Smethwick at a glance
- Postcode districts
- B66
- Population
- about 53,653 (GeoNames)
- Council area
- Sandwell Council
- Building approval
- Sandwell Council building control, or a registered building control approver
- Nearest main town
- West Bromwich, about 2 miles
- Guide price region
- West Midlands (baseline rates)
Why choose a green roof in Smethwick?
Small commercial buildings and blocks in Smethwick with a flat roof sometimes add an extensive green roof as part of a refurbishment. The structural check and safe access for maintenance matter even more on these larger roofs, which may need edge protection or fall-arrest points for each visit.
In and around Smethwick, flat roofs are typically found on 1960s and 1970s link-detached houses with flat-roofed garages and porches, and on shops with flat-roofed rear stores below flats. England averages roughly 870 mm of rain a year and the West Midlands sits close to that, so falls and outlets are the difference between a roof that drains and one that ponds.
How much does a green roof cost in Smethwick?
Guide price in Smethwick: £4,400–£8,100 for a 20 m² insulated extension roof finished as a sedum green roof, including VAT at West Midlands rates. The fixed price comes after a free survey for new and replacement roofs.
| Job | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| Extension (20 m²), EPDM with sedum green roof | £4,400–£8,100 |
| Extension (20 m²), EPDM, new deck + insulation | £2,800–£4,900 |
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?
- Warm or inverted build-up to suit the roof
- Drainage layer, filter and lightweight growing medium
- Root-resistant membrane or separate root barrier
- Pre-grown sedum blankets laid and watered in
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?
- West Bromwich · 2 mi
- Birmingham · 3 mi
- Bartley Green · 4 mi
- Halesowen · 5 mi
- Wednesbury · 5 mi
- Dudley · 5 mi
Green and sedum roofs in Smethwick: questions
Do you cover Smethwick?
Yes. Smethwick is part of our West Midlands coverage, including postcode districts B66. 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 Smethwick?
Where the work needs approval it goes to Sandwell 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 Smethwick?
£4,400–£8,100 for a 20 m² insulated extension roof finished as a sedum green roof, at West Midlands guide rates including VAT. The fixed price comes after a free survey for new and replacement roofs.
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.
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.