The Confederation of Roofing Contractors, often referred to as CORC, is a roofing trade association that was established in 1985 according to its website. Joining is something a roofing company applies for voluntarily. Its own application page says CORC membership does not guarantee how a business will behave in future.
What the Confederation of Roofing Contractors is
The Confederation of Roofing Contractors is a roofing trade association. Its complaints page says it is a trade association and not regulated by the government, so it only governs its members in relation to their membership.
The Code of Conduct says each CORC member shall be given a registered membership number and web page. These are included in the CORC published list of members on www.corc.co.uk, which the code says shall be updated on a daily basis.
Another roofing trade body is covered in the guide on what NFRC and CompetentRoofer membership mean when hiring.
Is CORC membership voluntary?
The application pages on the association's website describe membership as something a roofing company applies for and is vetted for. They do not present membership as a legal requirement.
How CORC vets a roofer
When a firm applies to join the Confederation of Roofing Contractors, it must pass a vetting process. The association states on its application page that it is only able to accept companies to become members if they have been trading for two years.
As part of this vetting, the association contacts six referees. Four of these must be homeowners of recent contracts, and two must be commercial referees such as suppliers. The applicant must also provide at least six pictures of their roofing work.
The application process asks about the financial and legal history of the firm. Applicants are asked if there are any current CCJs, unpaid judgments, insolvency proceedings or material financial disputes. They are also asked whether they provide written quotations, terms and conditions, and workmanship guarantees, and they must upload a copy of their company guarantee.
Applicants must also have public liability insurance that is specifically for roofing.
The six month probation
The application page says that if vetting is passed, the company will be put on a 6-month probationary period and will be monitored for complaints.
Applicants agree to notify CORC of any significant customer complaints arising after membership. The application also says the provision of false or misleading information may result in the application being refused, or the membership being suspended or terminated.
Guarantees and the Financial Conduct Authority
The Confederation of Roofing Contractors states that it is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, with the firm reference number 968078. It says it has FCA licensing to issue roofers with insurance-backed guarantees to ensure customer protection and peace of mind.
CORC says an insurance-backed guarantee covers the contractor's company guarantee should the company dissolve at any point during the guarantee period. Its FAQs page says it only covers the guarantee if the installer has dissolved. Because it runs alongside the company guarantee, a company guarantee must be given for an insurance-backed guarantee to be issued.
CORC says insurance-backed guarantees are not mandatory by law and an installer does not have to give one. A consumer cannot order one, because the installer must. CORC says almost all of its policies cover 10 years.
CORC says it cannot provide these guarantees for repairs, paints or resins. For guarantees in general, read the guide to roofing guarantees and insurance-backed warranties explained.
What CORC membership does not prove
Seeing CORC membership mentioned on a quote does not mean a specific job is guaranteed by CORC. The application page says that membership of CORC is not a guarantee of future business conduct.
The Code of Conduct says CORC membership does not constitute a guarantee by CORC of any individual contract, project or outcome.
How to check a CORC member
If a roofer claims to be a member, you should verify this directly rather than simply taking their word for it. You can do this using the tools provided on the members page.
- Go to corc.co.uk and look for the Search for a Member or Find A Roofer tool.
- Choose a search radius of 5, 10, 20 or 50 miles.
- When the results appear, open the Learn More profile for the company you are checking.
- If you cannot find the firm online, phone the association on 01206 306600.
- Alternatively, you can email your query to membership@corc.co.uk.
The members page also lists pages on Insurance-Backed Guarantees, Deposit Protection Insurance and complaints. The members page does not describe what they cover.
What the Code of Conduct says about quotes, payment and cancellation
The association has a Code of Conduct for members. It says a quotation must give the scope of work, materials, preparation, access arrangements, total price including VAT where applicable, exclusions and payment terms.
The code also says that where extra work is needed, the member must give a revised quote and get written customer approval before doing it, except in a genuine emergency.
On payment, the code says full payment shall not be taken from the customer until the member has completed the work and the customer has had a reasonable opportunity to inspect the work, unless stage payments have been agreed. Members must not describe a payment as non-refundable without a lawful and contractually justified basis.
On cancellation, the code says members must provide the correct 14-day cancellation notice and information where applicable, and keep evidence of delivery. They must not start work during a cancellation period unless the legal requirements for starting early have been met. Failure may result in disciplinary action by CORC.
On workmanship, the code says a trade member may guarantee its work against failures due to its defective workmanship for a minimum period of one year from the date of completion. Repair and maintenance work is excluded. The code says guarantees are not mandatory by law and are given at the discretion of the roofer.
What CORC asks of an applicant
The table sets out what CORC's application page says it asks of a company that applies.
|
Area |
What the application page says |
|---|---|
|
Trading history |
Companies must have been trading for 2 years |
|
Referees |
6 referees, made up of 4 homeowners of recent contracts and 2 commercial referees such as suppliers |
|
Insurance |
Public liability insurance specific to roofing |
|
Pictures |
At least 6 pictures of roofing work |
|
Financial history |
A question on court judgments, insolvency and financial disputes |
|
Guarantee |
A copy of the company guarantee |
|
Quotations and terms |
A question on written quotations, terms and conditions and workmanship guarantees |
|
After joining |
Agreeing to tell CORC about significant customer complaints, and to give no false or misleading information |
|
After vetting |
A 6-month probationary period with monitoring for complaints |
Common questions
Does CORC provide deposit protection?
The association has a deposit protection insurance page. It says the policy will protect the deposit of the homeowner for up to 25% of the contract value up until the work commences, if the company ceases trading before the work starts. The page says policies are usually valid for 90 days or until the work starts, and that the roofer must order the policy.
Can the association mediate if I am unhappy with the work?
The association offers a free mediation service should a consumer find themselves in a dispute with a member. However, the complaints page explains that it is a trade association and not regulated by the government. Findings and resolutions are not legally binding. It cannot issue fines or monetary penalties to members, cannot prevent a member from trading or closing their company, and is not responsible for making a payment or paying compensation if a member is found liable for faulty workmanship. It also cannot mediate if the work is classed as a repair.
Are members allowed to knock on my door to offer work?
The Code of Conduct says CORC members shall not undertake unsolicited visits to consumers homes.
Is CORC regulated?
CORC says on its website footer that it is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference number 968078, and that it has FCA licensing to issue roofers insurance-backed guarantees. The complaints page describes CORC as a trade association that is not regulated by the government, so it only governs its members in relation to their membership.
Can a new roofing company be a member?
The application page says CORC can only accept companies that have been trading for 2 years. Vetting then includes referees, pictures of roofing work and insurance questions, and a company that passes goes on a 6-month probationary period with monitoring for complaints.
Does CORC speak to a roofer's past customers?
The application page says CORC will contact 6 referees as part of vetting. Four must be homeowners of recent contracts, and the other two commercial referees such as suppliers.
What happens if a member gives false information?
The application page says the provision of false or misleading information may result in an application being refused, or a membership being suspended or terminated.
Can I search for CORC members by area?
The CORC members page has a Find A Roofer search with a radius of 5, 10, 20 or 50 miles. Each listing has a Learn More link to a member profile page, and the page shows the email address membership@corc.co.uk and the telephone number 01206 306600.
Does a CORC member have to give a guarantee?
No. The Code of Conduct says a trade member may guarantee its work against failures due to defective workmanship for a minimum of one year from completion, and that this is at the roofer's discretion. CORC also says an installer does not have to give an insurance-backed guarantee if they do not wish to.
Is membership the same as an insurance-backed guarantee?
No. An insurance-backed guarantee is a separate product. CORC says the installer must order it and a consumer cannot.
Does CORC cover repair work?
CORC says it cannot provide insurance-backed guarantees for repairs, paints or resins, and that it cannot mediate where the work is classed as a repair.
In the Code of Conduct wording on a trade member guaranteeing its work against failures due to defective workmanship, repair and maintenance work is excluded.
Do associate members offer the same guarantees?
The Code of Conduct says associate members must provide their own material guarantees of ten or more years.
Next steps for your roofing project
These are checks a homeowner can make with a roofer who says they are a CORC member.
- Use the Search for a Member or Find A Roofer tool on corc.co.uk to see whether the company appears.
- Read the Code of Conduct, which says what a quotation must give.
- Remember that CORC says the installer must order an insurance-backed guarantee, and the roofer must order deposit protection insurance.
- Read what the code says about payment before work is completed.
- Read what the code says about the 14-day cancellation notice.
You can find a roofer near you on this site. The site lists roofers and does not vet them, and listing says nothing about CORC membership.
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