Plumbing and heating business finance: vans, tools, stock and cash flow
Plumbing and heating business finance helps plumbers, gas and heating engineers and heat pump installers fund vans, tools and…
Construction and property
Roofing business finance: access kit, vans, materials and cash flow
Finance for roofing contractors: access equipment and van finance, funding for materials, and ways to manage retentions, late payment and quiet winter months.
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- Amount
- From £10,000 to £20 millionLarger amounts through secured, property and asset-based finance
- Security
- Secured or unsecuredOptions compared for your case
- Suitable businesses
- Sole traders to limited companiesPartnerships and LLPs too
- Lender panel
- 300+ lendersWhole-of-market search
In short
Supporting roofing businesses at every stage.
Roofing business finance helps roofers fund access equipment, vans and materials, and smooth out cash flow when commercial clients pay late or hold back retentions.
Equipment and vehicles usually suit asset finance, while cash tied up in invoices suits construction invoice finance or a working capital loan. Lenders look at your trading record, your customers and how seasonal your income is.
The operating cycle
Where finance fits into your roofing business
Cash leaves the business at every stage before it comes back. Each stage below is a point where the right facility can carry the gap.
“The whole process was very smooth and was completed within a few days.”
- 01
Win work
Orders, contracts or customers secured.
- 02
Buy in
Stock, materials and equipment paid for up front.
Asset finance → - 03
Pay people
Wages and suppliers paid on time.
Working capital → - 04
Deliver
The work is done or the goods are sold.
- 05
Get paid
Customers pay, sometimes weeks later.
Invoice finance → - 06
Tax
VAT and Corporation Tax fall due.
HMRC loans → - 07
Invest
Growth, a new site or new equipment.
Business loans →
About roofing business finance
Specialist knowledge. Better outcomes.
Roofing is a trade where the bills arrive before the money.
Materials have to be bought and on site before the job starts, access has to be in place, and commercial clients often pay weeks after completion, sometimes holding part of the payment back for months. Add the weather and a quiet winter, and even a profitable roofer can run short of cash. This page is for roofing contractors, from domestic roofers to flat roofing and commercial cladding firms, who want to fund kit and manage cash flow. Smart Funding Solutions is an independent broker: we compare lenders that understand construction trades and arrange finance that fits your jobs.
- Access to 300+ lendersWhole-of-market search across our lender panel.
- Independent brokerSmart Funding Solutions is an independent broker, not a lender.
- Tailored to your caseYour case presented to lenders suited to it.
- Support from start to finishOur experts handle the process from start to finish.
Funding needs
Funding options for roofing businesses
Choose the need, and we’ll show you how lenders usually structure it.
Retentions, late payment and CIS
01
Retentions
On commercial and subcontract work, the client often holds back a percentage of each payment as a retention, released partly at practical completion and the rest after the defects period. That money is earned but unavailable, sometimes for a year or more. Lenders treat retentions cautiously, and most invoice funders will not advance against them, so it pays to plan for them in your cash flow.
02
Late payment
GOV.UK explains that where no payment date is agreed, a business payment is late 30 days after the customer receives the invoice or the work is done, whichever is later, and that you may be able to claim interest and debt recovery costs. See the late commercial payments guidance. In practice, chasing a main contractor has to be balanced against winning the next job, which is why many roofers prefer a facility that releases cash without waiting.
03
Construction Industry Scheme
Building work, alterations and repairs fall within the Construction Industry Scheme, so contractors take deductions from a roofer's labour payments unless the roofer has gross payment status. GOV.UK notes that scaffolding hire with no labour is outside the scheme. See what the Construction Industry Scheme covers. Most supplies between VAT-registered businesses under CIS also fall under the VAT domestic reverse charge, so the VAT is accounted for by the customer rather than collected with your invoice.
Spreading a tax bill can protect project cash, as in our case study on corporation tax funding for a construction business.
Who it suits
- 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.
Seasonality
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.
How it works in practice
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.
Costs to consider
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.
Alternatives
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.
Underwriting
What lenders look at
01
Time trading, accounts or tax returns, and recent bank statements.
02
Who your customers are and their payment terms.
03
Contracts, applications and certificates on commercial work.
04
Retentions outstanding and any disputed amounts.
05
The age and value of equipment and vehicles being funded.
06
Existing finance and the credit history of the business and its owners.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Spreads the cost of kit and vehicles while they earn.
- Releases cash tied up in commercial work.
- Helps you take on bigger contracts.
- Flexible facilities can cover quiet months.
Cons
- Retentions and disputes reduce what invoice funders will advance.
- Strong seasonality can limit what some lenders offer.
- Directors are often asked for a personal guarantee.
What you can fund
| Need | Typical route |
|---|---|
| Access equipment: towers, edge protection, hoists, mobile elevating work platforms | Equipment finance; see cherry picker finance |
| Scaffolding owned in house | Asset finance; see scaffolding finance |
| Vans, pick-ups and tippers | Van finance on hire purchase or lease |
| Materials: slate, tiles, membranes, insulation, leadwork | Merchant trade credit, a revolving facility or a short-term loan |
| Cash tied up in applications and retentions | Construction invoice finance or a working capital loan |
Merchants funding their own stock and customer credit have different needs, covered on our builders merchant finance page.
The broker’s view
How we help
Tell us what you need to fund and how your work is paid. We search the market and approach suitable lenders. Lenders on our panel include Ultimate Finance, which offers construction invoice finance and asset finance, and Davenham Asset Finance for vehicles and plant; Smart Funding Solutions is an independent broker and is not part of either. It is free to enquire; any broker fee is disclosed separately before you proceed. To compare lenders in minutes, use our instant quotes tool.
FAQs
Questions clients ask
Can I get finance against a retention?
It is difficult. Most invoice funders exclude retentions because payment depends on the work passing the defects period. Some lenders consider them as part of a wider facility, but it is better to plan cash flow assuming retentions will arrive late.
Can a new roofing business get finance?
Yes, but options are narrower. Van and equipment finance is often available to newer businesses, sometimes with a larger deposit. Unsecured loans and invoice finance usually need some trading history.
Does seasonal income stop me getting a loan?
No, but lenders will look at your income across the year rather than one month. Explaining your seasonal pattern and showing a cash flow forecast helps.
Should I buy or hire access equipment?
If you use the kit most weeks, owning it through finance can work out cheaper over time. If you need it occasionally, hiring may be better. Compare the monthly finance cost with your annual hire spend.
Is invoice finance suitable for domestic roofing work?
Usually not, because householders tend to pay on completion. Invoice finance works best for work billed to businesses, contractors or public bodies on credit terms.
Can I get finance to buy a roofing company?
Yes. Buying an established roofing company is usually funded with acquisition finance: a loan sized on the business's recent profits, your own contribution and sometimes part of the price paid to the seller after completion. Lenders look most closely at the order book, customer spread, retentions and guarantees on past work, and the access equipment and vans. You can see which lenders on our panel fund purchases like yours with Instant Quotes.
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What our clients say
“Simon was fast, kept us updated at all stages and was a real pleasure to work with on our asset finance. I highly recommend this company: excellent service all round.”
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“Getting a business loan can feel like a bit of a minefield, but everything was broken down for me in great detail. Will use again in the future!”
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Why businesses choose Smart Funding Solutions
- Access to 300+ lenders
- Personal broker support
- No obligation discussion
- Free to enquire