Flat RoofingContractors

Upgrades

Green and sedum roofs in Kirkdale

Can your flat roof in Kirkdale carry a green roof? It depends on the joists, the spans and the deck. We check the structure first, tell you if strengthening or an engineer's input is needed, and only then quote for the waterproofing and sedum build-up.

Sedum green roof with a gravel border and inspection chamber on a single-storey extensionComputer-generated example image

Kirkdale at a glance

Postcode districts
L5
Population
about 18,657 (GeoNames)
Council area
Liverpool City Council
Building approval
Liverpool City Council building control, or a registered building control approver
Nearest main town
Liverpool, about 2 miles
Guide price region
North West (−5% on West Midlands rates)

Why choose a green roof in Kirkdale?

Homeowners in Kirkdale building a new extension may find a green roof can help with a planning application, as some councils encourage them for biodiversity and slower rainwater run-off. It is worth raising early with your designer, before the roof structure is drawn up, so the joists can be sized for the extra weight.

Around Kirkdale, flat roofs are common on 1930s semis with flat-roofed garages and kitchen extensions and on shops with flat-roofed rear stores below flats. The North West is one of England's wetter regions, averaging roughly 1,290 mm of rain a year, so falls, outlets and well-detailed upstands matter more than the membrane colour.

How much does a green roof cost in Kirkdale?

At North West guide rates, a 20 m² insulated extension roof finished as a sedum green roof comes to £4,200–£7,700 including VAT. The fixed price comes after a free survey for new and replacement roofs.

JobGuide price inc VAT
Extension (20 m²), EPDM with sedum green roof£4,200–£7,700
Extension (20 m²), EPDM, new deck + insulation£2,650–£4,650

Can a green roof go on my existing flat roof?

Only if the existing waterproofing is sound, root-resistant or protected by a root barrier, and has plenty of life left. In most cases it makes more sense to lay a green roof as part of a replacement.

Once the sedum, substrate and drainage layers are down, the membrane underneath is hard to inspect and expensive to repair, because the green layers have to be lifted to get to it. Putting a green roof on an ageing covering risks paying for the greenery twice. Our repair or replace guide helps you judge whether your current roof is a sensible base.

As for planning, re-covering a house roof normally needs no application if its appearance doesn't change materially. Because a green roof does change how a roof looks, check with your council, especially for listed buildings, conservation areas and roofs that are easily seen. The planning guide has more.

What's included?

  • Root-resistant membrane or separate root barrier
  • Warm or inverted build-up to suit the roof
  • Drainage layer, filter and lightweight growing medium
  • Structural check of joists, deck and supports

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?

Green and sedum roofs in Kirkdale: questions

Do you cover Kirkdale?

Yes. Kirkdale is part of our Merseyside coverage, including postcode districts L5. 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 Kirkdale?

Where the work needs approval it goes to Liverpool 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 a green roof cost in Kirkdale?

£4,200–£7,700 for a 20 m² insulated extension roof finished as a sedum green roof, at North West guide rates including VAT. The fixed price comes after a free survey for new and replacement roofs.

Can you put a sedum roof on a garage?

Often, yes, if the structure is strong enough. Many older garage roofs have light timbers, so a structural check comes first and strengthening may be needed.

Can you put a green roof on a pitched roof?

We install green roofs on flat roofs only. Sloping green roofs need extra restraint to stop the growing medium slipping, and they are a specialist job outside our work.

Other flat roof work in Kirkdale

Green and sedum roofs in Kirkdale: get a fixed price

Free survey and a written fixed quote for replacement and new roofs. No obligation.

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