Mastic asphalt roofing across Essex

Price per m²

£89–£158

Typical life

30–60 years

Manufacturer guarantees

15-year material, up to 25-year system guarantees

30 m² roof

£3,650–£6,550

How much does mastic asphalt roofing cost in Essex?

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

Which flat roofs are common in Essex?

Flat roofs in Essex sit on bungalows with flat-roofed side extensions and dormers, 1930s semis with flat-roofed garages and kitchen extensions and 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. 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 Essex the application goes to Southend-on-Sea City Council, Basildon Council, Colchester City Council and 11 other councils. More on the rules.

Is mastic asphalt still a good choice, or should I switch systems?

Mastic asphalt is still a good choice on concrete roofs, heritage and older buildings, and roofs that carry heavy foot traffic or plant. On lightweight timber roofs, garages and most modern extensions, another system is usually more practical.

Benefits: very long typical life; jointless and fully bonded; takes foot traffic well, especially with a paving finish; matches the original roof on many older buildings; local repairs blend into the existing surface.

Drawbacks: heavy, so the structure must be able to carry it; higher cost; needs specialist labour and hot works with molten material; can crack in cold if not well maintained, and softens in strong sun without a reflective finish.

If the structure is lightweight or the budget tight, torch-on felt or EPDM are common replacements. A compatible liquid-applied system can sometimes be laid over sound asphalt. On larger roofs, single-ply may be considered, and GRP suits smaller roofs needing a hard finish. Our repair or replace guide helps with the decision.

Should an old asphalt roof be repaired, overlaid or replaced, especially on a heritage building?

If the asphalt is sound apart from local cracks or blisters, repair it; if it is crazed and tired but dry and well bonded, consider an overlay; if it is leaking widely, sitting on a wet or failing deck, or full of trapped moisture, replace it. A survey, sometimes with a leak trace, tells you which applies.

• Repairs: blisters are cut out, cracks opened up and fresh asphalt worked in by a specialist, so the repair fuses with the existing roof.
• Overlay: a compatible system, often a reinforced liquid membrane, is bonded over the old asphalt after cleaning and priming. This keeps the old asphalt as a solid base and avoids heavy strip-out.
• Replacement: the old asphalt is broken out and the roof rebuilt, either in new asphalt or in another system the structure can carry, with insulation where required.

On heritage and older buildings, matching the original material and detailing often matters as much as waterproofing. New asphalt skirtings and aprons can follow the existing lines, and any change of material on a listed building should be agreed with the conservation officer before work starts.

Asphalt work is a specialist trade. It needs mixers or boilers on site, trained asphalters and strict hot-works control, so we plan these jobs around access, the building's occupants and the weather.

Which towns in Essex do we cover?

• Southend-on-Sea
• Basildon
• Colchester
• Chelmsford
• Harlow
• Grays
• Braintree
• Brentwood
• Clacton-on-Sea
• South Benfleet
• Canvey Island
• Billericay
• Rayleigh
• Stanford-le-Hope
• Wickford
• Witham
• Pitsea
• Maldon
• Waltham Abbey
• South Ockendon
• Harwich
• Hadleigh
• Walton-on-the-Naze
• Frinton-on-Sea
• Rochford
• Saffron Walden

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