What Is the SROH? Understanding the UK Road Reinstatement Standard
Published 6 March 2026
The Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways (SROH) sets the technical standards that utility companies and contractors must follow when reinstating roads after excavation. This article explains what it covers and why it matters.
What is the SROH?
The Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways — commonly known as the SROH — is the technical document that governs how roads, footways and verges must be reinstated after they have been excavated for utility works. It is published jointly by the highway authorities and utility companies through the Joint Utilities Group and is updated periodically to reflect changes in materials, methods and best practice.
The SROH is a statutory document. Under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (NRSWA), utility companies have a legal duty to reinstate any road they open to at least the standard set out in the SROH. Failure to meet this standard can result in enforcement action by the highway authority.
What does the SROH cover?
The SROH sets out detailed requirements for every stage of the reinstatement process, including:
- The materials to be used in backfill, sub-base and surface layers
- The depth and compaction requirements for each layer
- The surface finish and texture requirements for different road types
- Interim and permanent reinstatement standards
- The guarantee periods that apply after completion
Different standards apply depending on the type of road surface — for example, a reinstatement on a high-speed A-road will have different requirements to one on a residential footway.
Guarantee periods explained
One of the most important aspects of the SROH is the statutory guarantee period. Once a permanent reinstatement is completed, the utility company is responsible for any defects that arise within a set period — typically two years for most road types, and three years for certain high-usage roads.
During this period, if the reinstatement fails — for example, if the road surface sinks, cracks or deteriorates — the utility company is obliged to repair it at their own cost. The highway authority is responsible for inspecting reinstatements and identifying failures within the guarantee window.
Why monitoring matters
In practice, monitoring reinstatements across a highway network is a significant challenge. Councils manage thousands of excavations each year, and tracking which reinstatements are still within their guarantee period — and whether they are performing to standard — requires systematic record-keeping and inspection processes.
Without effective monitoring, defective reinstatements can go undetected until the guarantee period has expired, leaving the highway authority — and ultimately the taxpayer — to fund repairs that should have been the responsibility of the utility company. This is one of the key reasons road reinstatement monitoring matters.
This is the challenge that Road Guardian is designed to address: providing councils with the digital tools to track reinstatements, record inspection evidence and enforce their statutory rights within the guarantee window.
Summary
The SROH is the foundation of reinstatement quality in the UK. It sets clear technical standards and creates legal obligations for utility companies. But standards alone are not enough — effective monitoring and enforcement are essential to ensure that roads are repaired properly and that public funds are protected.