When the Bitumen Flat Roofing Association (BFRA) launched in early 2025, it was in response to a clear and longstanding gap in the industry. Despite the dominance of bitumen, which represents approximately 50 per cent of the UK flat roofing market, there was no single dedicated body championing reinforced bitumen membranes (RBM).
There was a clear opportunity to represent this market, support competency, and provide technical guidance for this critical area of construction.
Twelve months on, our mission has not changed, but our momentum has grown significantly. What began as a small group of committed manufacturers and industry specialists has become a united voice for RBM. As we close out our first full year and set our course for 2026, I want to reflect on what has been achieved, what continues to challenge our sector, and how the BFRA is preparing to deliver even greater value for our members and the wider roofing community.
One of the core principles of the BFRA from day one has been simple – credibility cannot be rushed. We are a volunteer-led association made up of individuals with full-time roles, competing commercial priorities, and demanding schedules. Yet the commitment shown throughout 2025 has been exceptional.
My fellow directors, Shaun Lotay as Chair of the BFRA, and Phillip Wilcox-Moore, Managing Director of Axter, serving as Secretary, have been central to shaping our structure, purpose and governance.
Equally vital has been the establishment of the BFRA Technical Committee, chaired by Fiona Irvine of Sika, with Matthew Sexton of BMI Group as Vice Chair. Their leadership has channelled the expertise of working groups covering materials, application and workmanship, and maintenance, each already delivering significant progress.
Throughout 2025, our focus has been on developing substance rather than making noise. While our brand, website and LinkedIn presence are live, we intentionally avoided early over-promotion. A new organisation must have something meaningful to say before speaking loudly. Much of our first year has therefore centred on establishing the frameworks, documents and collaborative relationships that will underpin our long-term credibility.
The most significant piece of work, and the centrepiece of our technical agenda, is the BFRA Design Guide, due for launch this spring. This guide will fill a critical gap. While sister associations produce excellent guidance for their respective technologies, RBM has long relied on legacy publications, many of which are now decades out of date. Early sources such as the document ‘Flat
Roofing – a guide to good practice’, which is often referred to as ‘the blue book’, are indeed valuable, but heavily reference outdated application techniques which are now far less commonly used. Meanwhile, modern systems – particularly self-adhesive technologies – have evolved dramatically, yet remain under-represented in existing guidance.
Our aim is not just to refresh old content, but to develop a comprehensive, modern reference for architects, specifiers, contractors and technical professionals. The guide will span the full journey – from product types, polymer modification, AVCLs, insulation, fire considerations, wind loadings, workmanship, maintenance, and importantly, bitumen-specific installation practices such as torching methodology, heat-welded laps and mechanical fastening.
Unlike some guidance documents aimed solely at high-specification commercial applications, our Design Guide is intentionally inclusive.
Bitumen is used everywhere – from major public buildings to garden sheds, and our guidance must reflect that breadth. The language, diagrams and methodology will therefore serve both the experienced roofing designer and the individual installer who needs clarity and best practice they can trust.
The collaboration behind this guide has been remarkable. Competitors in the marketplace have worked side by side, sharing expertise and challenging assumptions. Every contributing member has shown passion, professionalism and a genuine desire to elevate the sector. With deadlines met and momentum strong, the BFRA is on track to deliver a document that will set the benchmark for years to come.
Beyond the Design Guide, the BFRA has already stepped into a broader technical role. In 2025, we reviewed and contributed to multiple industry documents, including the NFRC Guidance Note 68 (common detailing), NFRC Guidance Note 71 (considerations for overlaying flat roofs), RC62, the joint position paper on PV installations, as well as the major revision of BS 6229 which was launched at the end of 2025, where the BFRA submitted a full suite of comments.
This activity is significant. For many years, RBM expertise sat informally within larger bodies, with bitumen perspectives sometimes diluted or unrepresented. Now, with BFRA participation embedded into industry reviews, the RBM sector has a clear and authoritative voice at the table.
As we move into 2026, the BFRA will work with other associations, such as the Single Ply Roofing Association (SPRA), the Liquid Roofing and Waterproofing Association (LRWA), the Mastic Asphalt Council, and the NFRC to align guidance, avoid duplication, and demonstrate the collective strength of the roofing sector. Many principles, such as structural requirements, fire performance and loading calculations, apply cross technologies, so our ambition is to promote unified, cross-technology messaging wherever appropriate, while providing the specialist bitumen detail that only our association can deliver.
Two themes continue to shape our sector: competency and sustainability. The Building Safety Act has pushed competency to the forefront, but while installer pathways are progressing, many non-operational roles remain less clearly defined. Technical specialists, sales teams and back-office personnel increasingly require recognised benchmarks of knowledge. Our Design Guide will offer a foundational reference for those entering technical roles, ensuring a clear, consistent understanding of RBM systems from day one.
Although the trend of ‘greenhushing’ has also subdued public environmental claims, the need for genuine sustainability has never been greater. RBM systems deliver industry-leading durability, robustness and long-term performance. The challenge now is not to stay silent, but to communicate evidence-based messages about whole-life value and environmental impact – topics the BFRA will explore more actively in 2026.
After a year of development, 2026 will be a year of outward engagement. Three pillars will guide our work: publication and promotion, member engagement and marketing, and events and increased industry presence. The launch of the BFRA Design Guide will be our flagship deliverable for 2026. We also have a Contractors Forum and AGM planned for April 2026 – a half-day event designed to bring members together, showcase technical content, and host speakers from bodies as the British Board of Agrément (BBA), Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI), or the Building Safety Regulator (BSR).
Increased visibility of members’ technical contributions will also be important for 2026, highlighting the expertise behind the association. A focus on membership growth, including manufacturers, merchants, distributors and affiliates, will be a key driver, and the Design Guide will help develop this area of growth. Events and industry presence will see us launch the BFRA Awards in autumn 2026.
This will be a first for the RBM sector, celebrating workmanship and excellence.
Despite bitumen being the largest share of the flat roofing market, no dedicated awards programme has previously existed. This initiative will spotlight the skill, complexity and craft involved in RBM installation, something that cannot be mastered in a week, and deserves industry-wide recognition.
While the Design Guide remains our immediate priority, it is only the beginning. From 2026 onwards, we intend to develop training videos, webinars and potentially a structured training programme together with a library of typical details and standard responses to common technical enquiries, and a suite of bitumen-focused fire, competency and regulatory clarity notes while continuing our collaboration with sister associations on cross-technology guidance.
We are just beginning to unlock the full potential of a unified RBM voice. Our first year has been one of discipline, collaboration and commitment. We have proven that when competitors come together with a shared goal – raising standards and supporting best practice – progress can be rapid and meaningful. By the end of 2026, success will be reflected in a respected, widely used BFRA Design Guide, professional and meaningful member events, strong membership growth representing the entire supply chain, and consistent visibility of BFRA expertise, guidance and leadership.
