Roofing business finance: access kit, vans, materials and cash flow

By introducing homeowners to an authorised consumer lender, once the company holds the right FCA permission or works as an appointed representative of a firm that does. Introducing customers to a lender for consumer credit is credit broking, a regulated activity, even when roofing is the main business. We arrange business finance for roofing companies themselves, such as vans, access equipment and working capital, rather than finance for homeowners.

Does a roofer need FCA authorisation to offer finance?

Yes, in one of two ways. A roofer can apply to the FCA for limited permission for secondary credit broking, the permission for firms whose main business is not credit broking, or carry on credit broking as an appointed representative of an authorised principal. The FCA says applicants must show how they will meet its Consumer Duty and clearly state any fees and commission. Its page on secondary credit brokers explains the permission.

• Count the set up cost. Application fees, compliance time and staff training come before any extra sales.
• Plan your own cash flow. A customer's lender may pay you only once the job is signed off, so materials and labour still need funding while the roof is open.

Van finance and cherry picker finance cover the kit, and Instant Quotes lists panel lenders for roofing firms, with no credit search.

Yes. A roofer adding solar has to pay for training, certification, panels, inverters, batteries and access equipment before the first install pays, and lenders tend to view it as an extension of an established trade when the roofing business has a trading record. We search the market for equipment finance, stock funding and working capital for roofing firms moving into solar.

Do roofers need MCS certification to install solar panels?

It matters most to customers who want export payments. Ofgem's Smart Export Guarantee guidance says generators are asked to show that their installation and installer are suitably certified, for example with an MCS certificate or an equivalent scheme, and an export licensee does not have to pay SEG tariffs without it. Solar panels and batteries installed in homes are also zero rated for VAT until 31 March 2027, which changes what you charge and what you reclaim. Ofgem's SEG guidance for generators sets out the certification rules.

• Kit. Scaffold or edge protection, hoists and test equipment on renewable energy finance or hire purchase.
• Stock. Panels and batteries bought ahead of a run of jobs on a short working capital loan.
• People. Training and an electrician, employed or subcontracted, for the electrical side of each install.

Instant Quotes shows which lenders on our panel fund solar kit for trades, and your credit file is not touched.

• Domestic roofers replacing a van or buying access equipment.
• Flat roofing, slating and tiling firms taking on larger contracts.
• Roofing subcontractors working for housebuilders and main contractors.
• Commercial roofing and cladding firms with long payment cycles.

Bad weather stops work, short winter days cut productive hours, and demand for repairs can spike after storms. Lenders reviewing a roofer's bank statements will see those swings, so be ready to explain them. Flexible facilities that you draw when needed, or repayments planned around your stronger months, can help. Our guide to seasonal business finance explains the options.

Illustrative example only, not a quote. A roofing company with five years of trading wins a contract to re-roof a school through a main contractor. It needs edge protection, a hoist and a second van, and must buy materials up front. The company funds the van and access kit through hire purchase. The main contractor pays monthly applications after deducting CIS and a retention, so the company uses a selective invoice finance facility against each certified application. The retention is left out of the facility and treated as a bonus when it is released. Domestic work, paid on completion, carries on as normal.

Compare the full cost of each facility: arrangement fees, early settlement terms, deposits on asset finance and, for invoice finance, service charges, minimum terms and notice periods. Pricing depends on the business, the customers and the facility, so we show every offer's full cost side by side.

For a one-off need, a short-term or unsecured business loan may be simpler than an invoice facility. Roofers who own property may get larger amounts on a secured basis. For wider issues on bigger projects, see our construction finance page.