About our roofers, Steve Ball and John Ireland A repair first, and no upselling

Steve served a four-year apprenticeship and earned his City and Guilds Craft Certificate in Mastic Asphalt Work at Vauxhall College of Building and Further Education in May 1988, with distinctions for both the written paper and the assignments. In 1996 he took over the family roofing firm from his father, Chris Ball, and joined the Confederation of Roofing Contractors the same year.

He has strong views, and he doesn't hide them. He thinks roofing should be regulated rather than left as a free-for-all, because "when I started the level of skill was much higher, now everyone seems to think they are a 'roofer' by simply buying a van and a ladder." He won't fit fibreglass (GRP) flat roofs after seeing too many fail. And on the question every homeowner asks, whether a roof needs replacing or only repairing, his answer is short: "honesty is everything, we never upsell."

Steve also flies the drone for our roof surveys, which is how he took the photographs of Coney Hall from 120 metres up. He posts finished jobs on Facebook, and you'll find Raise the Roofs London on Instagram, X and YouTube too.

Steve Ball's full profile, with every review that names him

John is one of the two directors who founded Raise the Roofs London in March 2024, and he runs the business side of the company. John leads everything that makes a job go well: the first call, the visit to see the problem, the quote, the planning and the follow-up afterwards. Between them, the two directors have written more than 500 quotes since the company began.

John has spent many years managing people, projects and budgets, and it shows in how every Raise the Roofs job runs. He keeps the work on schedule, keeps you informed at each stage, and keeps the price where it was agreed. His aim is simple: fix the problem properly, efficiently and within your budget, with no pressure and no upselling.

What customers remember most is how helpful he is. John listens, explains things in plain English, and makes sure you know exactly what's wrong and what it will cost to put right. One customer wrote that he "explained the job in hand step by step"; another that he "identified the various problems we had", including some left behind by an earlier firm's work. If you've got a roof worry, John is the person to call.

John Ireland's full profile, with every review that names him