The standard rate on a roofing bill
According to GOV.UK, the standard VAT rate is 20%. A roofer who is registered for VAT adds it to the price of the work and the materials supplied with it, and the quote should tell you the amount before you agree. A homeowner pays it in the same way as for any other service from a registered business.
The effect on a quote is large. Which? puts one to six broken tiles at £75 to £400 ex VAT. Add VAT at 20 per cent and both ends of that range rise by a fifth. Its range for a complete new roof is £7,000 to £21,000 ex VAT, and VAT at the standard rate lifts each end by the same share.
Those are typical UK ranges from Which?, November 2025. The same guide says London and South East prices can sit higher, and Kent lies in the South East, so use the ranges as a rough guide, not as a quote.
The point is simple: a figure with no stated VAT basis can differ by a fifth from one that has. Before comparing two prices, check that both include VAT or both leave it out.
The domestic reverse charge is not for homeowners
Some roofers mention a "reverse charge" and homeowners wonder if it applies to them. The domestic reverse charge is a rule between businesses. GOV.UK describes it as covering building services supplied to VAT-registered businesses, with the supplies reported through the Construction Industry Scheme.
Picture a subcontractor working for a main contractor, both in the scheme. There the customer accounts for the VAT in place of the supplier, which is the reverse of the normal pattern. A homeowner is the end user and is not in the scheme, so you will not see the reverse charge on your own bill as a homeowner.
If a roofer tells you that you must account for VAT yourself, or that the reverse charge applies to your own house, the claim is wrong and you should ask for it in writing with the reason. Your bill from a VAT-registered roofer includes VAT at the standard rate, and the quote should show that as part of the one total.
If the roofer is not registered for VAT, the quote should say so. Ask for a written statement of whether VAT is charged, so the invoice holds no surprise.
What to check in the quote
VAT is one of three points where roof quotes quietly differ. The other two are scaffold and waste. A quote that looks cheaper may simply leave one of them out.
- Does the total include VAT, and does the quote say so in words?
- Is the scaffold included in that total, or added later?
- Is the removal of old materials and waste included?
Cost guides add to the confusion. The Which? figures leave VAT out, while the MyJobQuote pages state no VAT basis, so read each guide for its own basis before you compare it with a quote. A typical UK range from a guide helps you judge whether a quote is reasonable, but it cannot replace a written price after a survey, because only a survey shows the size and condition of your roof.
The costs page sets out the ranges and their sources. When you have several quotes, the page on how many roofing quotes to get explains how to compare them, and what a written roofing quote should include lists the points to look for.
Claims to treat with caution
Two statements are worth dealing with directly. One is that roof repairs carry a special reduced rate. The rate GOV.UK gives is the standard 20%, so if a roofer or an advert says otherwise, ask which rule is being relied on and have the answer in writing before you agree to anything.
The other is a request to pay in cash "to save the VAT". A roofer who offers a lower price without VAT is asking you to go without an invoice, and an invoice is what you need later, for a solicitor, an insurer or a dispute. See your rights if a roofer's work is poor for why the paperwork matters.
A sound quote does these things:
- Gives one total price in writing.
- States whether VAT is included.
- Names the scope of the work.
- Gives a start date and the stages.
That is the form a quote from Castle Roofing Margate takes after the survey. If anything is unclear, ask before you sign, and take the 14 days you are given as a cooling-off period if the contract is signed at your home.
