Case Study - Hallmark Roofing Edinburgh Ltd

Wednesday 19 August 2026

Slate, lead and listed buildings, from a family firm in Leith

Most roofing companies start general and narrow down later. Hallmark Roofing Edinburgh Ltd started the other way round. Daryl Hall had worked in the trade for years before setting the company up, and he set it up with one thing clearly in mind: traditional and heritage roofing, done properly, with modern professionalism wrapped around it.

"Having worked in the roofing industry for many years, I saw an opportunity to build a company that combined traditional craftsmanship with modern professionalism and customer service," he says. The company is family run, with Daryl as managing director, and it works out of Pirniefield Place in Leith.

It has grown the slow way. "Since starting the business, we've grown steadily through recommendations, repeat customers and our reputation for quality," Daryl says. The work now runs from domestic repairs in Edinburgh and the Lothians up to conservation projects on listed buildings, churches, castles and historic estates across Scotland.

Lead is the part most people never see

A slate roof is judged from the ground. Leadwork is judged by whether anything ever goes wrong, which is a harder test and a quieter one. On a curved parapet gutter like the one above, every sheet has to be cut, dressed and laid to the shape of the stone beneath it, with room left for the metal to move through the seasons. Get it wrong and the water finds its way into a building that has stood for two hundred years.

That is the end of the trade Hallmark has built itself around, alongside traditional Scottish slate. "We're proud to specialise in traditional slate roofing and leadwork, working on buildings that require genuine heritage skills," Daryl says.

The ordinary work has not gone anywhere. Flat roofs, guttering, roof windows, fascias, surveys and emergency repairs are all part of the week, on houses as much as on estates.

Why a council scheme, and not just another badge

"For us, trust is everything," Daryl says. "Customers are investing significant amounts of money into their homes and historic buildings, so they need confidence they're choosing the right contractor."

Edinburgh Trusted Trader is run in partnership with City of Edinburgh Council Trading Standards. The checks are made on the business and on its owners, which is the part that a paid for listing cannot replicate. "Being independently vetted by Trading Standards gave customers that extra reassurance and aligned perfectly with the values we already wanted our business to represent," he says. "It wasn't just about generating enquiries, it was about demonstrating that we operate professionally, ethically and to a high standard."

Checked, rather than simply paying to join

Daryl found the vetting "thorough but fair". What mattered to him was what it implied about everyone else on the list. "It gave me confidence that the businesses accepted onto the scheme have genuinely been checked rather than simply paying to join. I believe that benefits both reputable contractors and customers looking for trustworthy tradespeople."

Five years of membership later, the effect shows up at the front of the job rather than the end of it. "Many customers mention seeing our Trusted Trader accreditation before contacting us, and it gives them confidence that we have been independently vetted."

“Trust takes years to build. Being recognised by Trading Standards gives our customers confidence before we even step onto their roof.”

Bigger jobs, more staff, and a place in the awards

Ask about milestones and Daryl talks about capacity rather than trophies, though there are some of those too. During the membership the company has expanded, taken on additional staff and secured larger and more prestigious heritage projects. Alongside the Trusted Trader membership it has become a Historic Environment Scotland Approved Partner, which Daryl calls a huge milestone, and it has been a finalist at the NFRC Scottish Roofing Awards.

"Having recognised accreditations has played an important part in building customer confidence and supporting that growth," he says.

The logo does not sit idle. It goes on the website, on quotations, on marketing material and on social media, and it comes up in conversation on site. "We also reference our membership during surveys and quotations because customers appreciate knowing they're dealing with a Trading Standards vetted business."

Keeping the skills alive

The ambition is specific rather than vague: to become Scotland's leading specialist in heritage roofing and traditional leadwork. Getting there means people, so the company is investing in training and apprenticeships, and in preserving traditional roofing skills for the next generation of roofers. Beyond that, more conservation work, without losing the personal service that built the reputation in the first place.

What Daryl seems proudest of is not the scale. "Much of our work now comes through recommendations and repeat customers. Every project, whether it's a small repair or a major listed building restoration, is approached with the same attention to detail."

His summary is short. "Our aim has never been to be the biggest roofing company, it's to be one of the most trusted."

Daryl Hall
Managing Director, Hallmark Roofing Edinburgh Ltd

Common questions

Where do Hallmark Roofing Edinburgh work?
Edinburgh and the Lothians for domestic roofing, and across Scotland for heritage and conservation projects, working from a base at Pirniefield Place in Leith.

What sort of roofs do they specialise in?
Traditional Scottish slate and tiling, and lead roofing and flashings, including conservation work on listed buildings, churches, castles and historic estates. They also handle flat and single ply roofing, guttering, roof windows, fascias, roof surveys and emergency repairs on ordinary houses.

Has Trading Standards checked the business?
Yes. Hallmark Roofing Edinburgh Ltd has been an Edinburgh Trusted Trader since 2021, on a scheme run in partnership with City of Edinburgh Council Trading Standards, and the business and its owners have been vetted by Trading Standards. Trading Standards do not inspect or approve individual jobs, so the workmanship is judged in the customer reviews on the profile.

• View Hallmark Roofing Edinburgh's Edinburgh Trusted Trader profile.
• Read Hallmark Roofing Edinburgh's verified customer reviews.
• If you would like to become a Trusted Trader, you can apply here.
• If you are a Trusted Trader and would like to leave a case study either as text or as a video, get in touch.