Roofing is Sleepwalking into a Crisis, Industry Warns

Roofers working on roof

The UK roofing industry is sleepwalking into a skills and workforce crisis, Estates Roofing is warning.

An ageing labour force, limited training provision, and long-standing reputational issues are fuelling a crisis by discouraging new entrants, it says.

The warning comes as recruitment pressures intensify across the roofing sector, with industry bodies reporting rising costs, reduced capacity, and growing difficulty filling skilled roofing roles, such as slating and tiling.

Least Trusted Trade

Dan Sanderson, Director at Estates Roofing, said the industry is being held back by structural and reputational challenges that are now feeding directly into recruitment shortages.

“Over the past nine years in the industry, I have seen a massive shift in how companies are structured and the challenges facing our trade,” Dan said.

“It goes without saying that roofing is not held in high regard by the public. As one of the least trusted trades, there is a stigma that clouds the industry, particularly in the domestic retrofit sector.

“Customers have extremely low levels of confidence in roofers – and understandably so. The sector is largely unregulated, and while many companies operate to high standards, inconsistency damages trust across the board.”

He added: “You cannot get an electrician without certification or a gas engineer without regulation. So why is it acceptable for roofing to operate without comparable safeguards when it is literally the roof over someone’s head?”

Dan Sanderson is calling for stronger recognition of regulated schemes such as the NFRC Competent Person Scheme and greater government support for industry-wide standards.

Limiting Capacity

The National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) has warned that the skills shortage is now directly limiting industry capacity.

An NFRC spokesperson said: “The roofing industry is facing a severe skills crisis that will not resolve itself without coordinated action from industry, training providers, and government.

“More than half of NFRC members now cite recruitment as harder than a year ago, and seven in ten say skilled labour shortages are directly limiting the amount of work their businesses can take on. The most acute shortages are among slaters, built-up felt roofers, and tilers.”

The NFRC also highlighted rising cost pressures across the sector. “Businesses are under enormous pressure, with 83% reporting increased labour costs and 87% reporting rising materials costs. With employment costs cited as a critical challenge, many contractors are cautious about taking on apprentices despite clear long-term demand.”

Shrinking Pipeline

Industry estimates suggest the UK roofing workforce has declined from around 50,000 workers during the COVID period to approximately 39,000–40,000 today, with around 70% now operating as self-employed contractors under construction-sector modelling.

At the same time, as many as one-third of construction workers are expected to retire by 2035.

Dan Sanderson said: “The old guard will soon be leaving the trade, taking decades of experience with them. Roofing is physically and mentally demanding work – it is not something most people can do safely into older age.

“We are not bringing enough young people into the trade, and that is a serious long-term issue.”

He added: “Roofing is not just working on roofs. There are careers in surveying, estimating, health and safety, and management – but that message is not getting through early enough.”

Training Bottlenecks and Apprenticeship Shortage

Sue Wharton, Consultant and Group Training Officer at North West Roof Training Group warns that limited infrastructure is restricting workforce renewal.

“There is a huge lack of training facilities. Other construction trades such as bricklaying and plastering have colleges in almost every town or city – roofing does not.

“There is also a distinct lack of roofing tutors, and in some cases, providers have stopped offering apprenticeships because they cannot recruit staff,” Sue Wharton said.

According to industry data:

Only around 150 roofing apprentices are currently training in the North West
There are just 3 dedicated roofing training providers in the region
Roof slaters and tilers remain among the hardest roles to fill
CITB data shows only 21% of construction firms employ apprentices

Trust

Dan Sanderson believes the fragmented structure of the industry is contributing to both recruitment and reputational challenges.

“Thousands of roofing businesses operate outside recognised trade bodies. Anyone can set themselves up with minimal barriers, and that creates inconsistency in quality and safety.

“Good roofers are being hit twice – by a genuine skills shortage and by reputational damage caused by rogue operators.”

Consumer research suggests:

Roofers are among the least trusted trades in the UK
38% of homeowners do not trust roofers when hiring for the first time
Rogue roofing work is estimated to cost homeowners around £1.4bn

Call for Action

Estates Roofing is calling for:

Increased investment in roofing apprenticeships and training provision
Stronger regulation and clearer certification standards
Incentives to bring experienced roofers into teaching and tutor roles
Better promotion of roofing as a skilled, long-term career

Dan Sanderson warns: “If we don’t act now, we risk losing an entire generation of skills. Roofing affects every home in the country, yet it is massively taken for granted.

“We need to protect, transfer and properly invest in this knowledge before it is lost.”