Commercial roof surveys in Durham
Roofcheck provides commercial and industrial roof surveys across Durham and County Durham, for the estates teams, landlords and occupiers behind its hospitals, university, colleges, offices and industrial estates who need an accurate account of a roof’s condition. Moisture mapping, thermography, electronic leak detection, drone and RAAC surveys reach every part of the DH postcode area, from Consett to Houghton-le-Spring.
The roofs we survey here
Durham’s commercial roofs range from the historic city centre around the castle and cathedral to the University Hospital of North Durham, the university’s colleges, the offices of Milburngate and Aykley Heads, and the new industrial units by the A1(M).
On the city’s older buildings, flat roofs hide behind stone parapets where outlets block and gutters overflow, and on newer offices and sheds it is the laps, seams and upstands that let water into the insulation.
The University Hospital of North Durham
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust serves a population of 650,000 people in County Durham, Darlington and the areas around them, from hospitals that include the University Hospital of North Durham, with emergency care, surgery, maternity and outpatient services, Darlington Memorial Hospital and Bishop Auckland Hospital. Thermography and electronic leak detection find water under a hospital roof from above, so wards and theatres stay open.
Durham University and New College Durham
Durham University holds its graduation ceremonies in Durham Castle and Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and New College Durham teaches school leavers, adults and degree students at its University Centre. Roofs on historic college buildings and new teaching blocks alike are surveyed with methods that leave the fabric untouched.
RAAC in County Durham’s schools
Four County Durham schools, three secondary and one primary, were on the Department for Education’s last published list of settings with confirmed RAAC. Clinics, libraries and council buildings in the county with flat concrete roofs from the mid-1950s to the mid-1990s can hold the same planks, and a RAAC survey settles it.
Milburngate on the riverside
Milburngate, with 200m of river frontage in the city, brings One Milburngate’s 53,701 sq ft of offices together with 48,000 sq ft of restaurant, retail and leisure space. Roofs over shops, restaurants and offices are tested with electronic leak detection, which finds a breach without opening up the finishes below.
Aykley Heads, Integra 61 and NETPark
Durham County Council and Durham University are behind the 62-hectare Durham Innovation District, with 15 hectares of development at Aykley Heads. By junction 61 of the A1(M), Connect at Integra 61 adds five industrial and warehouse units totalling 639,460 sq ft, and NETPark at Sedgefield is one of the UK’s premier science, engineering and technology parks. Large sheds are surveyed by drone and thermography, and labs and offices with moisture mapping and leak detection.
Solar on campus and industrial roofs
A Durham office, campus or warehouse roof chosen for solar panels needs a condition survey and moisture mapping first, so the array sits on a dry, sound membrane.
How a roof survey works
Request a quote
Tell us about the building, the roof and what you need to find out.
The right survey
We recommend the methods that suit the roof and send a written quote.
Survey on site
A qualified surveyor carries out the survey, planned around your site, tenants and access.
Report on your roof plan
Every finding is pinned to a plan of your roof, online in your dashboard and as a PDF.
Manage your roof surveys online
From a single building in Durham to an estate across County Durham, approve quotes, follow every survey and open reports in one place, then share them by link so everyone works from the same information.
Areas we cover
- City centre DH1
- Elvet DH1
- Gilesgate DH1
- Framwellgate Moor DH1
- Newton Hall DH1
- Neville’s Cross DH1
- Belmont DH1, DH7
- Brandon DH7
- Ushaw Moor DH7
- Sacriston DH7
- Lanchester DH7
- Sherburn DH6
- Bowburn DH6
- Coxhoe DH6
- Ferryhill DH6
- Chester-le-Street DH2, DH3
- Pelton DH2
- Birtley DH2, DH3
- Stanley DH9
- Consett DH8
- Houghton-le-Spring DH4, DH5
- Hetton-le-Hole DH5
Questions about roof surveys
Can you survey a hospital, school or campus without disrupting it?
Yes. Surveys are carried out from the roof, and visits are planned around clinical areas, term dates and building access. Any method that needs access inside the building, such as some RAAC inspections, is agreed with you beforehand.
Can you check a Durham school or public building for RAAC?
Yes. A RAAC survey confirms whether panels are present, records cracking, deflection and water staining, and sets out a next step for each area. It is worth considering for any flat-roofed building from the mid-1950s to the mid-1990s.
Can you survey historic and listed buildings in Durham city?
Yes. Thermography and moisture mapping read a roof from its surface, so historic stonework and leadwork are left as they are, and any core sample is agreed with the owner first.
Do you offer pre-solar roof surveys?
Yes. Before panels go on, a condition survey and moisture mapping show whether the roof needs work first. Once the panels are up, anything the roof needs means lifting them first, and the bill for that dwarfs the cost of a survey.
Do you survey warehouses and industrial units in Durham, such as those by the A1(M)?
Yes. Warehouse and unit roofs are surveyed by drone and thermography, with core samples to confirm the wet areas, and visits are arranged around deliveries.
What roof systems do you survey?
All the main systems on UK commercial roofs: single ply membranes from manufacturers such as Bauder, IKO, Fatra, Renolit and Sika Sarnafil, built-up felt, liquid applied coatings, mastic asphalt, profiled metal and standing seam.
Can you survey several buildings across Durham and beyond?
Yes. For estates and portfolios, every building can be surveyed to the same scope, with reports in the same format so they can be compared side by side.
Do you survey college and hospital buildings in Durham?
Yes. College and clinical roofs are surveyed from above, and every visit is planned with the estates team so that teaching and care go on undisturbed.
Do you work on tenanted buildings?
Yes. One report can serve the landlord, the tenant, the contractor and the insurer, so everyone works from the same findings.
How much does a roof survey in Durham cost?
Cost depends on the roof area, the roof system and the methods needed. Call 0113 868 0097 or start a quote online with the approximate roof area and what you need to find out, and you’ll receive a written quote.
Do you cover the towns around Durham?
Yes. Surveys cover the whole DH postcode area, from the city centre to Chester-le-Street, Stanley, Consett, Houghton-le-Spring and Bowburn.
Get a roof check in Durham
Whether you’re investigating a problem or planning ahead, we’ll help you choose the right survey for your roof. Get in touch for a free quote.
Free quote
A few details about the building and what you need to find out. It commits you to nothing.
Start your quote