This is where placement really matters: roofers working below roughly 40 feet can usually get income protection (often with a three-month wait), while work above 40 feet is widely declined. The critical-illness disability benefit is frequently unavailable for roofers.
INCOME PROTECTION — YOUR #1 PRIORITY
High-risk trade? Income protection matters most
Roofing carries serious fall risk and no sick pay. We specialise in placing roofers with insurers who'll actually cover working at height — where comparison sites simply decline you.
Specialist placement for working-at-height trades
Up to ~70% of earnings replaced while you can't work
Clear, upfront terms on any height-related exclusions
Roofing is one of the highest-risk trades, which is exactly why protection matters most. Here's the exposure.
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Falls from height
The single biggest occupational risk in roofing — and the reason cover is essential.
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No sick pay
Self-employed roofers have nothing coming in if they can't work.
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Weather & seasonal work
Lost days stack up; protection smooths the income gaps illness creates.
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Long-term injury
A serious fall can end a roofing career — life and critical illness cover protect your family.
Recommended Cover
The Right Protection for Roofers
Based on the specific risks of your profession, here's what we typically recommend — ranked by priority.
TOP PRIORITY
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Income Protection
Vital — but specialist
We place roofers with insurers willing to cover at-height work, often with sensible terms.
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Life Insurance
Essential for high-risk trades
Clears the mortgage and protects your family — priced for your trade by the right insurer.
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Critical Illness Cover
Recovery cushion
A lump sum on diagnosis to support you and your family during recovery.
Why Your Job Is Different
How We Get Roofers a Better Deal
Mainstream insurers often misprice or misunderstand your profession. Here's how we fix that.
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High-risk trade specialists
Where comparison sites decline you, we have insurers who quote roofers properly.
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Honest about exclusions
We explain any exclusions clearly so you know exactly what you're covered for.
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Self-employed focused
Cover built around real earnings with no employer sick pay assumed.
Already covered?
Two policies at the same price can pay out very differently
If you already have life insurance, critical illness or income protection, get a free plain-English review — what it does well, where it's weak, and what switching would gain and lose you.
Yes. It's harder than office jobs, but as specialists we have insurers who cover working-at-height trades.
Will there be exclusions?
Sometimes, depending on the insurer. We always explain these upfront so there are no surprises at claim time.
Why was I declined by a comparison site?
Automated sites often reject high-risk trades outright. A broker can place you manually with the right insurer.
Is life insurance more expensive for roofers?
It can carry a modest loading, but it's very affordable relative to the protection it gives your family.
Life Insurance & Income Protection
Roofer FAQs — Life Insurance & Income Protection
Common questions UK roofers ask about protecting their income and family.
Can roofers actually get income protection?
Yes. It is harder than for office jobs and many comparison sites decline roofers outright, but as specialists we work with insurers who cover working-at-height trades properly.
How much does income protection cost for a roofer?
It carries a higher premium because of the risk, but remains affordable next to losing your whole income after a fall. We get you the fairest available terms.
Will my policy have exclusions?
Sometimes, depending on the insurer. We always explain any height-related exclusions upfront so there are no surprises at claim time.
Why was I refused cover online?
Automated comparison sites often reject high-risk trades automatically. A broker can place you manually with an insurer that understands roofing.
Can I cover CIS or limited company earnings?
Yes. We calculate the benefit from your real take-home, whether you are paid through CIS or your own company.
Do roofers need life insurance too?
Given the risk, life cover is especially valuable. It clears the mortgage and protects your family, and we price it with insurers who quote roofers fairly.
Role-Specific Detail
Roofer-specific questions, answered properly
The operational detail that decides claims for roofers — sick pay schemes, licences, contracts and the wording that matters.
What exactly is the forty foot rule I keep hearing about?
Many insurer occupation guides set a threshold at roughly forty feet, above which roofing work is commonly declined for income protection by mainstream providers. Below it, cover is usually available, often with a minimum waiting period. The precise height and how strictly it is applied varies between insurers.
Can I get cover if I only occasionally work above that height?
Often yes. Occupation guides deal in typical duties, so a roofer whose work is predominantly domestic and low-level may be quotable even with occasional higher work. It has to be disclosed accurately — an undisclosed regular pattern of high work could affect a claim.
Does using scaffolding rather than ladders improve my terms?
It can help the conversation. Insurers are assessing the realistic risk of the work, and consistent use of scaffolding and edge protection on managed sites presents differently from ladder-based work on domestic properties. It rarely changes a published rate but can support placement with a more sympathetic insurer.
Is flat roofing treated differently from pitched roofing?
Sometimes. Flat roofing and felt work at low level is generally viewed more favourably than steep pitched work at height, and some insurers distinguish between them. It is one of the details worth stating explicitly rather than describing yourself simply as a roofer.
Can I get life insurance even if income protection is declined?
Usually yes. Life cover is available to most roofers, often with only a modest loading, because it responds to mortality rather than to occupational disability. Where income protection proves difficult, life and critical illness cover still protect your family and mortgage.
What about seasonal downtime over winter?
Income protection responds to illness and injury, not to a shortage of work or bad weather. Seasonal fluctuation is instead handled through how your income is assessed — insurers usually average across the year so the benefit reflects a realistic annual figure rather than a peak month.
I work as a subcontractor for a main contractor — who insures me?
You do. Subcontractors are responsible for their own income protection; the main contractor's insurance covers their liabilities, not your earnings. This is a very common misunderstanding on site and one of the reasons subcontracted trades are among the most under-insured groups in the UK.