The performance of the roofing market is strongly linked to construction levels and the recent decline in construction has adversely impacted on the value of the roofing market in the 2008-2010 period.

The roofing market was valued at around £1,372 million at its peak in 2007, but by 2010 this had fallen to an estimated £1,035 million.

The domestic roofing market has declined as housing starts and completions have fallen sharply, caused initially by the onset of the financial crisis, but accentuated and prolonged by an over-valued property market and difficulties in obtaining finance.

An increasing proportion of domestic housing completions are flats and apartments and this has led to a decline in the number of pitched roofs and consequently, a reduction in the overall roofing area. Domestic RMI also slowed as the financial crisis deepened.

The education and health sectors continued to support demand for roofing products as the housing sector declined, but recent Government spending restrictions have already begun to affect these areas.

Metal roofing and roof tiling remain the key sectors of the roofing market, with roof tiles dominating the domestic sector and metal roofing dominating non-domestic construction. In overall terms metal roofing systems account for 42% of the market in value terms, compared with roof tiling with 35% of the market.

The commercial and industrial sectors currently account for 57% of the market, with the domestic market accounting for the remaining 43%.

Imports are significant in some sectors of the roofing market, particularly slate tiles, where imports totalled £72.8m in 2008 and bituminous roofing felts with imports of £35.1m in 2009.

Direct supply is a key distribution channel for roofing products, particularly for larger roofing contractors working on major projects or for those who have developed a relationship with specific manufacturers.

The total roofing market is expected to deteriorate further in 2011 – by around 2% - to reach £1,012m, with a modest recovery in the housing sector towards the end of the year being more than offset by continuing contraction in the non-domestic sector. Although the housing sector is expected to show consistent growth from 2011 onwards, the number of completions forecast for 2015 is expected to be well below the recent peak year of 2007.

The total roofing market is forecast to show modest growth in the period to 2015, reaching £1,172m, with roof tiling regaining its position as the major sector and accounting for 41% of the market with sales of £483m. The metal roofing sector is forecast to have a market size of £434m by 2015, accounting for 37% of the total market.