Before you hand over an upfront deposit for scaffolding and materials for a full re-roof or roof repair, run the company through Verafy. The same intelligence that protects M&A deals protects your home project.
Check a Roofer NowJust the one job? A single report is £25 — about the price of a takeaway, and it could save you from a cowboy. Need to check trades regularly? See subscription plans →
Confirm the company is genuinely registered and still active — not dissolved or trading under a borrowed name.
See the director's full history — how many other companies they've run into liquidation before yours.
Spot phoenix operators who dissolve after taking deposits and reopen under a near-identical name to dodge warranty claims.
Check for CCJs and insolvency history before you sign anything or pay a penny.
Why is roofing a common target for phoenix companies?
Roofing work is high-value, hard for a homeowner to inspect once complete, and often sold via door-knocking or storm-damage cold calls — all of which make it attractive to operators who take a large deposit, do poor or no work, then dissolve the company before complaints catch up. Verafy's director history check is built specifically to catch repeat offenders.
What should I check before paying a roofer a deposit?
At minimum: is the company actually registered at Companies House (not just a trading name), how long has it existed, and does the director have other dissolved companies in the same trade. Verafy pulls all three live in one search.
Does a low company age always mean risk?
Not always — every legitimate business was new once. But a young company paired with a director who has run several previous dissolved companies in the same trade is the pattern worth being cautious about, not company age alone.