Here are 38 texts for a roofing business, free to copy with no sign-up. Change anything in square brackets and they're ready for your phone.
Two things shaped them. Your customers are nervous of being conned, so most say who you are and leave room to check you. And rain runs your diary, so there's a whole set for weather and scaffold. Each carries a label showing which UK rules apply.
Read this first
- Service texts belong to a job or enquiry the customer started.
- Marketing texts sell. They need consent or the soft opt-in, plus an opt-out.
- Name yourself in the first text, and on any payment link.
- Never ask a customer to go up a ladder or onto a roof, not even for a photo.
- One text, then wait. A no means stop.
Service or marketing?
Marketing texts fall under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) enforces those, and has its guidance under review following the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.
| Question | Service text | Marketing text |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Part of a job or enquiry the customer began | Promotes your business or asks for new work |
| Example | "Scaffold goes up on Tuesday" | "Book a gutter clear before winter" |
| Consent needed? | The consent rules are about promotion, so a true service text shouldn't need it. That's my reading, not ICO wording. | Consent or the soft opt-in |
| Opt-out needed? | No general rule, but respect a request to stop | In every text |
The soft opt-in covers your own customers and your own similar services. They need a clear chance to refuse when you take their details, and again in every text. New contacts and bought lists aren't covered.
That means your old customer list may not qualify. If nobody was offered an opt-out back then, get consent first. The ICO's page doesn't define "similar", so I wouldn't assume someone who had a chimney repointed wants a flat roof offer. Act on every STOP at once.
Under these rules, a sole trader or some partnerships count as individuals, the same as a homeowner. Limited companies can be marketed to without consent, but keep a do-not-text list.
Two traps
Slip a sales pitch into a service text and it can become marketing. Send them apart.
Never text the neighbours of a job offering a roof check, and don't ask customers for their neighbours' numbers. The ICO advises against asking for friends' details, and uninvited offers are exactly what homeowners are warned about.
The templates
Pick a stage with the buttons below.
First contact
[Your name] at [Business] here. Sorry, I was up on a roof when you rang. What's the problem? I'll text back as soon as I'm down.
[Name], thanks for getting in touch with [Business] about [job]. It's [Your name] here. Shall I ring at [time], or would you rather text?
Thanks for contacting [Business], [Name]. The office is shut, and you'll hear from me by [time] tomorrow. If anyone's in danger, ring 999.
Promise only a time you'll keep. This one often sends itself, so leave the 999 line in.
Thanks [Name]. My next free day is [date]. I'd rather tell you now than leave you waiting. If that's too long, I'll understand. Want me to pencil you in?
Storm and safety
[Your name] at [Business] here. We've had a lot of storm calls. I'll ring you by [time]. Please stay off the roof and don't use a ladder in this wind.
Give a time you'll hit, and update it daily.
Sorry you've got water coming in. Please don't go on the roof or up a ladder. If anyone's in danger, ring 999. I'll ring you by [time].
I couldn't confirm official wording on water near electrics, so this gives none. If you want a line on it, have a qualified electrician word it.
Keep everyone clear of it and don't go up to look. If it could fall on a road or path, ring the council's dangerous structures line. In danger, ring 999.
Councils list loose tiles and unstable chimneys as dangerous structures. East Hampshire, for one, says the owner must make them safe and tell their building insurer. Add your own council's out-of-hours number if it has one.
Stay well back. Cables may still be live. Ring 105 now. If anyone's in danger, ring 999. I can't work near it until it's safe.
Fallen or damaged lines go to the network operator on 105 in England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland, use NIE Networks on 03457 643 643, and check that number first.
Smell gas? Don't touch switches or use flames. Open doors and windows, turn gas off at the meter if safe, get out and ring the gas emergency line: 0800 111 999.
A fallen chimney or stack can damage a flue. Send this if someone reports a gas smell or suspected carbon monoxide, without waiting for a call-back. Northern Ireland's number is 0800 002 001. Nobody should enter a cellar, even if the meter's there. Anyone unwell or in immediate danger should ring 999. LPG customers ring their supplier's emergency number.
No genuine roofer will mind you saying no. Don't pay or sign today. If you feel threatened, ring 999. Citizens Advice can help on 0808 223 1133.
For a customer asking if a doorstep trader's genuine. Leicestershire Trading Standards gives 101 for non-emergencies. Don't comment on who the trader is.
Ask first
[Name], could you send a photo or two of [the problem]? From the ground or indoors is fine, so please don't go up a ladder. It'll help me work out what's going on.
Thanks [Name]. Three things: your postcode, roughly how old the roof is if you know, and where the water's showing?
Thanks [Name]. That sort of job usually runs £[low] to £[high]. I can fix the price once I've seen it. Shall I pop round?
[Name], if you're claiming, speak to your insurer first. I can do an itemised quote with photos for you to send them. Would that help?
Don't promise what an insurer will pay.
Book it in
[Name], I can look at the roof on [day] at [time] or [day] at [time]. Which is better for you?
That's booked, [Name]. [Your name] from [Business] will come on [day] between [time] and [time], to [Address]. Tell me if that address is wrong.
A customer who's been warned about cold callers wants to know who to expect.
[Your name] at [Business] here. I'll see you tomorrow between [time] and [time] for [job]. Text back if that no longer works.
Weather and scaffold
[Name], it's [Your name]. The forecast's too wet or windy to work safely on [day], so I've moved you to [day]. Sorry about that. Does that work?
[Name], the open section's covered for tonight. If anything changes, or water comes in, ring me on [Number].
[Name], [Scaffolder] will put your scaffold up on [day], around [time]. Please keep the drive and side access clear. Any problem, text me.
[Name], the roof's finished and the scaffold comes down on [day]. We'll check the drive and garden for nails once it's gone.
On the day
[Your name] from [Business] here, [Name]. Just leaving now and I should reach you in about [minutes] minutes.
Apologies [Name], the last roof took longer than planned, so I'm about [minutes] minutes behind. Is that still OK?
[Name], I've found [problem] and sent a photo. Fixing it adds £[amount], and I won't touch it without your OK. Reply YES, or ring me on [Number].
Always send the photo. Keep the reply, as it's your record that the customer agreed the extra cost.
[Name], we've stopped work on [area] because we may have found [asbestos or bats], and we need to stay within the rules. I'll ring you by [time] with what's next.
Stop that part of the job and get advice. The National Bat Helpline is 0345 1300 228.
Quotes
[Name], your [job] quote from [Business] is in your email, with photos of what I found. It's £[amount], fixed for [days] days. Take your time, and ask me anything.
[Name], it's [Your name]. Did the [job] quote make sense? I'm happy to answer questions or change anything.
A short nudge on a quote they asked for sits close to the service line. Stick to the job, send two at most, and stop if they say no.
[Name], I'll close your [job] quote now, so this is the last you'll hear from me about it. If you decide to go ahead later, text me here.
Thanks [Name]. Your paperwork and right to cancel are in your email. If you'd like me to start within 14 days, reply to that email and ask me to.
On a job agreed in the customer's home, the cancellation notice goes before they agree, not after. The pricing guide has the detail.
[Your name] at [Business] here, [Name]. To order your [materials], please pay the £[amount] deposit by bank transfer or card: [Link]. Any problems, text me.
Send this only after the cancellation paperwork's done. Never ask for cash.
After the job
All done, [Name]. Thanks for having us. Your before and after photos are in your email. If something doesn't look right, text me and I'll come back.
[Name], your [guarantee or certificate] for [job] is in your email from [Business]. Keep it somewhere safe, as a buyer may ask for it if you sell.
Reviews
Thanks for having [Business] on your roof, [Name]. Could you leave an honest review? It really helps a small firm: [Link]. Reply STOP to opt out.
Send it to every customer, with no discount or reward. Whether it counts as marketing is a grey area, so the business name and opt-out are there to be safe.
Payment
[Your name] at [Business] here, [Name]. Your [job] invoice is £[amount]. You can pay here: [Link]. Thank you.
[Your name] at [Business] here, [Name]. Your £[amount] invoice is [days] days overdue. Could you pay by [date], or ring me on [Number] if something's wrong?
Keep it polite and factual. Statutory late payment interest only applies to business customers.
Repeat work
[Business]: Hi [Name], I've got space to clear gutters and check roofs before winter. Reply YES and I'll send times. Reply STOP to opt out.
[Business]: Hi [Name], it's been a while since your [job]. If anything needs looking at, text me here. Reply STOP to opt out.
[Business]: Hi [Name], the forecast's dry and I've got 2 days free next week. Any small roof job waiting? Reply YES, or reply STOP to opt out.
What texts cost
One text holds up to 160 characters. Go over and it splits into parts, each charged. An emoji or other unusual character can drop the limit to 70. The gas template above is written to fit one text, so don't add to it.
The SMS Works shows 3.1p plus VAT a text, though its own page description says 4.4p. Esendex's plans work out at roughly 4p to 11p, depending on volume. Both are vendor figures from November 2026, so check before you buy.
When copying and pasting stops working
It's fine in a quiet month. It falls apart in a storm week, when you're on a scaffold and 20 people have rung. Automate the missed-call text and the quote chasers first, because those are what slip.
Questions roofers ask
Do I need permission to text a customer?
Not about a job they've asked you for. Selling is different: that needs consent, or the soft opt-in for your own customers, plus an opt-out each time.
Can I text a homeowner about their neighbour's roof?
Don't. You've no relationship with them, marketing needs consent, and it looks just like the uninvited approaches people are warned about.
Can I give money off for a Google review?
No. Google bans any incentive. The CMA says incentivised reviews must be clearly identified, and that posting one where a platform bans them is likely to be misleading.
Should I ask only the customers who were pleased?
No. Google bars selective asking, and the CMA says encouraging only satisfied customers can be misleading. Everyone gets the same request.
Should my texts cover emergencies?
Give the official number and a short safety line, then stop. Don't diagnose a roof by text, and never tell anyone a structure's safe.
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
- SGN, smell gas and Energy Networks Association, smell gas
- Calor, emergencies (LPG supplier)
- ScottishPower, electrical emergencies and UK Power Networks, power cut
- East Hampshire District Council, dangerous structures
- Leicestershire County Council, rogue roofers (1 October 2025)
- Citizens Advice, roofing scams (12 October 2026)
- Natural Resources Wales, bats
- ICO, electronic mail marketing (under review after the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025)
- CMA, fake reviews guidance (4 April 2025)
- Google, prohibited and restricted content
- The SMS Works, pricing and Esendex, customer pricing (vendors, November 2026)
Prices and rules change. Check the source before you rely on a figure. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.