If you are thinking of becoming a roofer or starting your own roofing business, the first question is usually simple: how much could I actually earn? The honest answer depends on whether you are employed or running your own business, and if you run your own business, on your prices, how busy you are and how well you control your costs.
This guide separates any published employee-pay benchmark from business-owner income and shows you how to estimate your own take-home figure.
Employed roofer salary in the UK
The National Careers Service profile for roofer lists annual pay of £26,000 for a starter to £42,000 for someone experienced. This is an employee-pay comparison, not the profit or take-home income of a business owner. Pay varies by region, employer, hours and specialist skills, with London and the South East usually paying more.
Self-employed roofers and roofing firm owners earn whatever is left after labour, materials, scaffold, skips and insurance, so pricing and job costing decide their income.
Self-employed earnings: turnover is not take-home pay
When you run your own roofing business, there is no salary scale. You earn what is left after every cost has been paid. That is why two businesses with the same turnover can leave their owners with very different incomes.
The costs that usually make the difference are:
- Scaffold hire and skips
- Materials such as tiles, slates, membrane and lead
- Van, fuel and insurance
- Working at height equipment and training
- Weather days that cannot be billed
Most owners also underestimate the time they cannot charge for: quoting, admin, travel, buying supplies and chasing payments. That time still has to be paid for out of your prices.
A worked example (illustrative figures)
Imagine a small roofing business turning over £15,000 a month. After the direct costs of delivering the work, such as staff, materials, products or fuel, of £10,600, it makes a gross profit of £4,400 a month.
From that gross profit the owner still has to pay overheads such as insurance, phone, software, vehicle or premises costs, marketing and accountancy, and then Income Tax and National Insurance on what remains. If overheads came to £1,100 a month, the owner would have around £3,300 a month before tax.
These figures are an illustration only, not a forecast. Your own numbers will depend on your prices, your costs and how busy you are. The point is the method: turnover minus direct costs minus overheads is what pays you.
How roofers increase their earnings
- Pricing scaffold and waste properly in every quote
- Stage payments on re-roofs and flat roofs
- Next roof inspection reminders for past customers
- Responding fast after storms when demand spikes
Each of these either raises the price you get per job, increases the number of jobs you can handle, or cuts a cost. Tracking your figures monthly shows you which is working.
The numbers that decide your income
Three figures do most of the work in deciding what you take home from a roofing business:
Average job value. Tracks the shift from repairs to re-roofs. You calculate it as: revenue ÷ jobs.
Labour hours sold. Your capacity after weather days. You calculate it as: billable hours in the month.
Materials billed. Checks that tiles, lead and membrane are recovered in prices. You calculate it as: materials charged to customers.
Track these monthly. When take-home pay falls, one of them has almost always moved first. Our guide to roofing business KPIs covers the full set.
How roofers usually charge
Most roofers use day rates for repairs, fixed prices for standard jobs and detailed quotes with stage payments for re-roofs. Whatever structure you choose, base your prices on your real costs and the income you need, not just on what competitors charge. A competitor with lower overheads can charge less and still make money; you may not be able to.
How to work out what you would earn
1. Estimate your monthly jobs realistically, allowing for quiet periods. 2. Multiply by your average price to get monthly turnover. 3. Subtract direct costs such as materials, products, staff and fuel. 4. Subtract overheads such as insurance, rent, vehicle, software and marketing. 5. Set aside tax and National Insurance on the profit, and VAT if you are registered.
What is left is your take-home pay. If it is not enough, the answer is usually price, volume or cost, in that order.
A practical owner-income check
Model each project by stage: deposit, materials, labour, scaffold or access equipment, waste removal and final payment. Weather delays can move costs and cash between months, while defects or warranty call-backs consume time after the original invoice. Track estimated versus actual crew hours and material use on completed roofs. Keep VAT, tax and customer deposits out of the owner’s personal-income calculation until the work is completed and costs are settled.
Run the numbers on your own business
The **Roofing Business Management System** tracks every job, cost, invoice and VAT return, and works out your profit, margin and key figures automatically on a one-page dashboard. It costs £15 once, with no subscription. For the full start-up walkthrough, read our guide on how to start a roofing business.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a roofer earn a year in the UK? The National Careers Service gives a range of £26,000 to £42,000 for employed roofers. Self-employed earnings depend on prices, volume and costs.
Do self-employed roofers earn more than employed staff? They can, but not always. Self-employed owners keep the profit but also carry every cost and quiet week. Turnover figures can look high until costs are subtracted.
Is a roofing business worth starting? It can be, if your prices cover every cost and leave enough for you. The owners who do best usually focus on a few things, such as pricing scaffold and waste properly in every quote and stage payments on re-roofs and flat roofs.
What is the biggest cost for a roofing business? It varies, but the list above covers the usual pressure points. Tracking costs as a percentage of revenue each month shows which one is growing.
How can I check whether my prices are high enough? Work out your monthly overheads and the income you need, then check that your average price per job covers your direct costs and leaves enough to pay both.