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According to this NFRC study, UK roofing contractors typically hold a more positive commercial outlook in 2025 compared to 2024. However, that by no means indicates a problem-free perception.

The most adverse challenges to future successes, according to UK roofing contractor sentiment, are labour skill shortages and governmental support.

UK roofing sector sentiment and outlook 2025

(Source: NFRC State of UK Roofing Industry 2025 Spring)

Regardless of recruitment difficulties in the UK roofing industry due to labour skill shortages, contractors still intend to expand their staff headcount in 2025 and beyond.

Expansion plans, perhaps, are an indication that contractors expect more new business opportunities once cost and material availability pressures are alleviated.

 

The actual payment terms and periods in the UK roofing industry have worsened for contractors, leading to more lengthy deferments during 2023. But there was a gradual recovery over the course of 2024. With original Q1 2023 levels, bouncing back by Q1 2025.

Interestingly, there was quite a discrepancy between ‘agreed’ and ‘actual’ payment periods, with a 32% late payment rate experienced by UK roofing contractors in 2024.

(Source: NFRC State of UK Roofing Industry 2025 Spring)

The worst phase of actual payment periods faced by UK roofing contractors occurred in Q3 2024, with just under 30% of payments being made between 46-60 days (compared with under 20% in Q1 of 2023).

Then a bounceback occurred in 2024 with payments between 31-45 days increasing and a disappearance of 61+ day payments. Perhaps this improvement could be attributed to payment terms being used more readily by contractors as a lever for negotiation when price competition heightened.

The labour and material costs of UK roofing projects increased marginally during 2024-25, with materials experiencing the biggest rise.

The knock-on effect affecting tender prices, which rose over the year before falling towards the end, as price competition and bidding wars set in between contractors.

(Source: NFRC State of UK Roofing Industry 2025 Spring)

Global trade tariff laws, in particular, played their part in placing inflationary pressure on material costs via supply chain tightening. This in turn, slowed down new contract agreements as budgets were squeezed. But then for the few contracts that did close, price competition occured lowering tender prices.

Ultimately, during 2024-25, UK roofing contractors suffered a slump in new business, weak cash flow and depressed profit margins.

The employment landscape within the UK roofing industry remains relatively unchanged from 20024-25, with most firms reporting little differences in ease of employment or headcount. [Read more…] about Change In Employment Skills & Shortages In UK Roofing Sector 2025