EPDM rubber roofing across West Sussex

Price per m²

£72–£127

Typical life

25–50 years

Manufacturer guarantees

20-year material warranties are common

Typical garage roof

£1,750–£3,100

How much does an EPDM rubber roof cost in West Sussex?

Guide prices including VAT at South East rates. The fixed price comes after a free survey for new and replacement roofs.

Which flat roofs are common in West Sussex?

Flat roofs in West Sussex sit on 1930s semis with flat-roofed garages and kitchen extensions, 1960s and 1970s link-detached houses with flat-roofed garages and porches and lock-up garage blocks on estates. 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. Approximate 1991–2020 regional averages based on Met Office data.

Building regulations in England

Replacing more than half of a roof over a heated room usually counts as renovating a thermal element, so it is insulated to current standards and notified to building control. Renovated roofs over heated rooms are insulated to around 0.16 W/m²K where that's feasible, and new extension roofs are built to 0.15 W/m²K. In West Sussex the application goes to Crawley Borough Council, Worthing Borough Council, Arun District Council and 4 other councils. More on the rules.

When is EPDM the right choice, and when is another system better?

EPDM is a strong choice for simple domestic roofs that people do not walk on, such as garages, single-storey extensions, porches and dormers. It is less suited to roofs with regular foot traffic or many pipes and vents.

Where it does well: few or no joins on small roofs, flexible in cold weather, tolerant of minor building movement, and laid without a flame.

Where it falls short: the finish is plain dark rubber, it can be punctured by dropped tools or sharp debris, and it is not designed as a walking surface without added protection. Roofs with many penetrations take a lot of careful detailing.

If you want a hard, walkable finish or a complex shape, GRP fibreglass often suits better. On a tight budget, or a larger roof where a layered system is preferred, torch-on felt is worth pricing. Liquid-applied roofing handles awkward details and overlays, single-ply membranes are built for larger commercial roofs, and mastic asphalt belongs on older and heritage buildings. Our EPDM vs GRP vs felt guide sets them side by side.

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.

Which towns in West Sussex do we cover?

• Crawley
• Worthing
• Bognor Regis
• Littlehampton
• Horsham
• Haywards Heath
• Chichester
• Burgess Hill
• East Grinstead
• Shoreham-by-Sea
• Lancing

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