Three years ago, we hired Sterling Roofing to repair a flashing leak at the rear of our house. What should have been a straightforward job turned into a prolonged nightmare involving severe property damage, legal action, and appalling customer service.
Initial Scope and Cost Overrun
Our initial estimate was approximately £2,000. After removing the slates, workers stated on two separate occasions that more extensive repairs were required, ballooning our final bill to £5,000. We paid the full £5,000 in good faith, relying on assurances that the leak would be fixed, backed by a 25-year guarantee and completion photos.
Neither the guarantee nor the photographs ever materialized. Worse, the repair was executed improperly, leaving visible gaps in the flashing. Water continued to enter our home at a far worse rate than before, causing extensive internal damage—to the point where lath and plaster are actively crumbling behind our plasterboard.
Unresponsive Service & Small Claims Court
For over a year, we offered Sterling Roofing repeated opportunities to return and fix the defect. We were either ignored or given empty promises that someone would arrive shortly. Left with no alternative, we took them to Small Claims Court.
Sterling Roofing failed to engage with the legal process. Given the evidence, the judge ruled fully in our favor, legally ordering Sterling Roofing to refund the full £5,000.
Enforcement and Review Tactics
Despite the court judgment, the company continued to ignore us for another six months—even after we instructed bailiffs to enforce the ruling. They only made contact after I posted negative reviews online.
At that point, Sterling Roofing offered to refund our money in installments and finally repair the roof, explicitly conditioning these actions on the removal of my reviews. In good faith and desperate for a resolution after nearly three years, I removed the reviews.
Immediately after the reviews were taken down, the communication stopped again. They have now missed two scheduled appointments to repair the roof, halted the final refund installment, and reverted to ignoring messages.
Impact
Financial Strain: In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, we are left £5,000 out of pocket for work that ruined our roof, with no spare capital to hire another contractor to fix their damage.
Property Damage: Continuous, worsening water ingress that is actively destroying internal walls and timber structures.
Administrative Burden: Resolving this has required calling the company nearly every single day for six months, navigating court proceedings, hiring bailiffs, and managing endless broken promises.
Sterling Roofing’s conduct demonstrates a complete disregard for quality workmanship, legal judgments, and basic customer care. Prospective clients should be extremely cautious: agreeing to work with this company risks severe financial loss, structural damage to your home, and an exhausting legal battle. - Laura Wedderburn Reply
