Preparing a commercial roof for winter: what should be checked?
The stain above dispatch has dried out. The bucket has gone back into storage. Nobody has closed the maintenance ticket because nobody is quite sure whether the roof was repaired or the rain simply stopped.
Preparing a commercial roof for winter means checking known problems, the evidence behind previous repairs, drainage concerns and the arrangements for safe inspection. It should end with named actions and decisions, not another folder of photographs that nobody uses.
You do not need to send someone onto the roof to begin. Start with the records and observations already available, then commission the access and investigation the building actually needs.
Keep the first review safely off the roof
Use maintenance records, existing surveys and photographs taken from safe positions inside or at ground level. Do not ask staff to climb up for a better view, clear a high level gutter or test whether a sheet feels sound.
HSE says roofs should be treated as fragile until a competent person has confirmed otherwise. The precautions for work on or near fragile surfaces apply even to brief maintenance and cleaning tasks. HSE fragile surfaces guidance
The six checks below are a management review and a survey brief. They are not instructions to carry out roof repairs yourself.
1. Reopen the old leak records
Find the reports from the last period of wet weather. Mark the affected areas on a floor plan and record whether the problem returned after any attempted work.
Write down what was observed rather than naming a cause you have not established. “Water appeared beside loading door two after prolonged rain” is better evidence than “the gutter is definitely the problem” when nobody has inspected the system.
Include the date, location, effect on the operation and any photographs. Note whether the incident affected stock, electrical equipment, walkways or occupied workstations. This gives the surveyor a clearer starting point than “the roof leaks in several places”.
2. Check whether drainage concerns were actually resolved
Review reports of overflowing gutters, water running down elevations or repeated ponding identified in previous inspections. Was the response a clearance, a repair, a lining or a recommendation for further investigation?
Do not assume “gutters attended” means the complete drainage system was assessed. Ask which sections and outlets were covered and whether downstream pipework or capacity questions were outside the instruction.
For the next survey, identify the location of repeated overflow and supply previous findings. The decision might be maintenance, a defined repair or a more detailed drainage assessment. The symptom alone does not settle which.
3. Put rooflights and openings on the brief
Record known rooflight issues and any unresolved leaks around vents, ducts or other roof penetrations. Use existing roof plans and safe internal observations rather than sending someone to inspect the surface without planned access.
Ask whether previous work renewed the rooflight, treated a surrounding detail or simply addressed one reported defect. That distinction helps the next contractor understand what is still in service.
Where rooflights are included in a wider refurbishment proposal, confirm the positions and intended outcome. A winter review can reveal that an old recommendation remains unpriced; it should not turn that recommendation into an assumed specification.
4. Follow up earlier repairs and recommendations
Collect the earlier quotation, completion photographs and any report that recommended further work. Identify items that were completed, deferred or not included.
A simple question is: “What evidence do we have that this action was carried out?” Where the answer is unclear, record it as unconfirmed rather than treating the work as complete.
Also note any maintenance history involving different treatments or materials. Give that information to the surveyor or contractor before another coating or repair system is proposed. The purpose is to establish compatibility and condition, not to keep adding treatments without understanding what is already there.
5. Check the operating consequences of another incident
A roof defect above an unused storage bay and the same reported defect above a critical workstation create different management priorities. Tell the surveyor what is underneath the affected area.
Review who can move stock, restrict access, protect the operation or authorise an urgent contractor attendance. Make sure the contact is someone who will actually be available, not a name left on an old maintenance contract.
Where water, loose materials or another condition presents an immediate danger, follow the site's emergency arrangements and keep people away from the affected area. Do not wait for a routine roof appointment to manage an immediate risk, and do not ask untrained staff to investigate electrical equipment or damaged roofing.
6. Check access, records and responsibility before booking
Confirm what safe access is known to be available and what remains to be assessed. An access hatch or ladder does not, by itself, establish that the roof can be inspected safely.
Locate the asbestos register and any relevant previous surveys. HSE advises sharing asbestos information with those who may disturb the building fabric, including when work is being planned. HSE information sharing guidance
Review the roof's operation and maintenance information and the actual warranty documents. Do not assume every product has the same inspection conditions. Manufacturer cover can differ: Tata Steel, for example, expressly describes exceptions to routine inspection requirements for particular Confidex applications. Read the cover that applies to your building rather than applying a generic rule. Tata Steel Confidex information
Turn the review into a short action record
Use one row for each unresolved issue. The entries below show what to capture; they are not findings from an actual inspection.
| Field | Useful entry |
|---|---|
| Location | Building and roof zone, linked to a plan or identifiable internal position. |
| Observation | What was seen or reported, without an unproven diagnosis. |
| Evidence | Photograph, maintenance ticket, previous report or repair record. |
| Operational effect | What was affected and what would be at risk if it happened again. |
| Next action | Review an existing recommendation, arrange a survey or obtain a defined scope. |
| Responsibility | A named person to progress the action and agree the review date. |
| Status | Open, awaiting information, instructed or completed with evidence. |
The record should distinguish an unresolved observation from a completed repair. That is how you avoid discovering, during the next downpour, that everybody thought somebody else had dealt with it.
Decide whether you need maintenance or a wider roof plan
A one off maintenance instruction may be appropriate for an established, limited issue. Repeated leaks, several unresolved recommendations or uncertainty about the wider roof condition call for a more complete review.
TCR's professional roof survey service is a route for obtaining accessible condition evidence and investigating reported water ingress. The agreed scope matters: a standard survey is not every specialist test or a promise that all concealed defects will be found.
Where the evidence points towards a larger project, the commercial roofing service provides the next discussion about defined refurbishment or replacement work. A winter review should help establish that scope, not create pressure to buy a system before the problem is understood.
Have unresolved leaks or recommendations before winter? Request a professional survey from TCR. Send the postcode, approximate roof area, previous reports and a short list of the areas affected. Include access restrictions and your operating requirements so the scope and appointment can be confirmed properly.
