Balconies and roof terraces in Brighton

What does a balcony or terrace in Brighton need?

Door thresholds are a common reason for balcony work in Brighton. Where a door was fitted with a low step-out and no drainage channel, water driven against the frame finds its way under the sill. Re-waterproofing gives the chance to rebuild that detail properly.

Brighton's flat roofs are mostly on 1960s and 1970s link-detached houses with flat-roofed garages and porches, with plenty on low-rise post-war blocks of flats too. Much of the South East sits in the drier Thames catchment at roughly 730 mm of rain a year, so the usual failures are at joints, upstands and outlets rather than from sheer volume of rain.

How much does balcony or terrace waterproofing cost in Brighton?

For Brighton we use South East rates: £2,100–£3,600 is the guide for a 12 m² balcony in a liquid-applied system including scaffold, VAT included. The fixed price comes after a free survey for new and replacement roofs.

How are thresholds, drainage and paving handled on a terrace?

They are designed together, because most balcony leaks start at the door threshold, a blocked outlet or a fixing driven through the membrane. Getting those three right matters more than the brand of membrane.

Thresholds: upstands are usually 150 mm above the finished surface, but a level or low step-out door cannot always achieve that. Where the upstand has to be reduced, extra protection is needed, such as a drainage channel at the door and a fall away from it, and the membrane must still run up and under the door sill.

Drainage: every terrace needs a reliable way off for water, with outlets sized for the area and an overflow if one outlet could block. Outlets under paving need access for cleaning.

Inverted roofs and pedestals: on an inverted roof the insulation sits above the waterproofing and is held down by paving or ballast, protecting the membrane from sun and foot traffic. Adjustable pedestals lift paving slabs level above the falls, so water drains underneath and the surface stays flat. Balustrade posts are fixed through upstands or side-fixed where possible, with every penetration sealed into the membrane.

What's included?

• Strip-out of the failed membrane and deck repairs
• New liquid, GRP, single-ply or asphalt waterproofing
• Sealed details at doors, outlets, walls and balustrade posts
• Written workmanship guarantee, with approvals handled where needed

Building regulations in England

Replacing more than half of a flat roof over a heated room usually counts as renovating a thermal element, so the roof is insulated to around 0.16 W/m²K where that's technically and economically feasible, and the work is notified to building control: the council or a registered building control approver, unless a registered competent person self-certifies it. A roof on a new extension is built to 0.15 W/m²K. Patch repairs, and most unheated detached garages, don't trigger the upgrade. Structural changes, or a new covering that adds 15% or more to the roof's weight, also need approval. More on the rules.

Which nearby areas do we also cover?

• Portslade · 3 mi
• Rottingdean · 4 mi
• Shoreham-by-Sea · 6 mi
• Peacehaven · 6 mi
• Lewes · 7 mi
• Lancing · 8 mi

Other flat roof work in Brighton

• Flat roof replacement
• Commercial flat roofing
• Liquid-applied roofing
• Garage roofs
• EPDM rubber roofing
• Emergency leak repairs
• All services in Brighton