Does your commercial building need a new roof?
The roof is one of the most important aspects – used to protect stock, equipment and employees against adverse weather conditions.
If yours is damaged or worn down, it’s likely to threaten the foundations and pose a serious health and safety risk to your workers, customers and visitors.
The price you’ll pay for a commercial roof replacement can vary depending on multiple factors.
Let’s take a closer look at them.
Roof shape and size
How big or small your building is will have an impact on the price you pay for a new roof.
For instance, larger commercial roofs cost more than smaller roofs as they require more materials and labour. You may also want additional features added to the roof, such as roof access hatches for emergencies and repair work access. These won’t add too much extra and can be a worthwhile safety investment.
If additional equipment and complex arrangements are needed to ensure work can be carried out safely and efficiently, this will increase the cost, too.
Roof pitch
Commercial roofs are either flat or pitched (sloped).
Flat roofs usually have a very slight slope that allows rain to fall into the gutter, whereas sloped roofs have a peak and are much steeper – providing more headroom.
Commercial flat roofs tend to cost less than pitched roofs as they are less labour-intensive. They’re also more manageable and safer for commercial roofing contractors to navigate.
Roof materials
Higher quality and thicker roofing materials will cost more than lower quality, thinner ones. But much like everything else, you get what you pay for.
For example, an experienced roofer can replace your flat roof with a single-ply system, such as Ethylene Propylene Diene Terpolymer (EPDM).
EPDM is one of the cheapest (and easiest) materials to install. When properly installed and maintained, an EPDM roof can last anywhere up to 20 years.
Asphalt-based roofing is most common for sloped roofs. This is typically more expensive to install, due to the amount of work involved, but it will last at least 50 years.
Roof access
Flat commercial roofs are generally safe to walk on, making a roofer’s job quick and easy. However, if a contractor has limited access to your roof, or there are more dangers involved, you can expect to be charged more.
Similarly, if your building is tall, materials will need to be hauled or lifted further – requiring extra man-hours and additional lifting equipment (e.g. cranes). This adds to the overall cost of your commercial roof replacement.
Request a quote from commercial roofing contractors
Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all with commercial roofs, and the price you’ll pay for a new roof depends on your chosen contractor’s hourly rate and the scale of the job.
If you need a roof replacement, our best advice would be to obtain quotes from at least three commercial roofing contractors. Don’t hesitate to ask for a breakdown of their prices and make comparisons between the services they offer and the quality of the products they use.
After all, you want to choose a company that uses only the best materials and offers fair yet transparent prices, like Roofing Consultants Group.
