Slipped Slates Edinburgh

Roofing Guides

Roofing Trade Bodies in the UK and Scotland Explained

What the NFRC and other roofing and building trade bodies are, what membership does and does not tell you, and how to check a roofer before you hire them.

A terraced Edinburgh tenement roofline with many chimney stacks silhouetted at dusk

What is the NFRC?

The NFRC is the National Federation of Roofing Contractors, a UK wide trade association for roofing firms, sometimes mixed up as the “NRCF”. Historic Environment Scotland lists it as the trade body for roofing work when advising owners how to find skilled tradespeople.1 Membership is voluntary. It can be a useful sign, but it is not a licence, and it does not replace checking a roofer’s own previous work.

The main bodies you will come across

National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC)

A UK wide trade association for roofing contractors, named by Historic Environment Scotland as the trade body for roofing.1 It also runs CompetentRoofer, which the UK Government lists as an authorised competent person scheme for replacing pitched and flat roof coverings in England.2 Competent person schemes are part of the English building control system. Scotland has its own building standards system, so a CompetentRoofer registration does not replace a Scottish building warrant where one is needed.3

Lead Contractors Association and Lead Sheet Association

Historic Environment Scotland lists both as trade bodies for leadwork.1 Its advisory standards for historic buildings in Scotland say new lead should be laid following the recommendations of the Lead Sheet Association.4 See our lead flashing guide.

Stone Federation Great Britain

Listed by Historic Environment Scotland as a trade body for stonework,1 which is relevant where a chimney stack, skew or parapet needs stone repair or rebuilding. See our chimney repairs guide.

TrustMark

The UK Government has described TrustMark as “the government-endorsed quality scheme” for work a consumer chooses to have done on their home.5 Businesses join through a scheme operator, often a trade body.

Conservation accredited professionals

For a listed building or a larger repair project, Historic Environment Scotland suggests you may wish to use a professional, such as an architect or surveyor, who holds an accreditation in building conservation, for example through the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) or the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).1

What membership does not tell you

  • It is not a legal requirement. Membership of a trade body is voluntary.
  • It is not a guarantee for a particular job. Check what, if any, guarantee or complaints process the body offers, and whether it covers the work you are having done.
  • Logos can be copied. Check membership on the body’s own website rather than relying on a logo on a van or flyer.

How to check a roofer before you hire them

Historic Environment Scotland’s advice applies whatever trade body a roofer belongs to: before choosing an individual or firm, view examples of their previous work, ask for references, and try to visit a recently completed project.1 For a traditional slate roof, ask how they would match the existing slates and whether they use lime mortar where the original work did.

Check how they plan to get onto the roof safely, because that affects both safety and price. The Health and Safety Executive says roof work must be properly planned and carried out by trained, competent people.6 Our roof access guide explains the options.

Be wary of anyone who knocks on your door saying they have spotted a problem with your roof. Council trading standards services across Scotland advise against agreeing to work from doorstep callers.7

Where we fit in

We specialise in small slipped slate repairs that larger firms often turn down. For bigger jobs, we refer to a small network of trusted, time served tradespeople chosen on seen evidence of good, sympathetic work, with no referral fees. See our full roof replacement guide.

Got a small slate repair?

Email us photos of the roof and what floor it’s on, or how many levels up it is, and we’ll tell you what we need to give you a price.

How to contact us

Sources

  1. Historic Environment Scotland, ‘Find skilled tradespeople and professionals’. historicenvironment.scot
  2. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, ‘Competent person scheme: current schemes and how schemes are authorised’. gov.uk
  3. Scottish Government, Building Standards Technical Handbook 2022: Domestic, s 0.5. gov.scot
  4. Historic Environment Scotland, Advisory Standards of Conservation and Repair for the Historic Building Environment in Scotland, s 3.5. historicenvironment.scot
  5. UK Government, ‘Quality assurance at heart of new £2 billion Green Homes Grants’ (4 August 2020). gov.uk
  6. Health and Safety Executive, ‘Roof work’. hse.gov.uk
  7. Aberdeen City Council, ‘Doorstep selling’; Moray Council, ‘Trading Standards issue advice following reports of doorstep traders’. aberdeencity.gov.uk, moray.gov.uk