Roofing scams after Storm Austen: how to spot a rogue trader at your door

What's happened

The Met Office named Storm Austen, the first named storm of the season, on 20 October. It issued a yellow wind warning for southern England and south Wales from late Thursday 23 October into Friday, with gusts of 50 to 60mph likely across the warning area and more than 70mph possible on exposed coasts, and said more wind and rain was likely into this week.

Whether or not your roof came through it, a storm gives cold callers a ready excuse to knock. Citizens Advice said on 12 October that roofing was the top scam its consumer service saw between September 2025 and August 2026. It had 8,985 complaints about roofing, roof sealing and chimney repairs, up from 8,136 the year before, and 2,205 of them, one in four, were flagged as suspected scams. Doorstep selling was used in 77% of those.

Complaints included traders taking money and disappearing, invented damage and huge overcharging.

The warning signs

• An unexpected knock. "I was working down the road and noticed some loose tiles on your roof." You can't see your roof, which is exactly why this line works.
• A small job that keeps growing. A cheap repair becomes a big one once they're up the ladder.
• Pressure to agree now. "Today only", or a warning that the roof could come in with the next storm.
• Cash only, or the full price up front. Citizens Advice warns against traders who only take cash or want paying in full before they start.
• Nothing in writing. No quote, no address, no cancellation form.

What it could cost: a real case

Citizens Advice described what happened to Charlotte, 65, who lives alone in north east England. Last winter she posted an online advert about dripping gutters. Two men offered to fix them that day for £250. When they came back, they said she needed "eave protection" and quoted £2,500, saying other firms would charge almost double. Later they showed her a bucket of cement and said her tiles were crumbling. She paid £3,500, which is 14 times the original quote. The next day there was no sign of any work, and she couldn't reach them.

With help from Citizens Advice, Trading Standards and the Financial Ombudsman Service, Charlotte got a refund from her bank and £800 compensation from the website where she'd advertised.

Because she agreed the work at home, the law gave her 14 days to cancel. The trader must give you that information in writing, and if they don't, the cancellation period can run for up to a year.

How to check a trader

1. Don't agree anything on the doorstep. Take their details and do your own checks.
2. Find your own trader. Citizens Advice suggests asking your council for a list of traders and checking whether a trader belongs to a trade association that will help if things go wrong.
3. Get written quotes from more than one trader, and ask for references.
4. Never pay the full price up front. Pay by card if you can, and never in cash to someone you can't trace.

What to do if you've been caught

1. Cancel in writing if you're still within 14 days. Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, which apply across the UK, you can usually cancel work agreed at your home within 14 days. If you asked for work to start straight away, you may have to pay for what's been done.
2. Call your bank straight away on the number on your card, or call 159. If you paid by bank transfer to a fraudster, the Payment Systems Regulator's rules mean your bank should usually refund you, up to £85,000 minus an excess of up to £100. Claim within 13 months. The rules don't cover a genuine trader who did poor work.
3. Report it to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at reportfraud.police.uk in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
4. Get advice and alert Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 (0808 223 1144 in Welsh). In Scotland, call Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000. In Northern Ireland, call Consumerline on 0300 123 6262.
5. Keep everything: paperwork, receipts, photos and dated notes.

Your questions answered

Does the 14-day right to cancel apply if I rang the roofer myself?

If you asked a trader to visit for urgent repairs, such as a leak after a storm, you don't get the cancellation period for that repair. But under regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations, extra work they sell you during the visit can still be cancelled.

Is it a crime not to give me a cancellation form?

Yes. Under regulation 19 of the same regulations, a trader who agrees a contract at your home without giving you the required cancellation information commits an offence. Report it to Trading Standards through the consumer helpline.

What if the work was done, just badly?

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, work must be carried out with reasonable care and skill. If it isn't, you can ask the trader to put it right or give you some money back. Citizens Advice, Advice Direct Scotland or Consumerline can explain your options.

Sources: Met Office: Storm Austen named, Citizens Advice: roofing scams, Citizens Advice: cancelling building work, Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28, regulation 19, Payment Systems Regulator, City of London Police: Report Fraud, nidirect: Consumerline