Newmarket Roofers provides commercial roofing services in Clare and the surrounding area, covering everything from flat roof replacements to urgent leak repairs on retail units, warehouses, and agricultural buildings.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
Commercial roofs take a beating. Whether it is a flat felt or EPDM rubber roof on a warehouse, a pitched slate or tile roof on an office building, or leadwork around a chimney stack on an older commercial property, the range of work involved is broad. We handle new roof installations, full re-covers, like-for-like repairs, guttering, and leadwork for commercial clients across the Clare area and back towards Newmarket.
Flat roofs are the most common system on commercial buildings. A standard built-up felt flat roof replacement typically costs in the region of £70 to £100 per square metre. EPDM rubber systems are generally at the higher end of that range but tend to perform well over many years. Pitched roofing in slate or concrete tile is priced per square metre too, with costs varying considerably depending on access requirements, scaffold needs, and the material specified.
Choosing the wrong contractor for a commercial roof can be an expensive mistake. Unlike a domestic repair that goes wrong, a poorly executed commercial job can affect tenants, stock, equipment, or trading. Here is how to approach the selection process properly.
Before you accept any price, ask the contractor to give you a written scope of work. This should describe what they propose to do, what materials they will use, what they will remove and dispose of, and how they intend to protect the building while work is ongoing. A rough verbal quote with a single figure tells you very little and gives you nothing to compare against a second or third price.
A written scope also protects you if there is a dispute later. If a contractor is reluctant to put the detail in writing, that is a warning sign in itself.
These are the questions worth asking every contractor you speak to:
If you receive three prices and one is significantly lower than the others, do not assume it is a better deal. The low quote may be using thinner insulation, a lower-grade membrane, or skipping lead flashings in favour of cheaper alternatives. When you have written scopes from each contractor, you can compare them line by line rather than just comparing the bottom figure.
Check that all quotes include VAT clearly, and ask whether the price is fixed or whether there are circumstances under which it can change. Legitimate variations do happen on commercial roofing work, but you should understand upfront under what conditions any variation to the price would be discussed with you before the work proceeds.
Asking for a large cash deposit before any materials have been ordered or delivered is unusual practice on a commercial contract. It is reasonable to expect a staged payment structure tied to progress milestones, but a contractor asking for the majority of the fee before work begins is worth treating with caution.
Also be wary of contractors who appear at your door following a storm and offer to inspect your roof immediately. Emergency response can be legitimate, but pressure selling based on claimed storm damage is a tactic used by a minority of unscrupulous operators. Get the assessment confirmed by someone you have chosen yourself.
A properly managed commercial roofing job starts with a proper survey, not just a look from the car park. The contractor should be able to show you photographs of the problem areas and explain exactly what they propose to do about each one. Materials should be delivered to site before stripping begins so that the roof is not left open overnight waiting for a delivery.
Flashings - the metal (usually lead or zinc) that seals the junction between the roof and any wall, parapet, or upstand - are a critical part of any flat roof installation and should not be replaced with sealant or mastic as a long-term fix. If a contractor proposes to seal around the edges rather than refit proper metal flashings, ask why.
We serve commercial properties in Clare and the wider area around Newmarket, including work across towards Bury St Edmunds and Ely. Call us to arrange a proper roof survey before any work is agreed.
No obligation · We'll call you to arrange a free visit
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
