Newmarket Roofers carries out commercial roofing work in Histon and the surrounding area, covering everything from flat roof replacements to emergency repairs on retail units, warehouses and office buildings.
Commercial roofing covers a wide range of property types and systems. Retail units and offices often have large flat roof areas finished in felt or EPDM rubber. Warehouses and agricultural buildings may have corrugated metal or profiled sheeting. Each system has different maintenance needs, failure points and repair options, and the work involved is quite different from a standard domestic roof job.
A commercial roof failure is not just a building problem - it is a business problem. Stock gets damaged, staff cannot work safely, and tenants or customers may not be able to use the space. That is why planning, timing and clear communication matter as much as the roofing itself.
Choosing the wrong contractor for a commercial job costs more in the long run than paying a fair price upfront. A roofer who is perfectly capable on domestic work may not have the experience to specify the right system for a flat-roofed office extension or to manage safe access on a larger building. Here is what to look for and what to ask before you agree to anything.
Before agreeing to any commercial roofing work, you should ask the contractor these questions directly and expect clear, specific answers - not vague reassurances.
Before any quote is issued, a contractor should inspect the roof thoroughly. For flat roofs, that means checking the falls (the slope that directs water to outlets), the condition of upstands and parapets, the state of any existing insulation below the membrane, and whether the roof deck itself is sound. A quote written from the ground or from photographs alone is not a reliable document to base a decision on.
For pitched commercial roofs - particularly older agricultural or industrial buildings - the survey should cover the condition of fixings and purlins, not just the surface material. Corroded fixings can mean a roof looks intact from below while being genuinely unsafe from above.
Many commercial buildings include at least some flat roof area. Felt and EPDM rubber are the two systems most widely used on buildings of this type. Both can perform well if installed correctly.
Felt (technically bituminous felt, often torch-applied) is the older system and still widely used. A proper felt system uses three layers, properly bonded and turned up at edges and penetrations. Single-layer felt jobs cut corners and tend to fail within a few years.
EPDM rubber is a single-layer system but performs very differently. It is flexible, handles temperature change well, and the seams - when properly formed - are a genuine weak point only if the installer cuts corners on adhesive or lap width. A well-installed EPDM roof on a commercial building can last decades without major intervention.
Typical flat roof costs for commercial work run from around £70 to £120 per square metre for felt, and £80 to £140 per square metre for EPDM, depending on roof complexity, insulation specification and access requirements. These are typical UK figures and your actual quote will vary.
Warehouses, agricultural units and older industrial buildings often use metal profile sheeting or fibre cement (not to be confused with asbestos cement - always check before any work starts on older sheets). Metal roofing can be over-sheeted rather than stripped, which reduces cost and avoids the need for full disposal of old materials. A contractor should survey the existing structure first to confirm it can bear the additional weight.
Leadwork is relevant on many commercial buildings too - particularly around parapet walls, chimneys on older office buildings, and roof lights. Lead is still the best material for complex flashings and should be code 4 or code 5 depending on the application. Ask your contractor to specify the lead code they intend to use.
Commercial gutters handle far larger volumes of water than domestic ones. Box gutters built into the roof structure are common on older commercial buildings and are a frequent source of leaks when the lining fails or a joint opens. Valley gutters between pitched sections are another known problem area. Any good commercial roofing survey should assess the drainage system as part of the roof, not separately.
Blocked or undersized outlets on flat roofs cause ponding - standing water that accelerates membrane degradation and adds structural load. Ask any contractor whether they will check and clear outlets as part of the job.
When you receive more than one quote, compare them line by line rather than just looking at the total. A lower price may exclude insulation, may specify fewer felt layers, or may not include scaffolding. Ask each contractor to confirm in writing what system they are installing, what the specification is, and what is not included.
Price differences of 30% or more between contractors usually mean they are quoting different scopes. Get clarity before you decide, not after work has started.
We are based in Newmarket and cover commercial properties of all sizes across this part of the region.
Call us to arrange a proper roof survey and a written quote, so you know exactly what you are getting before any work begins.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
