Dereham Roofers carries out commercial roofing work in Swanton Morley and the surrounding area, covering warehouses, industrial units, retail premises and office buildings of all sizes.
Commercial roofing is a different discipline to domestic work. The roof areas are larger, the consequences of a leak are greater (stock, machinery, staff, trading continuity), and the materials and fixing methods used on industrial and commercial buildings differ from those found on houses. Getting the specification right at the outset is what separates a roof that lasts from one that causes problems within a few years.
We work on warehouses, agricultural storage buildings, industrial units, retail premises and office buildings. The work ranges from a full roof replacement using profile metal sheeting through to flat roof repairs with EPDM rubber membrane, guttering replacement and wall cladding. We schedule work around your operating hours wherever possible to keep disruption to a minimum.
The material best suited to your building depends on its age, its structure, the existing system and your budget. Here is a plain summary of what is commonly used on commercial and industrial buildings in this part of Norfolk.
Profiled steel or aluminium sheeting is the standard choice for large-span roofs on warehouses, agricultural buildings and industrial units. It is lightweight, spans wide purlin spacings without needing additional support, and is available in a wide range of profiles and colours. Modern coated steel sheets carry a manufacturer's coating life of 25 years or more in normal conditions, though the actual longevity of the roof depends on how well it is installed and how the fixings and flashings are detailed.
Overlapping sheets at ridges, eaves and verges, and around rooflights, are the most common source of leaks on older metal roofs. A repair at these points is often far cheaper than a full replacement, provided the main sheets themselves are not corroded through.
Office extensions, covered walkways, plant rooms and single-storey retail premises typically use a flat or low-pitch roof. Torch-on felt and EPDM rubber membrane are the two systems we use most on commercial flat roofs.
EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) rubber membrane is a single-ply system laid over insulation. It is particularly well suited to larger flat roofs because sheets come in very wide widths, reducing the number of joins. Fewer joins means fewer potential leak points. EPDM membranes are flexible in cold weather, and the material is not prone to the blistering and cracking that affects older mineral felt systems as they age.
Torch-on felt, applied in two or three layers, is a proven system for smaller flat areas and for patching and repair work where EPDM is not the right fit. The quality of the finish depends on the care taken at upstands, outlets and abutments - these are the areas that fail first if the work is hurried.
Wall cladding on commercial and industrial buildings performs a weatherproofing and thermal function. Composite insulated panels, which combine an outer metal skin with a foam insulation core, are increasingly common on newer buildings and retrofits because they improve thermal performance significantly compared to single-skin sheeting. If your building has single-skin cladding and you are spending heavily on heating, replacing or overlaying with composite panels can reduce running costs noticeably.
Commercial buildings generate large volumes of rainwater from wide roof areas, and the gutters and downpipes have to handle it. Box gutters (built-in gutters formed as part of the roof structure) are a common feature on older industrial buildings and are a frequent source of leaks when the linings fail or debris blocks the outlets. A blocked box gutter can hold hundreds of litres of water before anyone notices, and that water eventually finds its way into the building fabric.
UPVC, cast iron and pressed steel guttering all have a place on commercial premises depending on the application. Pressed steel and cast aluminium are often the right choice on large industrial roofs where standard UPVC sections would not carry the flow. We inspect, repair and replace commercial guttering and fit leaf guards and debris screens where overhanging trees are a recurring problem.
A full replacement is not always necessary or the best use of money. If the main roof deck or structural sheets are sound, targeted repairs to flashings, fixings, upstands, rooflights and gutter linings can extend the working life of a commercial roof by many years. The key is an honest condition survey before any decision is made.
A condition survey should look at the main roof covering for signs of corrosion, delamination or mechanical damage; the fixings and whether they have pulled or corroded; all flashings and their pointing or lap joints; rooflights and their seals; gutters, outlets and downpipes; and any areas where ponding water is visible after rain. Most of this can be assessed from ground level with binoculars, but close inspection at vulnerable points requires safe access - either scaffolding, a MEWP (cherry picker), or an edge-protection system.
Ask any roofer for a written breakdown of what needs doing now, what can wait 12 months and what is advisory. A good survey gives you that information rather than a simple recommendation to replace everything.
Cost is where most commercial roofing enquiries in this area start. The range is genuinely wide, and understanding what drives the price helps you judge whether a quote is fair or whether something has been left out.
As a working guide, commercial flat roof replacement using EPDM in the UK typically costs in the region of £80-£130 per square metre for the installed system, including stripping the existing covering, insulation board and membrane. On a 200 sq m roof that is £16,000-£26,000 before access costs. Torch-on felt replacement sits at a similar level for quality multi-layer work.
Profile metal re-roofing on a warehouse or agricultural building typically ranges from £20-£45 per square metre depending on profile type, sheet length, the complexity of the roof shape and the access situation. A straightforward 500 sq m agricultural roof with simple eaves and ridge details sits at the lower end of that range. A building with multiple valleys, rooflights and penetrations will be at the upper end or beyond it.
Commercial gutter replacement in pressed steel or cast aluminium on a medium industrial unit can range from £2,500 to £8,000 or more depending on the linear metres involved and the height of the building.
These are typical current UK figures rather than guaranteed prices. Every building is different, and the only accurate price is one based on a survey of your specific building.
Access is frequently the largest variable on a commercial job. A low warehouse where scaffold can be erected easily in a day costs far less to access than a building surrounded by live car parks, pedestrian areas or other structures where a MEWP or bespoke scaffold is required. On some sites, the access costs can equal or exceed the cost of the roofing work itself.
Roof complexity matters enormously. A simple mono-pitch or duo-pitch with clean eaves and a ridge is the cheapest to roof. Every valley, internal gutter, rooflight, pipe penetration, flue, parapet wall or roof-mounted unit (air conditioning, extraction, solar) adds time and materials. Flashings around penetrations are where most of the skill in commercial roofing sits, and they take time to do properly.
Existing roof condition can hide surprises. On older industrial roofs, particularly those with asbestos cement sheets, the removal and disposal cost is significant and is governed by regulation. If your building was constructed before the mid-1980s and has corrugated or flat cement sheeting, budget for an asbestos survey before any roofing work is priced. Asbestos removal is always quoted separately and adds to the total.
Insulation upgrades push costs up but may be worth it. Building regulations require improvements to thermal performance when more than 25% of a commercial roof is replaced. Adding insulation - either between rafters, over purlins or as part of a composite panel system - increases material and labour costs but reduces ongoing heating bills and may be a condition of planning or building control sign-off.
Height and working-at-height requirements increase costs on multi-storey commercial premises. The longer it takes to move materials safely and to provide adequate edge protection, the higher the labour element of the quote.
Re-roofing over an existing sheet, rather than stripping and replacing, can save money where the existing structure is sound. Overlaying adds some weight to the purlins, so this needs to be checked structurally, but it eliminates strip-out and disposal costs and can be quicker to complete. The trade-off is that any defects in the layer beneath are covered rather than resolved.
Simple roof geometry reduces both material and labour time. If you have a choice in a new-build or extension, a straightforward pitch with minimal penetrations will always be cheaper to roof and cheaper to maintain.
Timing and access can sometimes be arranged to reduce costs. If a large car park or yard can be closed for scaffold erection without major disruption to the business, the access solution can be simpler and cheaper than working around live operations.
Targeted repair rather than full replacement is the most obvious cost reduction where the existing roof has serviceable years left in it. A £1,500 repair to failing flashings and re-fixing loose sheets can add several years to a roof that would cost £40,000 to replace. A genuine condition survey (not a survey conducted by someone who only offers replacements) will tell you which option makes sense.
When comparing quotes for commercial roofing work, check that each one covers the same scope. Common omissions that create surprises later include: the cost of access (scaffolding, MEWP hire, edge protection); disposal of stripped materials; the specification of the new system including insulation thickness and membrane type; work to fascias, barge boards or gutters that need to come off to do the main job; and any building control fees if the project is notifiable.
A quote that is significantly lower than others may be lower because it has left some of these items out. Ask each contractor to break down their price so you can compare like with like.
Commercial roofing work does not have to stop your business. For most buildings, it is possible to maintain operations beneath a roof that is being replaced, particularly on large industrial roofs where only one section is stripped at a time. Out-of-hours and weekend working is possible where business operations make daytime access difficult.
The main practical consideration is water ingress risk during the strip-out phase. A competent roofer will not strip more of an existing roof in a day than can be made weathertight before close of work. On larger projects, temporary waterproofing can be used to protect stripped sections overnight. Ask how this is managed before work starts, especially if the building holds stock, equipment or records that cannot get wet.
We carry out commercial roofing across Swanton Morley and the wider area, including Dereham and Norwich. Whether the job is a leaking industrial unit roof, a full flat roof replacement on an office building, or cladding and guttering work on agricultural premises, we can assess the building and give you a clear breakdown of what needs doing and what it will cost.
Call us to arrange a roof survey on your commercial property. We will give you a written assessment of the current condition and a costed recommendation, so you can make an informed decision rather than guessing.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
