Roofing is a physically demanding UK trade dominated by self-employment: most experienced roofers work as CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) subcontractors or run their own small roofing business rather than as direct employees. Take-home pay depends heavily on job type (re-roofing, repairs, new-build), region and whether work is won directly from homeowners or via main contractors. This guide sets out realistic UK profit levels for roofing contractors, shows estimated take-home after Income Tax and Class 4 National Insurance for 2026/27, and explains how CIS deductions and business expenses affect the figure that actually lands in your bank account.
Figures show net profit after materials markup, tool and vehicle costs, insurance and CIS deductions are reconciled -- not gross invoiced turnover. Established contractors running a crew earn more from managing multiple jobs than from their own labour alone.
| Level | Stage | Typical pay | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing Labourer | Employed, 0--2 years | GBP 22,000--GBP 27,000 | Stripping, loading, ground-level support to a roofing gang |
| Roofer (employed) | Trained, tiling/slating competent | GBP 27,000--GBP 35,000 | Independent tiling, slating, felt and batten work |
| Self-Employed Roofer (CIS) | Working for main contractors | GBP 32,000--GBP 50,000 (profit) | Day-rate or piece-work via CIS; 20% deducted at source, reconciled via Self Assessment |
| Roofing Contractor (own business) | Direct-to-homeowner and small commercial | GBP 45,000--GBP 85,000+ (profit) | Quotes, materials markup, manages own or subcontracted crew |
| Established Roofing Company Owner | Multiple crews, commercial contracts | GBP 60,000--GBP 120,000+ (profit) | Business scale drives income beyond personal labour; often limited company |
2026/27 England rates. Personal Allowance GBP 12,570. Employed scenarios use Class 1 employee National Insurance (8% to the Upper Earnings Limit, 2% above); self-employed scenarios use Class 4 National Insurance (6% to the Upper Profits Limit, 2% above) on net profit. No pension salary sacrifice or student loan repayment is applied. Actual take-home will differ based on tax code, pension contributions and any benefits in kind.
| Scenario | Gross | Income tax | NI | Net/year | Net/month | Keep % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-employed roofer (CIS, entry) | GBP 32,000 | GBP 3,886 | GBP 1,166 | GBP 26,948 | GBP 2,246/mo | 84% |
| Self-employed roofer (established) | GBP 40,000 | GBP 5,486 | GBP 1,646 | GBP 32,868 | GBP 2,739/mo | 82% |
| Roofing contractor (own business) | GBP 60,000 | GBP 11,432 | GBP 2,457 | GBP 46,111 | GBP 3,843/mo | 77% |
| Established roofing company owner | GBP 85,000 | GBP 21,432 | GBP 2,957 | GBP 60,611 | GBP 5,051/mo | 71% |
| Employed roofer (PAYE) | GBP 32,000 | GBP 3,886 | GBP 1,554 | GBP 26,560 | GBP 2,213/mo | 83% |
For your exact figure including pension, bonus and any other deductions, use the take-home pay calculator.
Roofers subcontracting to main contractors under CIS have 20% deducted at source from each invoice (registered subcontractors) or 30% (unregistered), as an advance payment towards their eventual tax bill. A roofer with GBP 40,000 net profit for 2026/27 after materials, tools, ladders/scaffold tower costs and vehicle running costs pays approximately GBP 5,486 in Income Tax and GBP 1,646 in Class 4 National Insurance, leaving net take-home of approximately GBP 32,868 per year, or around GBP 2,739 per month -- with the CIS deductions already withheld typically exceeding this liability, generating a Self Assessment refund.
A roofing contractor running their own business with GBP 60,000 net profit (after materials markup covers overheads and any subcontracted labour) pays approximately GBP 11,432 in Income Tax and GBP 2,457 in Class 4 National Insurance, taking home approximately GBP 46,111 per year, or GBP 3,843 per month. An established roofing company owner with GBP 85,000 profit takes home approximately GBP 60,611 per year (GBP 5,051 per month) -- though many roofing businesses at this scale incorporate as a limited company to manage Corporation Tax and extract profit via salary and dividends more tax-efficiently.
Roofing work is highly weather-dependent: sustained wet or icy conditions halt most re-roofing and repair jobs, creating income gaps that self-employed roofers must budget for across the year, typically concentrating capital work in spring through autumn and relying more on emergency repair call-outs during winter storms.
Materials costs (tiles, slates, felt, battens, lead flashing) are usually passed through to the client with a markup, so profit depends on accurately quoting labour time and materials wastage rather than materials cost alone. Roofers who underquote materials or labour time on fixed-price jobs see their effective hourly profit -- and therefore their real take-home pay -- fall well below the headline day rate.
