Flat roofing in Manchester for extensions, dormers and garages

Flat roofs across Manchester, district by district

Terraced streets: Levenshulme, Longsight, Gorton and Moston

Victorian and Edwardian terraces with a single-storey back kitchen or a two-storey outrigger. The flat or shallow roof sits under a back bedroom window and against the party wall, so the upstands and the joint to the next-door roof are where it leaks. Access is through the house or down the back entry, and we plan the strip-out around it.

Edwardian and inter-war semis: Chorlton, Didsbury, Withington and Fallowfield

Big rear extensions, bay tops and loft conversions with flat-roofed dormers. Dormer cheeks and the flat top meet at an upstand that has to be dressed properly, and rooflights over kitchen extensions need proper kerbs, or the water gets in around the frame.

Post-war estates: Wythenshawe, Burnage and Newton Heath

Flat-roofed porches, garages, side extensions and the occasional whole flat-roofed block. Many are still on early felt over chipboard that swells as soon as it gets wet, which is why these roofs sag and pond after every storm.

City centre and Ancoats

Converted mills, mews houses and newer town houses with roof terraces, balconies and flat roofs over garages and bin stores. GRP gives a hard, walkable finish for terraces and balconies, and EPDM suits big simple roofs.

Local pages: roofers in Chorlton, roofers in Didsbury, roofers in Withington, roofers in Wythenshawe, roofers in Salford and every area we cover.

GRP, EPDM or felt for a Manchester flat roof

• GRP fibreglass. Laid in place and finished with a tough topcoat for a hard, seamless finish. Our choice for roofs that get walked on, balconies, terraces and roofs with rooflights and awkward corners.
• EPDM rubber. One sheet of rubber with no joints across the roof. Neat and quick on simple shapes such as garages and single-storey extensions, and laid without a flame.
• Torch-on felt. Modern felt in layers with a mineral cap sheet. A good-value choice for garages and back kitchens, and easy to repair later.
• Warm roof insulation. Insulation and waterproofing together on top of the deck, for a flat roof that keeps the room below warmer. Worth it on kitchen extensions and dormer bedrooms.

Access, parking and permits in Manchester

Most terraced streets have no rear vehicle access, so the old roof comes out and the new materials go in down the back entry or through the house. We protect the floors and clear the waste the same day.

A skip or scaffold on the road or pavement needs a licence from the council: Manchester City Council for most M postcodes, Salford, Trafford or Stockport councils outside the city. Parts of the city centre, Ancoats, Fallowfield and Withington have residents' parking zones. We look at the street when we survey the roof and tell you in the quote if your job needs either.

Replacing a flat roof like for like does not usually need planning permission. Raising it, changing its shape or adding a roof terrace or balcony can, and so can work in a conservation area or on a listed building. If yours falls into one of those, we tell you before you commit.

What flat roofing in Manchester costs

Every flat roof is priced after we have seen it, because the same size roof can cost very different amounts. What moves the price: the size and height of the roof, whether the deck and joists need replacing, the system you choose, rooflights and upstands, how the waste gets out and whether scaffold is needed.

You get the work and the price in writing, with photos of what we found, before anything starts. The price you are quoted is the price you pay.