Signing Up to the Approved Code? Check Your Roofing Insurance First

The government’s crackdown on cowboy builders is now under way. The Trusted Payments app went live in September, and the new Approved Code for the home improvement sector is due to be fully up and running by December 2026. For reputable roofers, both offer a way to stand apart from rogue traders.

Most coverage so far has focused on homeowners. Less has been said about what the changes mean for a roofer’s own insurance. If you’re thinking of signing up, it’s worth checking your cover before you apply.

What are Trusted Payments and the Approved Code?

They’re two separate schemes that were announced together on 28 August 2026.

Trusted Payments is an app that lets you and your customer agree a job, split it into stages and price each one. The homeowner pays as each stage is signed off, with a 24-hour pause before money leaves their account. If you can’t agree, you have 45 days to sort it out, after which an independent ombudsman makes a binding decision. Traders can register directly or through schemes such as TrustMark and Buy With Confidence.

The Approved Code is a conduct standard being developed by the Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman (FHIO) with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI). Businesses that sign up commit to higher standards of customer service, transparency and dispute resolution.

Both are voluntary. Nobody needs to join to keep trading, but as homeowners learn to look for them, contractors without them may find it harder to win domestic work.

Will You Need to Show Proof of Insurance?

The full qualifying criteria for the Approved Code haven’t been published yet. Even so, it’s hard to see insurance being left out, because the trader schemes already linked to Trusted Payments check it.

TrustMark asks its registered businesses to hold public liability cover of at least £2 million, and £10 million of employer’s liability if they employ staff. Buy With Confidence, run by local Trading Standards teams, checks relevant insurances, including public liability, as part of its vetting. Industry commentators expect the Approved Code to follow the same pattern and treat verified insurance as a condition of joining.

In short, if your policy has lapsed, sits below the required limit or doesn’t match your work, you may struggle to get through the door.

Does Your Policy Match the Roofing Work You Actually Do?

Check the trade description first. If your policy lists you as a general builder but most of your work is re-roofing, or the other way round, an insurer could question a claim. Then look at any limits on how high you can work, the types of property you can work on and the materials you can use. Some roofing policies exclude certain methods altogether, so make sure the exclusions don’t cover work you take on regularly.

It’s also worth checking your public liability limit against what the schemes ask for. Many standard policies start at £1 million. If TrustMark wants £2 million and your next commercial client wants £5 million, it makes sense to sort that out at renewal rather than in a hurry before a job.

Milestone Payments Mean More Paperwork and More Disputes

Trusted Payments changes how money moves on a job. You’ll get paid stage by stage, and the homeowner signs off each stage before releasing the next payment. That should help with cash flow on well-run jobs, but it also creates more points where a customer can hold back money and raise a complaint.

The NFRC has already said the payment system must protect contractors as well as consumers. In practice, that means keeping good records: photos at each stage, signed variations and clear notes on any extra work.

This is also where legal expenses cover earns its keep. If a dispute escalates, whether to the ombudsman or beyond, the cost of professional advice can add up quickly. Some specialist trade policies include legal expenses alongside public liability as standard. Tradesman Saver, for example, bundles legal expenses into its liability cover for roofers rather than selling it as an add-on. Whichever insurer you use, check what your legal cover includes and whether it extends to contract disputes.

The Homeowner’s Protection isn’t Your Protection

One point is easy to miss. Trusted Payments comes with an insurance-backed warranty for the homeowner, covering the work while the job runs and for up to 24 months afterwards. It also protects them if a trader walks off the job or stops trading.

That cover protects the customer. It doesn’t replace your own policy. If a slate falls and damages a car, or a member of the public is hurt on site, that claim still lands with you and your public liability insurer.

It’s also worth remembering that public liability normally covers injury or damage your work causes, not the cost of putting right faulty workmanship itself. With homeowners now more aware of their rights, be clear about where your cover stops.

A Quick Checklist Before You Sign Up

• Is your policy current, and can your insurer confirm it quickly if asked?
• Does the trade description match the roofing work you actually do?
• Do any height, property or method exclusions affect your regular jobs?
• Does your public liability limit meet the scheme’s minimum and your clients’ requirements?
• Do you have employer’s liability in place if you employ anyone?
• Do you have legal expenses cover, and does it include contract disputes?

Getting Ready for December

The Approved Code is a chance for good roofers to prove that most of the trade does things properly. It’s far better to find a gap in your insurance now than during vetting or after a claim.

If you’re reviewing your roofers insurance ahead of renewal, use the scheme as a prompt to check your limits, exclusions and legal cover against the work you’re taking on in 2027.