New roofing business? How to get insured with no trading history

The no-trading-history problem

Online quote systems rate businesses on their record: years trading, turnover, claims. A brand-new roofing business has no record, so the machine has nothing to rate — and in a trade insurers already treat as high-risk, “nothing to rate” usually means decline. Some sites won’t quote new-venture roofers at all; others will, at prices that assume the worst.

None of this means you’re uninsurable. It means the thing that makes you a good risk — your experience — isn’t something the form knows how to ask about.

From employed roofer to your own business

Most new roofing businesses aren’t started by beginners. They’re started by roofers with years on the tools for someone else, who know the work inside out and have finally decided to keep the margin themselves. To an automated form, that person is identical to someone who bought a ladder last week. To an underwriter reading a proper presentation, they’re completely different risks.

That’s the case a broker makes: not “new business, no history” but “experienced roofer, new venture” — with the evidence to back it up.

Evidence that helps your case

Your record in the trade

Years of experience, who you worked for, and the kind of work you did — pitched, flat, heritage, commercial. Be specific about what you’ll actually take on in year one; a tight, honest description of your work is easier to place than “all roofing”.

Qualifications and cards

NVQs, manufacturer and system training certificates, CSCS card, working-at-height and other safety tickets. None of them are magic keys, but together they paint the picture of a professional rather than a punt.

A previous employer reference

A short letter or email from a former employer confirming how long you worked for them and what you did carries real weight. It turns “ten years’ experience” from a claim on a form into something an underwriter can rely on.

Employers’ liability from day one

One thing that catches new roofing businesses out: employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you employ anyone — and for insurance purposes that generally includes labour-only subcontractors, the mate you pay day rates to work under your direction with your materials. It is not just for firms with a payroll department. Take anyone on, even casually, and you need EL in place. Bona-fide subcontractors who run their own show and carry their own insurance are treated differently — but the labour-only versus bona-fide distinction trips up a lot of new businesses, so tell your broker exactly how you plan to use subbies and let the policy be set up around the truth of it.

The cover a new roofing business usually needs

The usual package: public liability (most customers and main contractors will insist on it, and will ask to see your certificate), employers’ liability if anyone works for you, contract works cover for jobs in progress, tools and plant cover for the kit in the van, and personal accident cover — because in your own business there’s no sick pay, and a roofer who can’t climb a ladder isn’t earning. If you do any torch-on or other hot works, say so from the start; see our hot works page for why that honesty matters more than anything else on the form.

Getting it sorted

Have a rough year-one turnover estimate, your experience and qualifications, how you’ll use subbies, the type of work you’ll take on, your maximum working height and whether any of it involves heat. Then call 0117 325 0027 — before the first job if you possibly can, because clients will want your certificate and you want cover in place before you’re on the roof. We can’t promise acceptance, but new-venture roofers with real experience behind them are a risk we can usually find a market for.

Frequently asked questions

Why do insurers decline new roofing businesses?

Automated systems rate on track record — years trading, turnover history, claims history. A new venture has none of those, so in a higher-risk trade like roofing many online products simply decline. It’s a limitation of the system, not a verdict on you: underwriters who consider new ventures individually look at your experience instead.

What evidence helps a new roofing business get insured?

Anything that shows you’re an experienced roofer rather than a beginner: years in the trade and the type of work you did, qualifications (NVQs, manufacturer or system training), CSCS card, health and safety tickets, and a reference from a previous employer confirming your role and experience. A short, honest summary of the work you plan to take on helps too.

Do I need employers’ liability insurance if I only use labour-only subbies?

Almost certainly yes. Labour-only subcontractors — people who work under your direction, using your materials, paid for their labour — are generally treated as employees for insurance purposes, and employers’ liability is a legal requirement when you employ anyone. Bona-fide subcontractors, who work under their own direction and carry their own insurance, are different — but tell your broker exactly how you use subbies so the policy is set up right.

Can I get insured before my first job starts?

That’s the right way round — you want cover in place before you set foot on site, and many main contractors and clients will ask for your certificate before you start. Give yourself as much lead time as you can. We’ll move as fast as the market allows, but no honest broker promises cover by a set date until an insurer has confirmed terms.

Will my premium drop once I have some trading history?

Generally, a clean trading record helps at renewal — you stop being a new venture and start being a business with evidence behind it. No one can promise a lower figure, but each clean year makes more markets available, which is its own kind of leverage. The important thing in year one is honest answers and the right cover, not the cheapest possible certificate.

What details will I be asked for as a new venture?

Expect questions about your background: years of experience, qualifications, the work you’ll take on (pitched vs flat, any hot works, maximum height, domestic vs commercial), estimated turnover for year one, who’ll work with you, and any claims from your time employed if asked. Estimates are fine as long as they’re honest — and tell your broker if the business changes shape during the year.

Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 724952). This page is general information, not advice on a specific policy.