Mildenhall Roofers carries out flat and pitched commercial roofing work for businesses and landowners in Ely and the surrounding area.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
Commercial roofing covers a wider range of situations than most people expect. A warehouse with a leaking felt roof, a farm building needing its corrugated sheeting replaced, a retail unit with a failing single-ply membrane, a light industrial unit where the gutters have pulled away and water is tracking back under the upstand - all of these are commercial roofing jobs. The materials, access requirements and working methods differ from domestic work, and so does the process of choosing who to hire.
For businesses in Ely and the surrounding area, finding a contractor who understands both the technical side and the practical need to keep disruption to a minimum matters as much as the price.
This is the part most property owners and business managers skip, and it is where the biggest problems start. Choosing a contractor on price alone, or because they answered the phone quickly, often leads to a second bill further down the line. Here is what to check before you commit.
A price means nothing without a description of what it covers. A proper quote for a commercial roof should state the existing material being removed or worked over, the new material being installed (including the brand and specification where relevant), how the roof will be made watertight at upstands, flashings and penetrations, and how waste will be removed from site. If a contractor cannot or will not give you this in writing, that tells you something important.
Vague quotes - "re-roof flat roof, supply and fix" - leave the customer with no way to check whether the job was done as agreed. Always ask: what exactly are you installing, and what is it going on top of?
Commercial roofs often need scaffolding, a MEWP (mobile elevated work platform) or a cherry picker. Ask the contractor how they plan to access the roof and whether the cost of access equipment is included in the quote. Some contractors quote a roofing price and then add access costs later. On agricultural buildings, access is sometimes straightforward because the buildings are set well back from public areas, but on a retail unit or a building in a shared yard, scaffolding affects neighbouring occupiers and may need a licence.
A good contractor will discuss working hours with you before the job starts, not after. If your building needs to stay open during works, the contractor should have a plan for protecting the interior from dust and debris, maintaining waterproofing between sessions and avoiding working directly above stock or equipment without protection. Ask specifically: if it rains during the job and the roof is open, what happens? The answer should be a clear method, not a shrug.
For flat commercial roofs, the two most common systems are built-up felt (torch-on or cold-applied) and single-ply EPDM or TPO membrane. Each has genuine advantages in different situations. Torch-on felt is well proven on smaller flat areas and is relatively straightforward to repair in future. Single-ply membranes suit larger roof areas and are lighter, which matters on some older structures. Ask the contractor why they are recommending the specific system they have quoted - if they cannot explain it clearly, ask again or get a second opinion.
For pitched roofs on agricultural or industrial buildings, profiled steel sheeting, fibre cement and natural slate are all possibilities depending on the building. The right choice depends on the existing structure, the pitch, the load-bearing capacity of the purlins and your budget.
Be cautious of any contractor who asks for a large upfront payment before work begins. A deposit for materials is reasonable on a large job, but asking for more than a third upfront before any work has started is unusual and worth questioning. Be equally cautious of contractors who cannot give you a fixed start date or who say they will "fit you in when the other job finishes".
If a contractor walks across your roof without discussing what they found or showing you photographs, ask for both. On any commercial roof inspection, a thorough contractor should be able to tell you the condition of the existing membrane or covering, the state of the flashings and upstands, whether the falls are adequate, and whether there is evidence of previous poor repairs. Older agricultural buildings sometimes have multiple layers of previous covering, each laid over the last. This adds weight and often masks earlier damage that needs dealing with properly.
A commercial flat roof that holds standing water will fail faster, regardless of the quality of the membrane. Falls should ideally achieve a minimum of 1:80 to drain properly, though 1:40 is the standard to aim for on a new or replacement installation. Ask any contractor what they are doing about falls and drainage outlets. If they are simply relaying a new membrane over an existing poorly draining roof, you will have the same ponding problem within months.
We carry out commercial roofing work for businesses, farmers and landowners in Ely and nearby towns and villages. If your building needs a survey or you want a straightforward conversation about what your roof needs, call us to arrange a roof survey and written quote.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
