You don't need specialist roofing software. A small UK roofer needs three jobs done: run the work, do the books including CIS, and answer the customer. A general trade app does the first one fine, because most software built only for roofers is American.
Job and accounts apps aren't something we sell, so I've nothing riding on those picks. Call answering is, and I flag that below. I haven't run any of these on a live roofing job either. The picks are my judgement from published prices and features, so lean on the trials.
My picks
- Sole roofer on repairs, tight budget: ServiceM8's free plan, if 30 quotes and work orders a month is enough.
- Crews using subcontractors: YourTradebase, because field team and subcontractors are listed as free.
- A small team tracking labour and materials on each job: Fergus or Tradify.
- CIS accounts: QuickBooks or Xero. Check FreeAgent if your bank includes it.
- American roofing apps: I'd leave them, unless the vendor confirms UK support.
Running the jobs
Quotes, diary, jobs and invoices live here. I read these prices on 6 November 2026, and they may exclude VAT.
| App | UK price | Trial | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ServiceM8 | Free for one user, with 30 quotes and work orders a month. Paid plans at £25, £59, £119 or £269 a month by volume, with unlimited users. | 14 days | Repair-led roofers who text a lot |
| Powered Now | £28, £32 or £40 a month, or £280, £320 or £400 a year. Excludes VAT. | 14 days, no card | Small UK trades. Custom forms, but no roofing certificates listed. |
| YourTradebase | £29 a month on an undated page, with admin users at £5 and field staff and subcontractors free | 30 days, no card | Crews with subcontractors |
| Fergus | From £39 or £45 a month, with contractor users £2 a day | 14 days, no card | Tracking time and materials on larger jobs |
| Tradify | A third party reports £34, £37 or £44 per user a month, checked 22 October 2026. We didn't read Tradify's own price. | 14 days, no card | Quotes, jobs, invoices and scheduling in one place |
| Commusoft | Not published. Four licences minimum, 12-month contract. | Not mentioned | Bigger, established businesses |
| Simpro | Not published | Not mentioned | Larger businesses with complex jobs |
What a roofer should check
Generic reviews won't tell you these.
- Photos. Can you attach dated photos to a job and send them with a quote? In roofing, that's your best sales tool.
- Rain. How easily can you shift a whole week of jobs, and tell every customer?
- Multi-day jobs. A re-roof isn't a one-hour appointment. Check the diary handles scaffold up, strip, tile and scaffold down.
- Paperwork. Can it hold your method statement, construction phase plan and hot works record against each job?
- Subcontractors. How does it charge for them? A per-user price can get expensive when you've a mate on day rate.
- Leaving. Can you get your customer list out?
That hot works point is new and serious. In October 2026 the High Court ruled on a preliminary issue between Attleys Roofing and QBE that a hot works condition was absolute, according to trade press. Whether it was breached is still undecided. I'd want a timed, named fire watch record stored against the job, in whatever app you choose. A form that can be filled in on site will do it.
What about specialist roofing software?
Most of what you'll find was built for the US market. UK listing sites show them, but look at the small print.
| App | Price | Countries listed | My view |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roofr | $249 a month for Essentials | Canada, United States | UK not listed |
| RooferPro | Not read | Australia, Canada, United States | UK not listed |
| iRoofing | From $129 a month | United States | UK not listed |
These come from GetApp and Capterra listings. They may do more than the listings say, so ask the vendor. But check for pounds, UK VAT and CIS before you get excited. I couldn't confirm a UK roof measuring service with a published price, so I've left that out.
For measuring, I'd stick with a tape, a pitch gauge and photos for now. A drone can help you inspect without climbing. Since January 2026 you've needed a Flyer ID for drones of 100g or more, and an operator ID if there's a camera. I couldn't confirm the commercial rules on the page I read, so check the CAA's guidance and your insurance first. Ask the customer's OK, and tell the neighbours.
Accounting apps
A kitchen fitter on domestic work can ignore CIS. A roofer who subcontracts can't. Work for contractors and you'll want deductions tracked. Pay subcontractors and you'll need returns filed.
| App | UK price before VAT | CIS |
|---|---|---|
| Xero | £18, £39, £55 or £70 a month | Subcontractor calculations in every plan. Contractor CIS returns are a £5 a month add-on. |
| QuickBooks | Check current pricing, because offers vary | Sole Trader Plus says it calculates and submits CIS at no added cost |
| FreeAgent | £19 sole trader, £33 limited company, a month | The pricing page we read doesn't describe CIS on business plans, so check |
FreeAgent is free with a NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank business account, or an active Mettle account. Xero's £18 plan stops at 20 invoices and quotes, which a busy repair roofer will soon pass.
My view: check your bank first, because free is hard to beat, but only if it handles your CIS. If you pay subcontractors, CIS is the thing to test in the trial. Mistakes here got more costly in 2026, with Saffery reporting tougher HMRC powers over gross payment status.
Sole traders over the Making Tax Digital line need compatible software too. The line's £50,000 today and falls to £30,000 in April 2027 and £20,000 in April 2028, measured before costs. So a re-roof's tiles count, and you'll get there well before your profit does.
Catching the call
Job apps wake up once a customer exists. Few help when someone rings while you're two lifts up. We sell in this category, so check the alternatives below.
| App | Answers calls with AI? | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Powered Now | Yes, add-on | £29 or £39 a month |
| ServiceM8 | Yes, on the Phone plan | Included in the £119 UK plan |
| Fasthosts | Yes, separate product | £39, £69 or £99 a month |
| Trade Receptionist | Yes, separate product | From £49 a month, with a roofers page |
Prices and our own offer are in is an AI receptionist worth it?. Whichever you pick, get your safety script sorted first, using what can go wrong.
Where we fit
Don't come to us for job costing, method statements or CIS. Keep your job app and your accounts.
Our part comes earlier: getting you found, answering calls and messages, chasing quotes and asking for reviews. If the trouble starts once the work's booked, buy one of the apps above. If it starts before that, talk to us.
Don't forget the free ones. A Google Business Profile, the WhatsApp Business app, your phone's camera and a shared calendar cost nothing and do a lot.
Questions roofers ask
What's the best app for a self-employed roofer?
On your own with under 30 quotes and work orders a month, I'd start on ServiceM8's free plan. Run it on real jobs for a month before you pay for anything.
Do roofers need job management software?
Not on day one. Pen, paper and a shared calendar will carry you a while. Once you're losing track of quotes or rearranging a week of jobs by hand, the cost's small compared with one forgotten customer.
Which accounting app is best for CIS?
QuickBooks and Xero both describe CIS features on their pages. Xero charges £5 a month for contractor returns. Test it in the trial if you pay subcontractors, and use HMRC's software finder for Making Tax Digital.
Do I need an app for roof measuring?
No. I couldn't confirm a UK measuring app with a published price. A tape, a pitch gauge, photos and careful notes still do the job.
David Bell, founder of Real Business Systems
David helps small UK businesses get found, answer every enquiry and keep customers coming back. We sell some of the services mentioned here, and we say so where they come up.
Sources
- ServiceM8, UK pricing and Phone Unlimited summary
- Powered Now, pricing
- YourTradebase, quotes (undated)
- Fergus, UK pricing
- Kael Tripton, Tradify UK pricing (third party)
- Commusoft, pricing
- Simpro, pricing
- GetApp, Roofr, Capterra, RooferPro and Capterra, iRoofing
- Heliguy, UK drone rules 2026 (vendor)
- Insurance Business, Attleys Roofing v QBE (trade press on the 26 October 2026 ruling)
- Xero, UK pricing
- QuickBooks, sole traders
- FreeAgent, pricing
- Saffery, CIS changes (14 January 2026, accountants)
- GOV.UK, Making Tax Digital dates
- Fasthosts, AI Receptionist
- Trade Receptionist
Prices and rules change. Check the source before you rely on a figure. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.