Commercial Roofing UK
Repair, refurbish, overclad or replace. Start with what the roof is telling you.
For flat and metal roofs on offices, warehouses, schools, shops and industrial units in England, Scotland and Wales. Fill in the condition card for a first view of the roof, a likely next step and a guide price, then have a contractor who covers your area survey and price it properly.
An introduction service: we name the contractor to you before passing anything on.
Roof condition card
Ref. CR-0001
Condition
- A
- B
- C
- D
Major refurbishment
Next step
Overclad with a new insulated metal roof
When corrosion or leaks are widespread on an otherwise sound frame, a new roof is built over the old one on spacers, with insulation between. The building stays in use and the old sheets stay put.
Guide price
£45 to £65 per m²
About £90,000 to £130,000 for 2,000 m². A full strip and re-roof is £65 to £85 per m².
A rule of thumb from published guidance, not a survey. Prices are typical UK ranges, excluding VAT, checked November 2026.
Four ways to deal with a roof
Nearly every commercial roof decision is one of these four. The survey decides which, based on what is under the covering, not just what is on top.
1.1
Repair
One defect on a roof that is otherwise sound.
£250 to £350 a day
1.2
Refurbish
A tired covering over a dry, sound roof. Overlay it in place.
£40 to £90 per m²
1.3
Overclad
Corroded or asbestos sheets on a sound steel frame.
£45 to £65 per m²
1.4
Replace
Wet insulation, a failing deck, or a roof at the end of its life.
£80 to £180 per m²
Roof systems schedule
What each common system costs fitted, and how long it typically lasts. The bars show the published range on a 40 year scale.
- Single ply membrane
Some PVC membranes carry third-party certification for 35 years
£90 to £140 per m²
strip and replace
25 to 35 years · Guarantee: 10 to 25 years, some 30
- Built-up felt
Basic felt at the low end; three-layer modified bitumen systems at the top
£80 to £120 per m²
strip and replace
15 to 30 years · Guarantee: 10 to 25 years
- Liquid-applied membrane
Reinforced polyurethane and PMMA systems; thin coatings far less
£40 to £90 per m²
over the old roof
20 to 30 years · Guarantee: 10 to 25 years
- Profiled metal sheet
Set by the coating; cut edges and laps fail first
£45 to £65 per m²
overclad an old roof
25 to 40 years · Guarantee: Coating guarantees up to 40 years on some pre-finished steel
- Insulated composite panel
Same coatings as sheet; panels are replaced, not overlaid
Priced per job
panel replacement
25 to 40 years · Guarantee: Panel and coating guarantees from the maker
Prices: typical UK supply-and-fit ranges from published price guides, November 2026, excluding VAT. Service life and guarantee lengths from makers' published information and certification. A guide, not a quote.
What it costs at three sizes
Worked from the per m² rates above. Access, height, rooflights, plant, asbestos and the region move every figure.
| Route | 500 m² | 2,000 m² | 5,000 m² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid overlay, flat roof | £20,000 to £45,000 | £80,000 to £180,000 | £200,000 to £450,000 |
| Single ply, strip and replace | £45,000 to £70,000 | £180,000 to £280,000 | £450,000 to £700,000 |
| Single ply with new insulation | £55,000 to £90,000 | £220,000 to £360,000 | £550,000 to £900,000 |
| Overclad a metal roof | £22,500 to £32,500 | £90,000 to £130,000 | £225,000 to £325,000 |
Rules that apply to roof work
Energy efficiency (Part L)
Renovating more than half a roof's surface means bringing it up to the current insulation standard where that is technically, functionally and economically feasible. In England that is a U-value of 0.18 W/m²K for buildings other than dwellings.
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
Commissioning roof work makes you the client under CDM. You must make sure the work is planned, managed and resourced, give the contractor the information you hold, and appoint a principal designer and principal contractor where more than one contractor is involved.
Fragile surfaces
HSE guidance is to treat every roof as fragile until a competent person says otherwise. Rooflights and fibre cement sheets are the classic hazards. Nobody, including your own staff, should go onto a roof to "have a look".
Asbestos
Buildings put up before 2000 may contain asbestos in roof sheets, old felt or bitumen. The duty to manage it sits with the owner or whoever is responsible for maintenance, and a refurbishment and demolition survey comes before any roof is stripped.
General information for England unless stated, not legal advice. Scotland and Wales have their own building standards and regulations.
How the job gets done
Survey
Your contractor inspects the roof from safe access or by drone, takes cores on flat roofs and photographs every defect.
Specification and price
A written scope naming the system, the details at edges, outlets and rooflights, the guarantee, the programme and a fixed price before VAT.
Works in phases
The roof is worked in bays, each made watertight at the end of the shift, so the building below stays in use.
Handover
Final inspection, photographs, the guarantee certificate and building control completion where it applies.
Buildings and roofs we cover
- Warehouses and distribution
- Metal and composite panel roofs, gutters, rooflights and overcladding on live sites.
- Factories and workshops
- Industrial roofing phased around production and shutdowns.
- Schools and colleges
- Flat roof replacement in the summer holiday, with term-time make-safe repairs.
- Offices
- Flat roofs with plant, terraces and solar arrays.
- Retail and leisure
- Large single ply roofs replaced over trading floors.
- Healthcare and care homes
- Cold-applied systems with no flame on the roof and residents below.
- Blocks and mixed use
- Flat roofs on flats over shops, for managing agents and freeholders.
- Agricultural buildings
- Fibre cement and metal sheet roofs on barns and stores.
Commercial roofing questions
What does commercial roofing cost per m²?
- Published UK rates, excluding VAT: liquid overlays £40 to £90 per m², built-up felt £80 to £120 per m² and single ply £90 to £140 per m² strip and replace, overcladding a metal roof £45 to £65 per m². New insulation adds £20 to £40 per m². Use the commercial roof cost calculator for your area.
What is commercial roofing?
- Roofing for buildings other than houses: offices, warehouses, factories, schools, shops, hospitals and blocks. The roofs are usually larger and flatter, or pitched metal on a steel frame, and the work is done over buildings that stay in use, under the CDM Regulations.
What is the most common commercial roof?
- Flat roofs with single ply or built-up felt coverings on offices, schools and retail units, and pitched profiled metal or composite panel roofs on warehouses and industrial units.
How long does a commercial roof last?
- Typically 15 to 30 years for built-up felt, 25 to 35 for single ply, 20 to 30 for reinforced liquid systems and 25 to 40 for metal, depending on maintenance and exposure.
Who is responsible for the roof on a commercial lease?
- It depends on the lease. Under a full repairing and insuring lease the tenant usually is; on multi-let buildings the landlord typically repairs and recovers costs through the service charge. The repair clause decides it.
Describe the roof
Three short steps. The postcode, what the roof is and what it is doing is enough to start. A contractor confirms the detail on a survey.
Your request stays with us until you approve the independent commercial roofing contractor we put forward for your building.
Received. Here is what happens next.
- We look for an independent commercial roofing contractor who covers your area and takes on roofs like yours, then email or phone you with their name.
- Nothing goes to them until you say yes.
- If you agree, they arrange a survey and send a written price. No newsletters and no sales calls from us.