AccuRoof®: The new name for SIG Design and Technology

Trading Director Robert Edwards explains why SIG Design and Technology is rebranding to AccuRoof®, and what this means for its specifier-led customer base and the wider construction industry.

Over the last decade, SIG Design & Technology has established itself as the go-to roof design and supply provider for both new-build and refurbishment projects, including single ply, hot melt, liquid, slate, hard metal roofing and cladding, as well as green and blue roofing and biosolar systems.

Central to our success has been our ability to help specifiers deliver roofs that are not only fit-for-purpose, but also meet the required aesthetics, are long lasting and sustainable. Like all successful businesses, we are constantly evolving our business approach and customer offering, and we recently decided to rebrand to AccuRoof^®.

The decision to rebrand has been strongly influenced by the new Building Safety Act and the Golden Thread. We undertook market research with key stakeholders, including architects, surveyors, and contractors, to better understand the areas they needed help with. For most of them, it was assistance with compliance and building legislation. The SIG Design & Technology model was already supporting this, but we felt it was time to really push the envelope and demonstrate our expertise within the industry.

This led to the AccuRoof^® name and branding, which stands for accurate agnostic roofing advice.

AccuRoof^® is a system agnostic roofing specification and technical support service for architects, specifiers and contractors. We provide a complete and impartial service, which covers flat roofs, pitched roofs, green and blue roofs, solar, biosolar, and hard metal roofing and cladding.

We provide expert, competent guidance that is up to date with current legislation, including British Standards and the Building Safety Act. As a distributor (part of SIG Roofing, a part of FTSE 350 listed SIG Plc) we have numerous product lines from a wide range of manufacturers, enabling us to offer the best roofing solution for any given project. The advice part is fairly self-explanatory: that’s what we are there to do; to be experts within the roofing industry.

Our business has always assisted with Design & Build contracts, providing main contractors with assistance in meeting performance specifications and providing  alternative suitable products or like-for-like products on specifications, that meet a project’s budget requirements. Parallel to this we have emerged as a dedicated roofing consultant to specifiers themselves as roofing system requirements become more complex and they need our specialist advice. We’ve taken that role for over ten years now.

The introduction of Gateway two under the Building Safety Act means that the way buildings and roofing systems are procured may change. There will be more collaboration, and Design & Build may even become a thing of the past. AccuRoof^® aims to be at the forefront of this change, assisting architects, surveyors and contractors with key roofing decisions from the outset of construction projects. This means offering design and technical advice on integrated roofing systems, while adhering to building regulations and other legislative requirements.

Because we are a distributor we have access to an incredibly wide range of products, so our roofing specifications always fit the project, rather than the other way around. This enables us to advise on the best product for a particular roofing solution, considering CCPI, accreditations and testing, and regulatory compliance, among many other factors.

AccuRoof^® provides a wide range of services free of charge, including design liability (if required), detailing advice, full NBS specifications, wind uplift, U-value and drainage calculations, guidance on renewable and specialist products that assist with common design issues, such as creating falls on flat roofs or providing for energy production. Added to this, we offer ease and reliability of product distribution coupled with a competent subcontractor network under our AccuRoof^® Contractor Installer Scheme (ACIS).

Any organisation that rebrands has to have taken a long hard look at how it works and who it supports. This exercise has helped us clarify how we support the variety of professionals designing, constructing and looking after built assets. The uniting theme is that we help the sector deliver better performing roofing solutions.

Alongside supporting specifiers, we partner with main contractors on major projects to offer them an end-to-end service for their roofing packages, ensuring they can always receive dedicated technical support and helping them work more collaboratively with their supply chain. Through ACIS we support roofing contractors access training and technical support to ensure they install our products effectively and enable us to provide warranties. In the education sector we are a supply chain partner on Department for Education projects, helping education clients meet their biodiversity net gain and net zero challenges. We also provide a flat roof replacement, planned maintenance, funding and estate management strategy support for multi academy trusts.

Early engagement is key. The earlier specifiers speak to us, the sooner we can examine their designs and eliminate potential issues, such as door thresholds and parapets on flat roofs, or structural issues relating to green and blue roofs. Equally importantly, AccuRoof® can assist with fundamental decisions relating to cost, aesthetics, compliance, and warranties – all of which should be carefully considered at the outset.

Adherence to regulatory, standards and third party compliance is one of the biggest challenges, so it’s important that specifiers have confidence in the competency of their design and supply chain partners. AccuRoof® expertise in this area, coupled with its ability to supply a wide range of products that can satisfy the demands of both the roof and the client make it a potent force – especially where there is early engagement with the specifier.

We’re excited about the future of AccuRoof® as a unique service for specifiers. In the coming months we will introduce new CPDs and launch several new products, such as a lightweight, non-penetrative, flat panel solar roofing system, and a new TPE roofing membrane.