Single garage flatroof prices

[ast]

Ongoing protracted project with builder; groundworks, conservatory and new garage roof. Its taken nearly 2 years. 1 and 2 are done, just now the garage roof.

2 years ago, agreed quote of £2900, verbally indicated to be a rubber roof.
Contract is a bit vague, except replacing boards, other materials and new guttering

During the conservatory build, there was a mistake by their side on the conservatory quote. On the eve of delivery, they wanted an extra £1200 otherwise the conservatory wasn’t going to be delivered. I know I could have dug my heels in, but in the end, to get that done (backyard was looking like a building site at the time), I handed over £900. At the time, I had asked to abandon work on the garage, move over the £1100 deposit to the conservatory. But no, the builder promised to requote me for a felt roof (should be cheaper).

Eventually he turned up to requote now claiming the £2900 was for a felt roof all along., and this was entirely within typical prices for the industry.

Pre-covid, I had done my research, which indicated a typical replacement felt-bitumen roof for a single garage would be in the region of £1500, rubber roofs would be double that.

Admittedly a fencer said he could do the roof for £1900, which of course was met by derision from the builder.

So what is the real price of a felt roof?

This builder is a bit of a racist so and so. When originally quoting, he remarked on my new block driveway, and who did it. I said a local firm, originally from Galway. Worked like troopers on it. At which point, he sucked through his lips and said it was sinking already (its not sinking). His heavy truck during the build though succeeded in breaking a couple of the eco drains fitted.

Same happened during the fencing job. I put the job out on mybuilder, got some quotes back. Went with this Albanian chap, who was very meticulous with his quote, very transparent. When he and his crew turned up (on time), they worked like troopers, cleared up after themselves. Conservatory builder’s comment was “keep your eye on them”, meaning what?

Meanwhile I spent most of sunday digging out discarded rubble sacks, electrical wire and redbull cans that the conservatory builders had buried in my garden…

Feel like I’m over a barrel with this clown.

[Christophe1]

Does it have to be a flat roof?
Your fencer was probably quoting you for something different, right?
Like: additional brickwork, then a sloping roof, maybe?
Even if he quoted for the same design, flat roofs need even more meticulous attention during their construction than traditional roofs.
And from what you are saying about your builder, he isn’t meticulous.
I wouldn’t give him any more work.

As for the racism, that is not unusual with tradesmen.
All workers from continental Europe that I have seen on our premises have done a very good job, without the constant tea breaks, loud music, foul language, and shortened working hours that come from most of their british equivalents. Just my experience over the last 3 decades.
So yes, the lazier local work force might fear them, hence the remarks about their nationality.

Hard to tell what your roof should cost, but your builder might well change the cost halfway through again…

[IanH]

I’m having 2 x Flat roofs (one is over a bedroom and the other a bathroom) replaced with EDPM rubber, one is probably a little smaller than a single garage and is just over £4K, it will require scaffolding.

The other is probably a little smaller than a double garage and is just over £8K.

This is the only slightly less expensive of 2 competitive quotes from established local businesses (with filing records at companies house).

The workscope is the same for each and as below.

[Scarletpimpernel]

@ast

Feel like I’m over a barrel with this clown.

Only if you let him.
Ongoing work like this for 2 years!
Yes, he is having you over a barrel.

Quotes on “MyBuilder” are also binding too.
They also have a policy to fall back on if the work is not up to standard and they will get someone else in to do it properly.
Used them a couple of years ago for some house roof repairs.
I take it you got the “Quote” in writing on the messaging part of My Builder?

Personally, if it was me I would bin him ASAP and get someone else in.
But, that is just my opinion of course.
Good luck.

[BRUCE225]

I did this at home saved a fortune

When garages cause more harm than good

Did our own with next door neighbour new boarding, Firestone EPDM one piece so no joints all plastic work cost around £300 for both garages even making a over hang canopy on my side for the times I get caught outside in a down pour… This was about 8 years ago still good has new. [20220206_095542]

[ast]

Thanks for the comments, all helpful

I’ve now found out the company doing the work isn’t VAT registered; the VAT number on the contract isn’t valid or has expired. Ask for £550 off?

[Christophe1]

I discussed your story (anonymously) with acquaintances at lunch time, and they reckoned £2900 for a felt flat roof over a single garage was rather competitive for such a specialist job.
They live in a static caravan and said you could do a flat roof in the same metal used for such caravans’ roofs, for less money, and less future maintenance.
Their two penny.
Mine is still that you shouldn’t trust your builder with that job, and might be better off with a side sloping roof for which you could choose the materials…

[ast]

@Christophe1

I discussed your story (anonymously) with acquaintances at lunch time, and they reckoned £2900 for a felt flat roof over a single garage was rather competitive for such a specialist job.
They live in a static caravan and said you could do a flat roof in the same metal used for such caravans’ roofs, for less money, and less future maintenance.

Sorry, is this meant to be a serious comment? “Flat roofs” for garages are not actually flat; they are slightly sloping (for obvious reasons). They are not made from metal or plastic like a caravan.

Specialist job? Its not. Plywood, 3 layers of felt, bitumen, a torch and some gravel.

Technically the builder isn’t “doing the job”; its his subcontractor who is, or might be.

[MickAP]

Our neighbour at the rear, flat (but corrugated roof) on their freestanding garage.
What I do know is they were a complete bunch of cowboys that did it but effectively it’s waterproof.

[ast]

Garage is 2.8x5.6m (15.68 sq m), so priced at £185 per sq meter for a felt roof. Online guessimates seem to range £50-100 per sq meter.

Some old prices

Building prices for roof flat

New boards; £150 all in?

£20 worth of guttering

5m of fascia board; £40 (Wickes)

I suspect materials are £500-600, then a couple days labour (2x).

Some sort of cost to dispose of waste properly

I can see £2k for a felt roof, struggling to see how they get to £3k

[Wilier1]

Marine Ply to do it properly of course!

At the end of the day, you could get 5 different quotations, not estimates, from different contractors and then only you can decide who to go with.
After you have been through the options and perhaps looked at work they have previously done and spoken to their customers.

[MickAP]

Around 2 years ago my son had some roof work done to his 3 bed semi. Long story cut short, he’d had it patched up on 3 occasions but it would spring a leak in a different place that hadn’t been repaired.
The tradesman specialist in roof repairs and mainly facia board/guttering replacement and verge/ridge repairs said it needs a complete new roof.
Fed up of the roof springing yet another leak (the guy did say it’ll happen) I got my son a quote, being as we’ve used the guy on numerous occasions he quoted £3.5k for a complete roof, new tiles/felt and where necessary new timbers, mainly the battens.
Good price me thinks but my son couldn’t afford it. So a compromise was met, new felt, battens where needed and reuse the existing tiles. Yep probably needed around 20 new tiles due to breakages but that job was completed for £1.8k and done in two stages, sort of £900 each side of the roof, basically 2 days work and a 2 man job.

So what I think and factoring in how prices have probably sky rocketed it’s an awful lot of dosh for covering a flat roof.

I’ve got a flat roof on the garage, still in good nick, same bloke who did the above work has been in it to take a look, infact he helped me recover it in a bitumen coating.
He doesn’t actually deal in flat roof coverings but he’ll repair/patch them if asked.

[Christophe1]

Yes, it is a serious comment, one that you clearly did not read properly, and didn’t have to reply to with such condescendence.

[DickieRltd]

Have you looked into having the roof done with Fibreglass ??

[ast]

I have a situation with a builder with £1100 of my money. A like for like replacement will out last me. Other options have been more than considered.

[Mike-McD]

Not that it’s a help - but there’s someone giving away a garage on freecycle in the Helensburgh area - flat roof, concrete sides - but in sections and it’s got a new door. You just need to unbolt it all and take it away!

[Scarletpimpernel]

Now that surely is not a serious suggestion!
So, hire a lorry to go to Scotland, (it’s the only Helensburgh I know of) and pick up a pile of rubbish that they don’t want and transport it to Bedfordshire at great expense!

[Mike-McD]

I wouldn’t say it’s a pile of rubbish, but it is free

A Post on Freecycle.org: Garage

[ast]

I did something like this years ago, moving a garage sized shed from Leicestershire to Wiltshire. It was a waste of time. It didn’t go back together in exactly the same way as original