Washington at a glance
- Postcode districts
- NE37, NE38
- Population
- about 67,085 (GeoNames)
- Council area
- Sunderland City Council
- Building approval
- Sunderland City Council building control, or a registered building control approver
- Nearest main town
- Sunderland, about 5 miles
- Guide price region
- North East (−7% on West Midlands rates)
Why choose EPDM rubber roofing in Washington?
Rubber is a sensible pick in Washington where a roof sits close to bedrooms or a kitchen and you would rather avoid hot works. It suits porches, bays and dormers too, where the small area means a single sheet can cover the whole roof with no joins at all.
Around Washington, flat roofs are common on bungalows with flat-roofed side extensions and dormers and on lock-up garage blocks on estates. England averages roughly 870 mm of rain a year; the North East is drier than the west but cold and windy near the coast, so wind uplift and freeze-thaw are in the specification.
How much does an EPDM rubber roof cost in Washington?
At North East guide rates, a typical 18 m² garage roof in EPDM comes to £1,500–£2,600 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 | £1,500–£2,600 |
| Extension (20 m²), EPDM, new deck + insulation | £2,600–£4,550 |
| Porch or bay (4 m²), EPDM | £700–£1,150 |
Do I need building regulations approval to replace a roof with EPDM?
Often, yes. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, re-covering more than half of a flat roof over a heated room usually counts as renovating a thermal element, so the roof should be insulated towards the renovation standard where that is feasible; in Scotland, the council's building standards service decides whether a building warrant is needed.
An unheated detached garage normally falls outside these rules, and a patch repair is treated differently from a full re-cover.
In practice that means a warm roof: insulation above the deck, a vapour control layer beneath it and the EPDM on top. The extra thickness lifts the finished roof, so at survey we check door thresholds, window cills, wall flashings and upstand heights, aiming for an upstand of about 150 mm above the finished surface. Where approval is needed, we deal with building control or building standards for you. The building regulations page and our warm vs cold roof guide go into more detail.
What's included?
- Written workmanship guarantee, plus manufacturer guarantee registration where available
- Warm-roof insulation and vapour control layer where required
- Deck check and replacement of soft or rotten boards
- EPDM membrane fully bonded, in one sheet where the roof size allows
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?
- Chester-le-Street · 4 mi
- Felling · 4 mi
- Houghton-Le-Spring · 5 mi
- Sunderland · 5 mi
- Jarrow · 6 mi
- Wallsend · 6 mi
EPDM rubber roofing in Washington: questions
Do you cover Washington?
Yes. Washington is part of our Tyne and Wear coverage, including postcode districts NE37, NE38. 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 Washington?
Where the work needs approval it goes to Sunderland City 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 Washington?
£1,500–£2,600 for a typical 18 m² garage roof in EPDM, at North East guide rates including VAT. The fixed price comes after a free survey for new and replacement roofs.
Can EPDM be laid over an old felt roof?
Sometimes, but we usually recommend stripping old felt first. Overlaying hides any rot or wet insulation underneath, and over a heated room a full replacement is often when insulation has to be added anyway.
Can you walk on an EPDM roof?
Occasionally, for maintenance, yes, but EPDM is not designed as a regular walking surface. Where you need a route to plant or windows, walkway pads can be bonded on, or GRP may be a better fit.