote.

02 The quote

Written, itemised and fixed for 60 days.

Within three working days you get a written quote as a PDF. It is not a one-line "supply and fit new roof, £X". It runs to a full page with every line item priced separately, so you can see exactly what you are paying for and what you are not.

The price is fixed for 60 days. Materials go up, weather goes wrong, the crew takes a day longer than planned. That is our problem, not yours.

The only reason the number ever changes is if you add or remove work after signing, or if we uncover genuine hidden damage such as a rotten purlin or failed structural timber. If that happens, work stops, we photograph everything, and you get a written variation before we spend a penny more.

Your itemised quoteFixed 60 days
Measured roof aream² breakdown per slope
Strip and removalLabour, skip, waste transfer notes
Tile / slate specBrand, model, colour, batch
Underlay specKlober Permo, Tyvek Supro or equivalent
Batten gradeGraded 25×50 BS 5534
Ridge systemDry-fix, mechanically clipped
Chimney and leadRe-flash, re-point, cap options priced
ScaffoldingDuration, spec, road licence if needed
Insulation upgradePart L compliance option
Guttering / rooflineOptional bundle price
VAT20% shown separately
Manufacturer warranty15 to 40 years by material
The paper is the promise.
Clarkson Roofing · Since 1985
03 Fixed-price vs per m²

Why we never quote "just £X per square metre".

Per-square-metre pricing looks fair on paper. It is not. Two identical-sized roofs can differ by 40% in real cost because of chimneys, valleys, dormers, access, roof pitch, tile complexity and lead detailing. A per-m² quote lets the roofer under-price the bid to win the job, then add extras once scaffold is up and you are committed. We have seen too many neighbours caught by it.

Fixed-price forces the roofer to survey properly, price honestly and stand behind the number. If the survey missed something, that is the roofer's problem to absorb, not the homeowner's problem to pay for. That is the deal.

Per square metre

Looks fair. It isn't.

  • ×Ignores chimneys, valleys, dormers, access, pitch and lead detailing
  • ×Two identical-sized roofs can differ by 40% in real cost
  • ×Lets a roofer under-price to win, then add extras once you are committed
Fixed price

Priced once. Honoured.

  • ✓Forces a proper survey before any number is given
  • ✓Priced honestly and stood behind in writing
  • ✓Anything the survey missed is our cost to absorb, not yours
04 How you pay

Staged payments. Nothing up front until scaffold goes up.

We never ask for a deposit at quote or acceptance stage. Money moves once, and only once, work is visibly under way. BACS, cash or card are all fine. You get a VAT invoice for every stage.

Stage 01 30%

Scaffold + strip

Payable once scaffold is up and the roof strip has begun. Not before.

Stage 02 30%

Materials + first fix

At battens down and first tile course laid. You can see what you are paying for.

Stage 03 30%

Completion

At practical completion, snag list agreed. Scaffold stays until sign-off.

Stage 04 10%

Retention

Held for 30 days after handover, released once you are happy the roof has weathered a proper storm.

05 Things we do not do

Six phrases you will never see on our quote.

Half the reason people are wary of getting roofing quotes is the small print. Ours does not carry any of these. If you spot one on another roofer's paper, ask what it means before you sign. Hover any line to see why.

Ready when you are

Ready for a proper look at your roof?

Free survey, no obligation, no follow-up sales call. Written fixed-price quote within three working days. Family-run, family-answered.

Request Free Survey Call 07497 711223
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