Cambridge Roofers handles commercial roofing projects of all sizes, from flat roof repairs on office blocks to full re-roofs on industrial units. We work with felt, EPDM rubber and single-ply systems, as well as pitched roofs on retail and heritage buildings across Cambridge and the surrounding area.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
Commercial roofing covers a wide range of buildings: office blocks, warehouses, retail units, schools, churches, agricultural buildings and mixed-use developments. The work differs from domestic roofing in scale, access requirements and the roof systems involved. A missed repair on a flat commercial roof can mean water tracking across a large deck, soaking insulation and damaging stock or equipment below before anyone notices. Getting the right contractor matters.
Cambridge Roofers works on commercial properties across Cambridge and the surrounding area. Whether the building is a modern industrial unit or a period property requiring heritage materials, we can assess the roof and carry out the work needed.
Flat roofs are the most common roof type on commercial buildings, and they take the most punishment. Standing water, UV degradation, failed laps and cracked or blistered felt are the problems that appear most often. When felt starts to fail, water finds its way in at seams and around upstands rather than through an obvious hole, which makes the source harder to trace from inside.
For repairs, the approach depends on what is already there. A localised repair to a felt system can extend the life of the roof where the rest of the deck is still sound. Where the felt is broadly degraded, a replacement is more cost-effective than chasing leaks across the whole surface. EPDM rubber membranes are a well-established option for replacement: the material is single-piece across large areas, handles expansion and contraction well, and does not rely on overlapping laps in the same way as torch-on felt. For larger commercial decks, single-ply membranes mechanically fixed to the substrate are another practical choice.
A commercial flat roof in Cambridge typically costs £70-£120 per square metre for a full replacement, depending on the system chosen, roof access and deck condition. Large-area jobs often sit towards the lower end per metre because of economies in materials and setup.
Not every commercial building has a flat roof. Churches, older retail premises, converted farmhouses and many schools have pitched roofs in slate or clay and concrete tile. These need the same attention as domestic pitched roofs but often at greater scale, and sometimes with more complex details: long valleys, parapet walls, ornate ridge work and leadwork flashings around projections.
Slipped or broken slates on a large roof area can go unnoticed for longer than on a domestic property, and by the time a leak appears inside, the damage to the structure below can be significant. A visual inspection from ground level is worthwhile, but a proper survey means getting eyes on the roof surface directly. We carry out surveys and can advise on whether repairs will extend the roof's life or whether a re-roof is the more practical option.
For heritage buildings, like churches and older Cambridge properties, matching the existing slate or tile matters. Natural Welsh or Spanish slate, plain clay tiles and handmade clay ridge tiles are all available through specialist suppliers. Getting the material right keeps the building looking correct and satisfies planning requirements where permitted development does not apply.
A planned maintenance programme is cheaper than emergency repairs. On a commercial property with a large roof area, an annual check after winter and again in autumn will catch minor issues before they become expensive. Common problems found on inspection include:
Catching any of these early means a simple repair rather than a section of roof replacement. On a commercial property where business continuity matters, that distinction is significant.
Commercial guttering systems are typically larger in section than domestic ones, sized for the roof area draining into them. Cast iron guttering can last well when properly maintained and painted, but once it starts to crack or the joints fail, leaks track down the wall face and into the fabric of the building. uPVC commercial guttering is a practical replacement where the original profile can be matched. We also replace fascia boards and soffits where these are rotted or damaged, which is often the case on buildings where the guttering has been overflowing for some time.
Lead is the standard material for flashings, soakers, valley linings and parapet cappings on commercial and heritage buildings, and for good reason: properly dressed lead, fixed with correct clips and allowance for thermal movement, outlasts most other flashing materials by decades. Problems arise when lead is poorly fixed and lifts in wind, when insufficient overlap allows water to run behind the upstand, or when it has not been dressed correctly into the masonry joint. We cut, dress and fix lead to traditional standards, including on chimneys and around rooflights on commercial buildings across Cambridge and the surrounding area.
A full commercial re-roof is a significant project that requires proper planning before work starts. The questions to settle in advance are: what is the condition of the existing deck or structure, what system is going onto it, how will the building be protected during the strip-out phase, and what access equipment is needed? On a working commercial site, sequencing the work to limit disruption matters. Scaffold, cherry-picker access or MEWP access for a flat roof all have different implications for the surrounding area and for neighbouring businesses or pedestrians.
We survey the building before giving a price, check the deck condition once stripping starts, and report any findings before continuing. If structural issues come to light once the old covering is removed, the customer knows about it before any additional work is carried out.
Commercial buildings increasingly use rooflights to bring natural light into large floorplates. VELUX units and flat rooflight systems both require careful integration with the surrounding roof covering to prevent water ingress at the kerb or flashing. A common cause of leaks around commercial rooflights is a poorly dressed flashing that allows water to pond against the upstand rather than draining away from it. Installation and replacement of these units is part of the wider commercial roofing work we carry out.
Our commercial roofing work covers Cambridge itself and the surrounding area. If your commercial property is in the Cambridge area and you are not sure whether we cover it, call us and we will confirm.
The most useful first step is a site visit so we can see the roof directly rather than estimate from a description. For flat roofs, the area, the existing system and the deck condition all affect the price. For pitched roofs, the pitch, the tile or slate type, access difficulty and the extent of associated leadwork all feed into the figure. Call us to arrange a survey and we will give you a written price based on what we actually find.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
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