January 2020

Contractor’s Qs
“ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE
ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR LAST JOB”
We put the questions to Darren McGhee of DMG Roofing and winner of Screwfix’s
Tradesperson of the Year 2019.
TC: What was your path into roofing and
to your current position?
DMcG: I am a third generation roof tiler. I always
knew what I wanted to be and I couldn’t wait to
leave school to get started with my father. I was
apprentice of the year three years in a row –
which has never been done before or since in
roofing or any other trade. I have always put
100% effort into everything I do and aimed to be
the best in my field. Winning Screwfix’s Britain’s
Top Tradesperson 2019 is surely a sign that I am
getting there.
“Take pride in knowing
that the roof you
complete could be
there for a hundred
years. You only fail
when you stop trying”
TC: If you had one piece of advice about
working and progressing in the roofing
sector, what would it be?
DMcG: Don’t give up! Be the best you can be.
Take pride in knowing that the roof you complete
could be there for a hundred years. You only fail
when you stop trying; always remember that you
are only as good as your last job and never get
complacent.
TC: Tell us about a current
project you’re working on…
DMcG: I am currently working
on a 17th Century mansion in
Helensburgh. We are changing
the original slate materials used on
this and replacing them with a
beautiful Cupa H3 Spanish slate supplied by
CUPA PIZARRAS. A home of this age has its
challenges which makes completing it even more
rewarding.
TC: You must have worked on some
difficult projects over the years. Does one
in particular stand out?
DMcG: There have been many, and the
challenges always vary. Competing with the
Scottish weather is never easy to begin with. Lots
of things have to align to make a job run
smoothly before a job can even begin – so many
things have to be in place, ranging from deliveries
to health and safety. Then there’s the job itself. I
am lucky to have worked on an extensive range of
roofs and the challenges just make you better at
what you do.
TC: What about difficult customers, how
do you deal with them? Any situations
that stand out that you can tell us
about?!
Left: Darren McGhee of DMG Roofing.
DMcG: Customers are always
challenging when they have had
bad experiences previously, and I
don’t blame them! It is extremely
common in the roofing industry. I
have so much confidence in my
abilities that I think it transfers to the
customers. One recent residential customer
required hour long, sit-down meetings daily and
requested a briefing on every detail of the reroofing
works, even down to the nails we were
using.
“One recent residential
customer required
hour long, sit-down
meetings daily and
requested a briefing on
every detail of the
re-roofing works”
TC: What’s the most frustrating thing
about your job?
DMcG: Other people not doing their jobs properly.
‘Rogue Traders’ are a huge problem in the roofing
industry. What makes it frustrating is, firstly,
having to compete against them when they aren’t
qualified. Secondly, having to fix the destruction
they leave behind, and thirdly, having to justify
that I am in fact a qualified tradesman.
“Lots of things have to align to make a job run
smoothly before a job can even begin”
TC: And the most satisfying?
DMcG: The most satisfying thing about my job is
22 TC JANUARY 2020