Dunstable at a glance
- Postcode districts
- LU6
- Population
- about 51,973 (GeoNames)
- Council area
- Central Bedfordshire Council
- Building approval
- Central Bedfordshire Council building control, or a registered building control approver
- Nearest main town
- Luton, about 5 miles
- Guide price region
- East of England (+5% on West Midlands rates)
Why choose EPDM rubber roofing in Dunstable?
EPDM makes sense for a property in Dunstable when the roof is a straightforward shape, such as a garage or rear extension, and nobody needs to walk on it. A single sheet leaves few joins to fail, and because it is cold-applied there is no naked flame near timber fascias or a lived-in home.
In a large town like Dunstable, flat roofs are commonly found on terraced streets with flat-roofed rear kitchens and bathrooms or low-rise post-war blocks of flats. The East of England is the driest part of Britain, with parts of the Anglian region around 630 mm a year, so summer heat and UV, not rainfall, do most of the ageing on a felt roof.
How much does an EPDM rubber roof cost in Dunstable?
At East of England guide rates, a typical 18 m² garage roof in EPDM comes to £1,700–£2,950 including VAT. The fixed price comes after a free survey for new and replacement roofs.
| Job | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Single garage (18 m²), EPDM rubber | £1,700–£2,950 |
| Extension (20 m²), EPDM, new deck + insulation | £2,950–£5,150 |
| Porch or bay (4 m²), EPDM | £800–£1,300 |
How are the joins, edges and upstands made watertight on an EPDM roof?
They are bonded with contact adhesive and sealed with purpose-made EPDM tapes and pre-formed pieces, because the edges and details are where most rubber roof leaks start.
- Wall upstands: the rubber is turned up the wall, usually to about 150 mm above the finished roof, fully bonded, then finished with a termination bar or a cover flashing chased into the masonry.
- Corners: folded rather than cut where possible, or finished with pre-formed pieces.
- Joins: on roofs wider than one sheet, the laps are cleaned, primed and joined with splice tape, then rolled firmly.
- Pipes and vents: sealed with pre-formed pipe boots rather than relying on mastic.
- Edges and outlets: drip and kerb trims are fixed and the junction with the membrane is sealed with cover tape; outlets are bonded into the membrane at the lowest point.
We also check the falls before laying, because standing water around an outlet shortens the life of any detail. There is more on this in our pages on edges and drainage and rooflight upstands.
What's included?
- New drip and kerb trims, outlets and upstand details
- Deck check and replacement of soft or rotten boards
- Strip-out of the old covering, with waste taken away
- Warm-roof insulation and vapour control layer where required
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?
- Luton · 5 mi
- Leighton Buzzard · 6 mi
- Harpenden · 9 mi
- Berkhamsted · 9 mi
- Hemel Hempstead · 10 mi
- Ampthill · 10 mi
EPDM rubber roofing in Dunstable: questions
Do you cover Dunstable?
Yes. Dunstable is part of our Bedfordshire coverage, including postcode districts LU6. Surveys and roofs are carried out by vetted roofing teams working under S&K Property Investments and Improvement Ltd.
Who checks building regulations for a flat roof in Dunstable?
Where the work needs approval it goes to Central Bedfordshire Council building control, or a registered building control approver. We tell you at the survey whether your job needs it and deal with the paperwork as part of the quote.
How much does an EPDM rubber roof cost in Dunstable?
£1,700–£2,950 for a typical 18 m² garage roof in EPDM, at East of England guide rates including VAT. The fixed price comes after a free survey for new and replacement roofs.
Does an EPDM roof need maintenance?
Very little. Clear leaves from outlets and gutters, look over trims and upstands once or twice a year and after storms, and keep foot traffic to a minimum.
Can an EPDM roof be fitted in winter?
Yes, as long as the deck is dry. The adhesives are affected by cold and damp, so very cold or wet days can delay bonding, and the roof is kept temporarily weathertight between dry spells.