Corrugated Polycarbonate Sheet

Corrugated polycarbonate is flat sheet formed into a profile so it can span a purlin without a frame under every square metre. The profile you choose is not a style decision: it fixes the cover width, the rib height that carries the load, and — the part buyers rarely price — how much flat sheet each square metre of finished roof actually consumes.

We form the nine profiles below on our own lines in Jiangsu, China. Every one of them is dimensionally matched to the corresponding steel roofing profile, so a polycarbonate daylighting strip drops into an existing metal roof run without a transition flashing.

Profiles we form

Profile	Wave form	Cover width	Pitch	Rib height	Flat width consumed	Material vs cover
1064	Round / sinusoidal	1064 mm	76 mm	18 mm	1300 mm	+22%
930	Round / sinusoidal	930 mm	80 mm	16 mm	1015 mm	+9%
762	Round / sinusoidal (R20.1)	762 mm	76.2 mm	15 mm	890 mm	+17%
900	Trapezoidal	900 mm	225 mm	15 mm	1019 mm	+13%
840	Trapezoidal	840 mm	210 mm	25 mm	1000 mm	+19%
1050	Trapezoidal	1050 mm	210 mm	25 mm	1297 mm	+24%
750 (TX35-125-750)	Trapezoidal	750 mm	125 mm	35 mm	1055 mm	+41%
820	Deep trapezoidal	820 mm	—	76 mm	1049 mm	+28%
760	Deep trapezoidal	760 mm	—	76 mm	989 mm	+30%

Cover width is the useful width after the side laps. Flat width consumed is the developed width of the profile — the width of flat sheet that goes into forming one panel.

Specification

Property	Specification
Thickness	0.8 mm – 2.0 mm
Profiles	Nine standard profiles as listed above; others to sample or drawing, subject to tooling
Cover width	762 – 1064 mm depending on profile
Supply format	Supplied in rolls. Length is not fixed — commonly 30 m per roll
UV protection	Co-extruded on one face; that face is laid to the sky
Colours	Custom-matched to your reference
Minimum order	100 m² or 1 tonne

Within the 0.8–2.0 mm range, thickness is chosen against the profile and the purlin spacing rather than on its own, because the rib carries most of the load. Send the profile, the purlin centres and the design snow or wind load with your enquiry.

It ships as a roll, not as fixed panels

At 0.8–2.0 mm the formed sheet coils, so we supply these profiles in rolls rather than cut panels — commonly 30 m per roll, and the length is not fixed. That changes three things a buyer should price in:

No end laps. On a slope shorter than the roll you get one continuous run from ridge to eaves. End laps are the most common leak point on a corrugated roof, and a continuous sheet removes them entirely. Rigid panels bought in fixed lengths cannot do this unless the slope happens to match the panel.

No offcut from standard lengths. You cut to the rafter length on site. There is no waste from a 6 m panel that has to cover a 3.4 m slope, which is a real cost on any roof whose slope does not divide neatly into a standard panel.

Different handling and freight. A roll ships denser than the same area in rigid panels, which helps container utilisation. On site the trade-off is care: thin-gauge formed sheet creases permanently if it is dragged or walked on. Unroll along the slope, support it while fixing, and use crawl boards — the profile carries roof loads, not foot traffic.

The number most buyers leave out of the comparison

Two quotations for “corrugated polycarbonate” are not comparable until you know the profile. A 750 panel consumes 1055 mm of flat sheet to cover 750 mm — 41% more material per square metre of roof than the cover width suggests. A 930 round-wave panel consumes only 9% more.

That gap is larger than the price difference between most suppliers. If a quotation is priced per panel or per metre of cover, ask which profile it assumes before you compare it with anything else. If it is priced per kilogram or per square metre of flat sheet, the developed width in the table above converts it to a cost per square metre of finished roof.

The trade-off is real, not waste: the deeper the rib, the further the panel spans between purlins, and the lighter the supporting structure can be. A 76 mm rib on the 820 and 760 profiles buys span; a 15–18 mm round wave buys material economy and needs closer purlins.

Choosing a profile

Matching an existing steel roof — the profile is already decided for you. Measure the pitch and the rib height on the sheet you are replacing and match it from the table; a mismatched profile will not seal at the side lap.
Round wave, 15–18 mm rib (762, 930, 1064) — the economical daylighting choice on closely spaced purlins. The 930 is the most material-efficient profile we form.
Trapezoidal, 25 mm rib (840, 1050) — the general-purpose industrial roof profile. The 1050 covers more per panel; the 840 wastes less flat sheet.
Trapezoidal, 35 mm rib (750) — more span than the 25 mm profiles, at the highest material cost per square metre of cover.
Deep trapezoidal, 76 mm rib (760, 820) — for long spans and minimal framing, typically industrial buildings where purlin spacing is fixed and wide.

Where corrugated sits against our other sheet

Corrugated is one of three ways to roof with polycarbonate, and it is not always the right one:

Corrugated spans on its own profile and matches steel roofing. Best where a daylighting strip has to sit inside an existing metal roof run.
Multiwall insulates, because the trapped air between skins does work that a single formed skin cannot. Best for greenhouses and anywhere heat loss is costed.
Solid sheet gives maximum clarity and impact resistance but needs a frame. Best for glazing, guarding and canopies where appearance matters.

See polycarbonate roofing for span and purlin guidance across all three, and MOQ, lead time and shipping for how panels are packed and shipped from Jiangsu.

The profile decides where the holes go

A fastener in corrugated sheet belongs on a rib crown, never in a valley. That single rule means the profile does not just set the cover width — it fixes every position a screw can occupy across the panel. The pitch in the table above is the crown spacing, and therefore the fixing pitch.

Profile	Crown spacing = available fixing positions	Typical consequence
762 / 1064	Every 76 mm (76.2 mm on the 762)	Many closely spaced crowns; the fixing line can be placed almost anywhere across the sheet
930	Every 80 mm	As above, with slightly fewer positions per metre
750	Every 125 mm	Fixings fall on a coarser grid; edge and lap positions need checking against the frame
840 / 1050	Every 210 mm	Only four or five crowns per panel width — the frame has to suit the sheet, not the other way round
900	Every 225 mm	The coarsest grid of the standard profiles
760 / 820	On the 76 mm deep ribs only	Few, widely spaced fixing lines; designed for wide purlin centres

Two practical consequences follow, and both are cheaper to deal with before the order than after delivery:

Replacing or infilling an existing roof. If a translucent panel is going into a steel roof run, the new panel’s crowns must land on the same lines as the steel sheet’s crowns, because the purlins and the existing fastener holes are already there. Matching the cover width alone is not enough — a panel with the right width but the wrong pitch puts every screw in the wrong place. Match the pitch and the rib height together.

New build. The purlin layout and the profile have to be decided together. A 210 mm pitch profile gives you a fixing line only every 210 mm, so the purlin centres and the panel end laps have to fall where crowns exist. Choosing the sheet after the frame is drawn is the usual cause of an awkward, over-fixed edge detail.

Send the purlin centres with your enquiry and we will confirm which profiles put a crown where you need a fixing.

Installation points that cause claims

Fixing through the crown, not the valley. Fasteners belong on the rib crown with a profiled washer. Fixed through the valley, the hole sits in standing water and the panel leaks at every screw within a season.

Holes drilled tight to the fastener. Polycarbonate expands roughly 3 mm per metre over a 50 °C swing. Oversize the hole so the panel can move, or it will buckle between fixings in the first summer.

The UV face laid downwards. Corrugated panels are directional. The protected face carries a marked film; lay it to the sky. Reversed, the panel yellows and embrittles years early, and it is not a manufacturing defect.

Side lap into the prevailing weather. Start laying from the end away from the prevailing wind so each side lap is sheltered by the panel over it.

Frequently asked questions

Which corrugated polycarbonate profile matches my steel roof?
Measure two things on the existing sheet: the distance from one rib crown to the next (the pitch) and the rib height. Match both against the table above — 210 mm pitch at 25 mm high is the 840 or 1050 family; 76 mm pitch at 15–18 mm is the round-wave family. Send us a photograph and those two dimensions if you are unsure.

What thickness of corrugated polycarbonate do I need?
We form 0.8 to 2.0 mm. Within that range thickness is set against the profile and the purlin spacing rather than chosen on its own, because the rib carries most of the load. Send the profile, the purlin centres and the design snow or wind load and we will state the thickness with the quotation.

Is it supplied in panels or in rolls?
In rolls. At this gauge the formed sheet coils, so length is not fixed — commonly 30 m per roll. You cut to your rafter length on site, which removes end laps on any slope shorter than the roll and removes the offcut waste that fixed panel lengths create.

Can you match a colour?
Yes — colours are custom-matched to your reference rather than limited to a stock list. Send a sample, a RAL or a Pantone reference with the enquiry.

Is the UV protection on one face or both?
One face, co-extruded, and it is directional. The protected face carries a marked film and must be laid to the sky. A panel installed upside down yellows and embrittles years early, and that is not a manufacturing defect.

Can you make a profile that is not on this list?
Tell us the pitch, rib height and cover width, or send a sample panel or drawing. New profiles need tooling, so whether it is viable depends on quantity — we will say so directly rather than quote and then substitute.

Do you supply corrugated polycarbonate to match a metal roofing order?
Yes, and it is the most common reason buyers come to us for these profiles: a steel roof needs a translucent daylighting strip in the same profile. Give us the steel profile designation and the panel lengths.

How is corrugated polycarbonate priced — per panel or per square metre?
Both are used in this industry, which is why quotations are hard to compare. We can quote either way; ask for the developed width to be stated so you can convert between them. See wholesale pricing for what moves a quotation.

What is the minimum order?
100 m² or 1 tonne, the same minimum that applies across our sheet. See MOQ, lead time and shipping.