In a Hurry? Here’s How Much Garage Flat Roofs Cost:

Give or take a bit depending on where you live and whether you choose a local firm or a bigger company that charges more, expect to pay around:

Poll – How Much Do You Think a New Flat Roof to a Single Garage Like This Will Cost?

We launched our poll three years ago so it contains recent and old answers, you might find the results insightful but as a general rule of thumb, consumers almost always underestimate the true cost.

You can leave your own answer if you wish:

Unbiased and Sound Advice From a Flat Roofing Contractor With Over 20 Years Experience

Check out this advice from an experienced roofing contractor:

Flat roofs are not supposed to be built perfectly flat, as bizarre as that may sound. The best thing you can do to ensure the finished flat roof will last as long as possible is to make sure any rainwater discharges off the roof and into the outlets or gutters without pooling on the surface. Any ponding of water will lead to a build-up of algae, sediment and mosses that can affect the surface materials, potentially shortening the life expectancy of the flat roof covering.

Here are three common reasons why water may pool on a flat roof and what you need to do to fix each:

1. The decking (usually ply but historically chipboard) has sagged between the joists and the felt covering has sunk too, water now pools in puddles. Solution: Replace the decking boards with OSB boards and install a new felt covering.
2. Rainwater flows the wrong way on the roof and pools. Solution: The decking should be raised at one end with firings (see image here) so the roof is higher at one end and lower at the other end where the guttering or water outlet is located. This work should be completed before the installation of new felt coverings.
3. Flat roofs have an internal water outlet that blocks frequently. Solution: Ask a flat roof company to widen the outlet hole if possible and install a leaf guard (like this product) to prevent blockages.

Not sure if your flat needs a complete replacement or can be repaired? Try our flat roof repair troubleshooting guide (with lots of photos and examples).

Flat Roof Pricing Examples

Below you will find three price examples for both single and double garage roofs, these are the most common types of flat roofs in the UK, so use these figures as a starting point:

1) Built-up (Torchon) Felt System

This type of flat roofing felt has been in use for decades and is still used today.

Layers of bitumen felt are heat-welded onto each other to form an impenetrable barrier.

Here is a video showing how the felt is installed on the flat roof:

Materials Required to Replace a Typical Single Garage Flat Roof

Here we delve into the cost of the materials for a typical single garage flat roof.

We have also provided suggested costs for waste removal, labour costs, profit margins and VAT:

• New OSB decking boards 2440mm x 1220mm (optional) – £80.00 each supply and fit inc VAT
• Firrings £90.00  (optional) inc VAT
• Base layer £80.00 inc VAT
• Mid layer £125.00 inc VAT
• Top layer a cap sheet with a mineral finish £225.00 inc VAT
• Waste disposal – £100.00 inc VAT
• Labour for two people – £180.00
• Building control notification – £50.00
• Net profit – £300.00
• VAT on labour and profits – £76.00

Assuming you only need the felt replaced with a 2-layer system (often used on some garages and most sheds) – £1000 inc VAT.

For a 3-layer felt only system (required over habitable and insulated areas of the house) – £1250.00 inc VAT.

For a complete replacement including new decking boards with a 3 layer system – £1750.00. Add £50 for firrings if needed.

We haven’t included the cost for replacement guttering, fascias or soffits. Also, additional insulation may be needed on some flat roofs to meet current regulations.

Don’t forget; our breakdown of the flat roof costs here is for a single garage roof.

What About a Double Garage?

The price breakdown shown above is for a single garage.

A double garage with a 3-layer system without new decking costs around £2150.00 inc VAT.

A double garage with a 3-layer system and new decking usually costs around £3000.00 inc VAT.

2) Rubber EPDM System Roof Cost

There are several different types of EPDM material and as with any other type of felt, the weak point is the joints.

That’s why we prefer the one-piece rubber membrane as it doesn’t have any joints and in our opinion is less likely to leak in the future.

(Update April 2022: EPDM rubber roofing materials have come a long way in recent years and if installed correctly, joint separation should not be an issue.)

Below is a nifty video guide explaining how a one-piece membrane is installed:

Below is our suggested cost guide for rubber flat roofs:

Here is the approximate cost of the materials for a single roof:

Rubber membrane – £275.00 +vat

Adhesive and sealant – £75.00 +vat

Edgings and drip edge – £175.00 +vat

Waste disposal, decking, fascias, guttering, building control notification etc as extras if needed.

3) Fibreglass Flat Roof Covering Prices

(Update 2022: Fibreglass prices have ballooned in recent months due to supply chain issues, the prices below were updated in April 2022 but they could go up or down at anytime.)

Fibreglass is a long-lasting, tough, yet slippery material that has been used as a flat roof covering for decades.

It’s commonly seen on smaller flat roofs such as single garages, porch roofs and door canopies.

There is a downside to fibreglass – unlike bitumen felt, it cannot be laid onto old ply or chipboard. New OSB boards must be laid down first, this can make fibreglass expensive for larger roofs.

Below is a video showing how fibreglass is secured to a typical flat roof:

Price guide:

Material cost – below you’ll find a list of the materials required to replace a single garage flat roof, along with prices:

Fibreglass flat roof kit for single flat roof: £425.00

Trims and baton – £100 +vat

OSB boards – £450 inc VAT, supplied and fitted.

See The Prices Our Site’s Visitors Have Been Given For a New Flat Roof:

We think these prices are really insightful, although some are from a few years ago and will be out of date by now.

Have you been given a price from a flat roofing contractor?

Let other visitors know how much it cost by filling out the contact form (no email or personal information required).

Which Material is the Best?

Now you have a good idea of how much a new flat roof will cost, you’ll need to decide which material is best for your roof.

There are pros and cons to each material, so we’ve created an in-depth guide that is targeted at beginners and those with very little knowledge of flat roof options.

Explore our impartial guide and discover answers to questions such as:

• Do I really need to replace the costly timber decking underneath the roof covering?
• Which option is best?
• Which material is cheapest?
• Which will last the longest?
• What type of flat roof looks the most appealing?
• Do I need extra insulation?

Check out our impartial guide to flat roof options here

Asbestos Flat Roofs – Does Your Roof Contain Nasty Asbestos?

We recently got in touch with several asbestos removal companies and asked them how much it costs to safely remove asbestos sheets from a flat roof.

The cost was much less than we thought, explore our guide to asbestos removal costs here.

Asbestos was widely used in the 1970s and ’80s, even into the ’90s.

Not sure what this harmful material looks like?

Here’s a photo:

Just to confuse matters, there are several products on the market that look identical to Asbestos but in fact, don’t contain any of this dangerous material.

These were created for repairs and replacements of damaged asbestos:

Asbestos is quite safe provided it isn’t disturbed. If you have an asbestos flat roof and you want to replace it with fibreglass, felt or rubber, first check our guide to asbestos roof removal costs.

Insulation – Do You Need it to Comply With Building Regulations?

Just when we thought we’d covered all aspects of flat roof prices, along comes another consideration.

Since 2005, if you replace 25% or more of your roof covering (felt) then you need to ensure that the entire flat roof has enough insulation to satisfy current building regulations.

This only applies to flat roofs over habitable parts of your home, so it excludes garages, sheds some porches and most door canopies.

How much insulation you’ll need depends on how much is already in your roof.

Visit our impartial guide to flat roofs for more information.

Can a Flat Roof be Repaired? How Much Does a Typical Repair Cost?

Patch repairs are often possible if the flat roof is damaged due to an impact, perhaps a slipped slate, tile or tree branch etc.

However, if the roof has a leak due to its age then patch repairs are often a waste of money, you could also make the leak worse by walking on it.

It’s impossible to predict the cost of a patch repair without first inspecting the roof. Smaller jobs are notoriously difficult to estimate without looking at the roof in more detail.

We would suggest a price of between £150 and £175 for a small patch repair to a bitumen felted flat roof that has a tear, we assume that the decking or underlying roof structure isn’t damaged.

Where Can You Get a Quote?

We hope you found our detailed guide to flat roof prices insightful.

Do consider that our prices are not a substitute for a fixed written quote that is provided after an inspection of the roof.

Let us help you source a competitive price online for your flat roof project.

Tap the button below to get started:

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This guide was written by Danny Woodley and was last updated in April 2022.

Don’t forget; we have price guides for hundreds of home improvement projects.

Explore our full list of detailed price guides here.