Best software for UK roofers: quoting, measuring and getting paid

Roofing software has three jobs. Measure the roof, whether that's from drawings, from a survey or with a tape and a ladder. Turn the measurements into a quote that shows the client their options: a full strip and re-tile, new fascias and guttering, a GRP flat roof on the dormer. Then get paid, which for plenty of roofers means CIS deductions from a main contractor, reverse-charge VAT and a deposit before the materials go on order.

No single tool is the best at all three. Of the tools here, EstiMate covers the most ground in one app for roofers who quote and run jobs as projects. Bluebeam is the stronger pure measuring tool if you take off from PDF drawings all day. YourTradebase and Powered Now both put CIS and reverse charge on the invoice natively, and Powered Now will also file your VAT return on its Professional plan and up, which EstiMate won't.

The shortlist

Prices checked October 2026: Bluebeam UK (billed annually, including tax), YourTradebase, Powered Now, Tradify, Fergus and ServiceM8, with EstiMate's on our pricing page (one business login; prices are what you pay, with a VAT receipt for every payment). We couldn't confirm the VAT basis of Tradify's or Fergus's prices. "Not found" means we searched in October 2026 and found nothing, so check with the vendor.

Stage one: measuring

EstiMate: a free roofing calculator, then AI take-off

EstiMate's free trade calculators include roofing, and they're on every plan. On Pro, AI take-off reads architect PDFs and shows which sheet each quantity came from, which helps on new-build and extension roofs priced from plans. Check it, don't trust it blindly: a hip or valley the AI misreads is still your problem on the scaffold. Pro also includes drawings mark-up and drone surveys, and the phone app records walk-rounds, voice notes and photos even on the free plan.

Bluebeam: best for measuring from PDF drawings

Bluebeam Revu is PDF markup and take-off software. On the UK pricing page, Basics at £264 per user a year does markup plus length and area measurement, and Core at £330 adds count, perimeter and volume. We couldn't find client quotes or invoicing in it; on the Complete plan (£438) quantities can be sent to Excel through Quantity Link. So you'd still need a quoting app alongside it. We look at that trade-off in Bluebeam vs AI take-off.

Fergus: a simple quantity calculator

In June 2026 Fergus added units of measurement with a manual m² and m³ quantity calculator (Fergus release notes). It's a calculator rather than take-off, but it means your squares and lengths land on the quote with the right units.

Stage two: quoting and running the job

EstiMate: options, variations and the weather

Send the quote as a link and the client can accept, decline or tick optional extras, such as replacing the guttering while the scaffold is up. The accepted quote becomes a contract they sign online. When you strip the roof and find rotten rafters, price the extra from site and send a one-tap approval link; the contract total and invoices update. Our post on pricing variations covers how to charge for it.

The site diary logs weather and workforce, which is a record worth having when rain stops the job for three days. RAMS, COSHH, permits and the site document pack are on the £15.99 plan; see the RAMS generator. The £15.99 plan also has a warranty tracker, and Pro adds snagging with numbered pins on drawings and a handover pack.

Tradify: client-ticked options on a trade app

On Tradify's Pro and Plus plans the customer opens the quote link, ticks optional sections and accepts (Tradify help). It has scheduling, timesheets and a big review base. For a roofer on CIS, though, Tradify's own help centre says it has no native CIS or reverse-charge invoices without Xero or Sage connected (Tradify CIS help). Our Tradify alternative post has the full comparison.

ServiceM8: free for one-person repair work

For a sole roofer doing repairs and call-outs, ServiceM8's free plan gives one user 30 jobs a month. On iPhone and iPad you can mark up photos and save the marked-up copy to the job diary. We couldn't find CIS in it.

Stage three: getting paid

YourTradebase: CIS and reverse charge built in

YourTradebase calculates CIS at 0%, 20% or 30% from the labour total, with a default per customer that you can switch off per invoice (CIS help). Reverse charge removes the VAT and adds the note (reverse charge help). Its job sheets hold photos, measurements and changes and extras. It's £29 a month plus £15 per extra user, ex VAT, and we couldn't find AI features. See YourTradebase vs EstiMate.

Powered Now: CIS, MTD and a RAMS form

Powered Now does native CIS with a CIS 300 report for contractors, a reverse-charge rate per line, MTD VAT returns sent to HMRC on Professional and up, and a RAMS form (Powered Now RAMS). Premium's drawing tool lets you upload a plan or photo and add shapes, lines and text, which the vendor says covers snagging lists and annotated drawings (sketch help). We couldn't find variations. Torn between these two? Read Powered Now vs YourTradebase.

EstiMate: CIS register, deposits and chasing

EstiMate takes CIS deductions and keeps the CIS register, and reverse-charge invoices carry the required wording; our reverse charge guide explains the rules. Pro takes the deposit online when the client accepts, so the tiles and battens are paid for before they're ordered. Invoices carry a pay-online link through your own Stripe account, and overdue ones are chased automatically if you turn it on. It prepares the VAT and CIS figures but doesn't file them to HMRC. Our roundup of trade software that handles CIS shows who files what.

What to do next

1. Price your last three roofs again in the free calculator and see how close you were.
2. If you work on CIS, send a test invoice from each trial to yourself and check the deduction and wording.
3. Pick one app for quotes and money. Add a measuring tool only if you take off from drawings every week.

Got a roof to price this week? Then start free and send the quote from EstiMate.