How much does an industrial roof cost per m²?

Published rates: overcladding £45 to £65 per m², strip and re-roof in profiled metal £65 to £85 per m², standing seam £90 to £130 per m², excluding VAT. Asbestos removal, rooflights, gutters and access are extra.

Can you overclad composite panels?

Not usually in the same way as single-skin sheets. Leaking laps and fixings on composite panel roofs are sealed with coating systems, and failed panels are replaced like for like.

What are composite roof panels?

Factory-made panels with steel skins bonded to an insulating core, fixed to purlins in one pass. Our library has a longer note on composite roof panels.

Can work go ahead while the warehouse is operating?

Usually, with areas below protected or cleared bay by bay and safety netting where needed. The contractor's method statement should set out exactly how.

Do I have to remove an asbestos cement roof?

No. If the sheets are in reasonable condition and managed under the duty to manage asbestos, overcladding or leaving them in place are both options. Removal makes sense before demolition, major alteration or a sale.

Industrial roofing

Portal-frame buildings · profiled metal · composite panels · fibre cement

Most industrial buildings in the UK have pitched metal roofs on a steel portal frame: single-skin profiled sheets, built-up sheet roofs with insulation between two skins, or factory-made insulated composite panels. Older units often have fibre cement sheets that may contain asbestos. A strip and re-roof in profiled metal typically costs £65 to £85 per m²; overcladding over sound old sheets £45 to £65 per m².

The work is done at height over live warehouses and production lines, so the access plan matters as much as the roof.

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Common industrial roof problems

Cut edge corrosion
Rust starting at the exposed ends and laps of coated steel sheets, sooner on exposed and coastal sites.
Failed rooflights
Old GRP rooflights discolour, become brittle and leak, and are a serious fall hazard.
Gutters overflowing into the building
Box and valley gutters that are blocked, undersized or corroded through.
Fibre cement sheets at end of life
Cracked and brittle sheets that may contain asbestos and cannot be walked on.

Typical industrial roof costs

Item	Scope	Typical cost
Overclad over old sheets	New insulated metal roof over sound non-asbestos or sealed sheets	£45 to £65 per m²
Strip and re-roof, profiled metal	New sheets on the existing frame	£65 to £85 per m²
Standing seam metal roof	Premium option, low pitches	£90 to £130 per m²
Asbestos sheet removal and disposal	Before a strip and re-roof	£25 to £90 per m²
Composite panel replacement	Like-for-like panels, depth and length dependent	Per job
Cut edge treatment	Clean, prime and seal ends and laps	Per job

Budget figures read from national price guides and roofers' own published rates in November 2026, shown before VAT. Use them to plan; the contractor's written price is what counts. Work out a budget for your roof.

Industrial roof types

Single-skin profiled sheets

A single layer of coated steel or aluminium on purlins, common on stores and agricultural buildings. No insulation, so condensation can drip in cold weather. Overcladding adds insulation and a new weathering skin.

Built-up sheet roofs

A liner sheet, insulation and an outer sheet assembled on site. Common on older distribution buildings. Outer sheets can be replaced or overclad.

Insulated composite panels

Two steel skins bonded to an insulation core in the factory. Quick to install and thermally efficient. Panels are not usually overclad; leaking laps are sealed, and damaged or failed panels are replaced like for like.

Fibre cement sheets

Corrugated cement sheets, very common before 2000. Sheets from before then may contain asbestos. All of them are fragile. The usual options are overcladding, which leaves them sealed in place, or removal by trained operatives followed by a new roof. See roof overcladding.

Safety on industrial roofs

HSE treats falls through fragile surfaces, particularly fibre cement sheets and rooflights, as a major cause of fatal falls in construction. Contractors should plan work so nobody stands on fragile sheets, protect rooflights with covers or barriers, and use netting or platforms below where needed. Read our note on fragile roofs.

Where our information comes from

Prices are typical ranges from published UK contractor price guides and roofing firms' price pages, November 2026.

Industrial unit, warehouse or factory? Get the roof priced by an industrial roofing contractor in your area.

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How the job runs

How work on a live industrial building usually runs.

Survey
A contractor walks the roof where it is safe to, or flies a drone where it is not, takes cores on flat roofs and photographs every defect. You get a written report with a recommendation.
Asbestos and fragility checks
An asbestos survey where needed, and a plan for every fragile surface and rooflight.
Specification and price
A written scope naming the system, the details at edges, outlets and rooflights, the guarantee and the programme, with a fixed price excluding VAT.
Phased work at height
Netting or platforms below, edge protection, and work in bays around racking and production.
Handover
A final inspection, photographs, the guarantee certificate, building control completion where it applies, and a note of when the next maintenance visit is due.