Section 75 & Credit Card Dispute Roof Surveys

When roofing work fails — or is found to have been carried out to a substandard level — homeowners are often left in a difficult position. The contractor may be unwilling to return or has ceased trading. The work still needs to be properly remedied. And the process of recovering money from a bank or credit card provider requires more than a description of the problem: it requires independent, documented evidence.

At North West Roof Surveys, we provide specialist independent roof inspections and written reports for homeowners dealing with defective roofing works, Section 75 credit card claims, and related roofing disputes. Our reports are prepared to assist homeowners, their solicitors, banks, credit card providers, and dispute resolution services in understanding the nature and extent of the defects involved.

Section 75 Claims and Roofing Disputes

Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, where a service costing between £100 and £30,000 is paid for using a credit card, the card provider is jointly liable with the supplier if the service is not delivered as agreed. For homeowners who paid a roofing contractor by credit card, this means the credit card provider may share liability where the work is subsequently found to be defective.

In practice, pursuing a Section 75 claim for roofing work almost always requires independent evidence of those defects. A card provider is unlikely to uphold a claim based solely on a homeowner’s account of events. An independent surveyor’s report — setting out the defects identified, their likely causes, and how the work falls short of an accepted standard — provides the objective, documented evidence needed to support the claim.

North West Roof Surveys does not provide legal advice, and this page should not be taken as such. Homeowners with specific questions about their legal position are encouraged to seek appropriate professional advice. What we provide is the independent technical evidence that underpins a claim.

How Defective Roofing Work Often Comes to Light

Substandard roofing work is not always immediately obvious. Problems frequently emerge some time after completion, and are often first identified through one of the following:

• A homebuyer survey — a surveyor instructed by a prospective buyer identifies defects in roofing work carried out by the seller’s contractor
• A mortgage valuation — a lender’s valuer raises concerns about the roof, preventing completion or requiring remedial work as a condition of the offer
• A failed property sale — roofing defects identified during a transaction result in a price reduction or buyer withdrawal
• Internal damp or water ingress — leaks or damp appearing inside the property following completion of the works, sometimes months later
• A second opinion from another contractor — a subsequent roofer identifies poor workmanship, incorrect materials, or non-compliant installation practices

In each of these situations, a clear independent report from a specialist roof surveyor helps establish what has gone wrong, when it is likely to have occurred, and what remedial work is now required — providing a documented basis for a claim or dispute.

What We Inspect

Our inspections cover the full range of roofing systems and defect types likely to be relevant to a dispute. Common instructions include:

• Failed roof replacements and re-roofing works — incorrect tile or slate specification, inadequate fixing, substandard or absent underlay, poor ridge and hip detailing
• Flat roof installation defects — poor membrane installation, inadequate drainage falls, defective upstands, perimeter, and junction details
• Spray foam insulation — spray foam applied to the underside of roof coverings is a significant and increasingly common source of disputes, particularly where it has resulted in mortgage refusal, timber saturation, or restricted access. See our dedicated spray foam survey page for further information.
• Leadwork defects — poorly formed or insufficient flashings at chimneys, abutments, valleys, dormers, and roof penetrations
• Chimney repairs and rebuilds — defective repointing, inadequate flaunching, poorly secured chimney pots, and failed lead soakers or back gutters
• Guttering and rainwater goods — incorrect fall, inadequate fixings, defective joints, and poor discharge arrangements
• Tile and slate repairs — slipped, cracked, or incorrectly specified materials, inadequate fixing, and non-compliant installation practices
• Ridge and hip work — failed mortar bedding, non-compliant dry-fix systems, and inadequately fixed ridge tiles

Standards and Compliance

A straightforward statement that roofing work is poor carries limited weight in a dispute. What carries weight is a report that clearly identifies how specific elements of the work fail to meet a defined standard or regulatory requirement.

Where relevant, our reports reference:

• BS 5534:2018 — the British Standard for slating and tiling for pitched roofs and vertical cladding, which sets out requirements for fixing, specification, and installation practice across a wide range of roofing systems
• Building Regulations Approved Document C — relating to resistance to contaminants and moisture
• Building Regulations Approved Document A — structural requirements, where relevant to the roof construction
• Manufacturer’s installation specifications and guidelines, where the contractor’s work departs from these
• Good practice guidance from industry bodies including the NFRC (National Federation of Roofing Contractors), where applicable

Grounding findings in these references allows us to demonstrate clearly, in writing, where the work falls short of what would reasonably be expected — which is a more useful basis for a dispute than subjective judgment alone.

The Survey Report

Our reports are written to be read and understood by non-specialists — including bank claims handlers, dispute resolution officers, and solicitors — while containing sufficient technical content to be credible and of practical use. Each report includes:

• A description of the roofing system and the works said to have been carried out
• Details of the inspection method and scope, including any limitations
• Clearly annotated photographs of each defect identified
• A description of each defect and its likely cause
• Reference to any applicable standard or regulatory requirement the work fails to meet
• Recommendations for remedial works and, where we are in a position to provide them, an indication of likely rectification costs
• A plain-English summary suitable for use in correspondence with banks, card providers, or dispute resolution services

Reports are provided as PDF documents and can be submitted directly to credit card providers, banks, solicitors, or alternative dispute resolution services as required.

Inspection Methods

Where safe and practicable, inspections are carried out directly on the roof covering, allowing close examination of defects, fixing details, and installation practices. For properties where direct access is not appropriate, drone technology is used to capture high-resolution aerial imagery of the roof. Drone footage and still imagery are incorporated directly into the written report to illustrate findings.

Inspections are non-invasive unless otherwise agreed in advance. We do not lift tiles, open up roof structures, or disturb existing coverings without explicit instruction — which means the inspection can proceed without causing further disruption or complication to the property.

Insurance Disputes and Pre-Litigation Matters

The same independent reports that support Section 75 credit card claims can also assist in other roofing disputes. Homeowners dealing with insurance disputes — whether involving defective workmanship, storm damage, or a disagreement over the cause of a roof failure — may benefit from an independent survey report that clearly documents the condition of the roof and the nature of any defects.

Where a dispute is heading towards formal legal proceedings, a more structured expert witness report prepared in accordance with CPR Part 35 may be required. North West Roof Surveys has experience of providing expert witness reports for legal proceedings and can advise on the appropriate level of reporting depending on the stage and nature of the matter. Find out more about our expert witness and Part 35 reporting services.

Fully Independent — No Repair Work Carried Out

North West Roof Surveys does not carry out roofing repairs or maintenance work, and has no affiliation with any roofing contractor. This independence is fundamental to what we do.

A roofing contractor asked to report on another contractor’s defective work has an inherent conflict of interest — whether in identifying work they can then tender for, or in moderating their findings to maintain professional relationships. Our reports are produced for one purpose only: to identify and document what is there, clearly and accurately.

It is this independence that makes our reports credible to the third parties who need to rely on them. Banks, solicitors, and dispute resolution services are experienced at identifying reports that serve an interest. An independent specialist surveyor with no stake in the remedial work is in a different position — and that distinction matters when a claim is being assessed.

Area Covered

We carry out Section 75 and credit card dispute roof surveys across the North West, including Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire, and Cumbria. If you are unsure whether your property falls within our area, contact us and we will confirm.

Get in Touch

To discuss a Section 75 roof survey or to request a quotation, call us on 01625 360 306 or email info@nw-rs.co.uk. We are happy to discuss the background to your dispute, the type of roofing work involved, and what an independent survey report can realistically contribute before you commit to anything.