Key facts
- A small split can often be repaired. A deck that has softened, or a covering that has failed across the area, is usually a replacement. Jamie says which after he has seen it. See flat roof replacement.
- The Planning Portal describes a flat roof as joists spanning two walls, covered by panels, then felting or another coating. The photograph of an OSB deck is from a Tradex job during that work, not a product name.
- Re-roofing a house so it still looks materially the same will usually not need planning permission (Planning Portal). Flats, listed buildings and a different look are for the council. See the planning guide.
- A repair or re-cover will not normally need building control if under 25 per cent of the building envelope and under 50 per cent of the roof are affected (Planning Portal). Structural work, a covering 15 per cent heavier, or a very different fire performance, does.
- Ely, Isleham, Soham, Fordham and Burwell are on East Cambridgeshire’s ward list. West Suffolk is the planning authority for Newmarket parish. Its local plan also names Bury St Edmunds and Mildenhall. Search a Newmarket postcode.
- The Met Office Eastern England note covers Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. For 1981 to 2010 it says much of the region receives less than 700 millimetres of rain a year, and that severe storms are still on record.
- Tradex covers Isleham, Ely, Soham, Fordham, Burwell, Mildenhall, Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds, from Isleham. Hours are Monday to Friday open 24 hours, Saturday 06:30 to 18:00, Sunday closed. There is a 24 hour emergency call-out for leaks and storm damage. We cannot promise an exact arrival time, and we quote after looking at the roof rather than listing a price here.
How can I tell a repair from a replacement?
Look from the ground or a window. A bubble, a drip over a door head, or boards that have gone soft are the signs on flat roof replacement. A single split can still be a repair. Soft boards, or failure across a garage, an extension or a bay, usually mean the covering comes off so the deck can be checked.
You cannot settle that from a stain on the ceiling. Water can travel before it drips. The leaking roof guide makes that point. A drip over an extension, a garage or a bay starts here. A stain on a chimney breast, or a tile on the lawn, is more often roof repairs. The project gallery shows an OSB deck and a new grey covering. Jamie chooses the covering once he has seen the roof, rather than locking you into one product name.
What is a flat roof made of?
The Planning Portal says flat roofs generally consist of joists that span the gap between two walls, covered by panels, then felting or another coating. The panels are the deck. If they have softened, a new coating on top of them does not put the structure right. Replacement means taking the covering off, checking that deck, and laying a new one. A repair leaves the deck in place and deals with a limited fault in the coating.
Gemma Trussler’s published comment on the homepage describes a flat roof Tradex carried out. It is her description, not a score. If water cannot leave the roof, it sits against the covering, so mention the gutters: guttering and soffits. A tiled main roof beside the flat one may also need roof repairs or a new roof.
What if water is already coming through?
Stay off the roof. Catch the drip in a bucket, move anything electrical away from the water, and keep out of a room where the ceiling is sagging. The leaking roof guide sets out those first minutes. A flat roof that is letting water in is not a reason to climb up with a tarpaulin.
Ring 07747 809042 or 0800 0614172. Mention the town, and whether water is coming through now. Hours are Monday to Friday open 24 hours, Saturday 06:30 to 18:00, Sunday closed. There is a 24 hour emergency call-out for leaks and storm damage. We cannot promise an exact arrival time. If it is not leaking now, use the quotation form. If it is a shop, see commercial work. Tradex does not handle an insurance claim.
Do I need planning permission to replace a flat roof?
Often not, on a house, if the new covering still looks materially the same. The Planning Portal says re-roofing that does not materially affect the external appearance will usually not need planning permission. A different colour, a higher roof, or a new roof light is a different question. Those cases are in the planning guide.
That does not automatically cover a flat, a maisonette or a listed building. East Cambridgeshire says some properties have had permitted development rights restricted, and suggests a lawful development certificate or pre-application advice for a formal answer. We do not submit planning applications for you. Ask the council before anyone strips the roof.
When do building regulations apply to a flat roof?
Planning permission and building regulations are different. The Planning Portal says a repair or re-cover of a pitched or flat roof will not normally need building control if less than 25 per cent of the building envelope and less than 50 per cent of the roof are affected.
Over those limits, the Portal says there may be further work, such as insulation. Approval is also needed for structural alterations, a covering with a significantly different fire performance, or a covering 15 per cent heavier. Replacing soft joists is structural. Building control sits with East Cambridgeshire and West Suffolk. We do not serve the building notice for you.
Which council covers a flat roof in Ely, Newmarket or Bury St Edmunds?
East Cambridgeshire’s ward table lists Ely, Isleham, Soham, Fordham and Burwell. Applications start on the council’s planning page. West Suffolk Council describes itself as the local planning authority for the Newmarket Neighbourhood Plan. The West Suffolk local plan names Bury St Edmunds, Mildenhall and Newmarket. East Cambridgeshire’s table also lists “Newmarket: part” under Woodditton, so search a Newmarket postcode rather than guessing from the town name.
The rainfall figure in the key facts is regional climate for 1981 to 2010, not a forecast for one house. The same Met Office note calls the Fens the largest tract of low, flat land in the UK. We cover Isleham, Ely, Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds, plus the other towns on areas we cover.
What helps before the visit?
A phone photograph from a window is enough to start. You do not need to name the fault, and you do not need to measure the roof.
- Garage, extension, dormer, bay, or a shop roof
- Whether water is inside, or the covering only looks tired
- Anything sitting on the roof: a soil pipe, a roof light, or a box
- Whether the boards feel soft, if you already know that from inside
- The town, and mention if you are just outside the usual area
Questions people ask
Can a small split in a flat roof be repaired?
Yes, if it is only a small split. Soft boards, or a covering that has failed across the area, are usually a replacement. Jamie says which after the visit. See flat roof replacement.
Does a bubble in the covering always mean a new roof?
No. It can be a local fault in the coating, or a sign the deck has gone. The visit is how you tell. The OSB photograph is one job, not a rule for every bubble.
Do I need planning permission to replace the flat roof on an extension?
On a house, a covering that still looks materially the same will usually not need it (Planning Portal). Flats, listed buildings and a new look are for the council. See the planning guide.
Does Tradex cover Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds as well as Ely?
Yes. We cover Isleham, Ely, Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds, plus the other towns on areas we cover.
Will you publish a price for a flat roof repair?
No. We quote after looking at the roof, rather than listing prices here. The figure follows the size, the deck and the access. Ask on the quotation form, or ring Jamie.
Who do I phone if the flat roof is leaking tonight?
Ring 07747 809042 or 0800 0614172. There is a 24 hour emergency call-out for leaks and storm damage. Hours are Monday to Friday open 24 hours, Saturday 06:30 to 18:00, Sunday closed. Stay off the roof. The first steps are in what to do if your roof is leaking.
Ring 07747 809042, or request a quotation. When you call, mention whether water is coming in now, and whether the flat roof is on a garage, an extension or the main building. Stay off the roof.