Roofing Merchants & Suppliers Guide

Roofing is one of those trades where buying materials from the right supplier makes a substantial difference, both on cost and on product quality. General builders’ merchants carry basic roofing lines, but a specialist roofing merchant offers a far deeper range, genuinely competitive trade pricing, and counter staff who understand the technical differences between products. This guide explains how roofing merchants work, what they stock, and how to get the best deal on a re-roofing or new-build project.

What Specialist Roofing Merchants Stock

A roofing merchant’s stock goes considerably beyond the couple of tile ranges and a roll of roofing felt you’ll find at a general builders’ merchant. Expect to find:

• Concrete and clay roof tiles, from economy concrete interlocking tiles through to premium hand-made clay plain tiles, in a wide range of profiles and colours
• Natural and fibre-cement slate, Spanish, Welsh, Brazilian, and Chinese natural slates in multiple sizes; fibre-cement alternatives (Marley Eternit, Cembrit, etc.)
• Flat-roof systems, EPDM rubber membranes, GRP (glass-reinforced polyester) fibreglass systems, modified bitumen (torch-on felt), liquid-applied coatings, and warm-roof insulation boards
• Roofing underlays and membranes, breathable membranes, vapour control layers, self-adhesive systems
• Leadwork, milled lead sheet in Code 3–6, code strip rolls, lead flashing systems
• Accessories, hip and ridge tiles, verge units, dry-fix systems, mortar, eaves ventilation, soffit and fascia, rooflights, and skylights
• Flat-roof drainage, outlets, gutters, and scuppers for flat and green roof applications

Larger branches of merchants such as SIG Roofing (which describes itself as the UK’s largest specialist roofing merchant), Roofbase, and independent regional roofing merchants stock most of these categories.¹ General builders’ merchants carry tiles and basic felt but rarely flat-roof systems or the full accessory range.

Trade vs Retail Pricing

Typical list prices in September 2026 are below. Trade-account discounts come off the merchant price and are negotiated with each customer rather than published:

Figures are approximate list prices seen in September 2026. Lead and natural slate prices fluctuate with commodity and exchange rates.

Retail prices include VAT and merchant list prices exclude it, and a homeowner pays VAT on both, so add 20% to the merchant column before comparing. One online roofing retailer lists Marley Ludlow Plus interlocking tiles at £749 including VAT for a pallet of 516, about £1,450 per 1,000.³ The larger Ludlow Major is listed at £429 including VAT for a pallet of 216, about £1,990 per 1,000.⁴ A roofing merchant lists the Ludlow Plus from £1.35 each ex VAT, or £1,350 per 1,000.⁵ It lists the Ludlow Major from £1.72 each ex VAT, or £1,720 per 1,000.⁶ The same merchant lists standard-grade Spanish natural slate (500 × 250 mm) at £2.08 each ex VAT for 21 or more, falling to £1.78 each for 1,050 or more.⁷⁸

Trade accounts and higher volume orders push prices toward the lower end of these ranges. On a typical re-roofing job, say 80–100 m² of tiling, the difference between buying from a DIY shed and a trade merchant with an account can amount to several hundred pounds.

Tiles, Slate, and Membranes: What to Know Before Ordering

Tiles and slate are sold by the 1,000 (sometimes by the square metre for larger-format products). Always calculate your tile requirement using the tile manufacturer’s specific coverage figure, it varies significantly by tile size and pitch. A roofing merchant’s counter staff can calculate this for you if you give them the roof area and pitch angle.

Order tiles by the full-pack quantity wherever possible. Manufacturers supply tiles on wooden pallets in set pack sizes (often 150–600 tiles per pallet depending on tile size). Ordering a partial pallet attracts a surcharge and, more importantly, means you can’t guarantee the tiles will be from the same batch, colour and tone variation between batches is a real issue with both concrete and clay products, and matching at a later date is notoriously difficult.

Wastage allowance: a standard 10% overage is conventional for plain tiles and natural slate, where cutting loss is higher. For interlocking tiles on a simple pitch with few hips and valleys, 7–8% may suffice. For complex roofs with multiple penetrations (chimneys, dormers, skylights), increase to 12–15%. Return unopened packs within the merchant’s return window rather than over-ordering freely, most merchants accept full-pallet returns in saleable condition within 28–60 days.

Breathable membranes (underlay): BS 5534 sets a pressure test for the wind uplift resistance of underlays, which decides the roofs and wind zones each product can be used on.⁹ Most breathable membranes sold at roofing merchants are labelled with the wind zones they suit, but economy products from general online marketplaces sometimes are not. Check that any underlay you buy is made to BS EN 13859-1 and is labelled as suitable for your site’s wind zone.

Bulk Ordering and Delivery

Roofing materials are heavy and awkward. A pallet of concrete interlocking tiles weighs around 1,000–1,500 kg depending on the tile size. Delivery logistics need planning:

• HIAB (crane-off) delivery is standard for palletised tile orders, the lorry crane lifts pallets directly onto a scaffold platform or flat ground. Confirm your site can accommodate the lorry and crane reach
• Delivery charges vary: free above a threshold (often £500–£1,000 trade order value), or £60–£150+ for smaller drops or crane-off with tight access
• Lead times: standard concrete tiles are typically 1–5 working days; clay handmade tiles and some natural slates may need 2–4 weeks, especially for less common profiles or colours. Order early and check stock availability before committing your programme

If you need a mix of materials, tiles, battens, underlay, ridge, and dry-fix accessories, getting them all from one merchant in one delivery saves multiple delivery charges and simplifies logistics considerably. Ask the merchant to consolidate.

Comparing Merchants and Getting the Best Price

For any roofing project of meaningful scale, it’s worth getting two or three quotes. Prepare a materials schedule: tile type and quantity, underlay quantity, ridge/hip specification, dry-fix or mortar accessories, leadwork quantities. A detailed list allows merchants to quote like-for-like rather than substituting cheaper equivalents that may not be equivalent at all.

Don’t overlook regional independents, in many parts of the UK, a family-run roofing merchant that’s been trading for 30+ years will have manufacturer relationships that give them pricing competitive with national chains, plus local delivery knowledge that national networks can’t always match.

VAT is charged at the standard 20% on roofing materials. If you’re a VAT-registered contractor, you’ll reclaim this; a homeowner generally cannot, unless building a new home or converting a building into a home, when the DIY housebuilders’ scheme can refund it.¹⁰ Make sure any comparison between quoted prices accounts for whether the figures include or exclude VAT.