Read the latest magazine Industry News Rise in New Roofing Businesses 15 August 2023 THE NUMBER of businesses registered as offering ‘roofing activities’ increased in 2022 by more than 70% compared with the previous year. A total of 2,300 businesses in the roofing industry were launched last year, according to Companies House data. This compares to just 1,341 businesses launched in 2021, equating to a 72% rise year on year analysis by Easy Offices finds. With so many new roofing businesses entering the market, standing out is crucial. Investing in SEO and digital marketing can help roofing contractors attract qualified leads and establish a strong online presence. By optimising for local search terms and leveraging targeted advertising, businesses can reach homeowners actively looking for roofing services. Learn more about roofing SEO to grow your business effectively. Rise in New Roofing Businesses The figures show how the roofing contractor sector has grown over time in terms of newly formed companies. In 2019 and pre-pandemic, the number of companies launched was just 678 less than a third of those opening this year. Also notable is the increase in 18-25 year-olds and those aged 50 and over who are starting their own businesses in the industry. The figures show how both groups were at the helm of a significant portion of the new companies started last year – a trend which can be seen over time back to 2019. In terms of year-on-year changes, older business directors (aged 50+) launched just 91 businesses in the sector in 2021, but a year later in 2022, this rose to 406 – a rise of 346%. Meanwhile, the number of young entrepreneurs to the sector rose by 328% from 2021 to 2022 – up from 52 to 223. Year Total number of new companies* registered to those aged 18-25 Total number of new companies* launched % of companies started by those aged 18-25 2022 223 2,300 10% 2021 52 1,341 4% 2020 17 880 2% 2019 16 678 2% *Refers to companies launched in the sector ‘roofing activities’, as defined by Companies House. Year Total number of new companies* registered to those aged 50 and over Total number of new companies* launched % of companies started by those aged 50 and over 2022 406 2,300 18% 2021 91 1,341 7% 2020 97 880 11% 2019 106 678 16% *Refers to companies launched in the sector ‘roofing activities’, as defined by Companies House. The findings of more young people opening roofing contractor businesses are in line with wider research which suggests the pandemic was a catalyst for young people starting their own businesses. A 2022 study spanning 2.3 million UK businesses across many industries showed the percentage of start-up owners aged under 35 had more than doubled since March 2020, rising from 16.4% to 34%. Among this group, the proportion aged 18-24 soared from just 1.7% pre-pandemic, to 8.6% in the 2 years after the Covid-19 outbreak. Booming Young Entrepreneurs Last year marked a boom across UK business for young entrepreneurs in many sectors with around 60,000 start-ups registered by those aged 25 and under – a dramatic leap from around 12,000 the previous year. This was also the case for those aged 50 and over. Last year 217,622 businesses spanning all sectors were registered to those within this age group – a 271% leap from 2021 when 58,713 companies were launched. John Williams, Chief Marketing Officer at Easy Offices, said: “This spike of new businesses following the pandemic shows how it drove a large number of people to take bold steps. There’s no age limit to starting a business and people who do this later in life bring a wealth of experience to the table.” >> Read of more the latest news Previous article Esh Construction Wins Design & Build for Council HQNext article Ladder Safety Campaign: A Year On Share article You may also like View all News Awards and Events +3 1 May 2026 Entries Open for 2026 Tapco Elite Roofing Awards Industry News +1 1 May 2026 AI Driven Digital Construction Set to be a Reality for Contractor Featured Companies +4 30 April 2026 FP McCann Invests Heavily to Secure UK Roof Tile Supply Amidst Industry Shortages Featured Solutions +5 30 April 2026 Glidevale Protect Supports Roofing Refurbishment at Bristol Development Sign Up to Roofing Today Stay up to date with all of the latest news from Roofing Today by signing up to our weekly Bulletins… Sign Up Today Get in Touch Check out the latest issue 123 March-April 2026 View Now Past Issues Get in Touch