Roofing Felt: Cost, Options & When to Upgrade
Roofing felt runs about £40–£90 per roll for DIY jobs, or £45–£75 per m² fitted by a roofer in 2026, with a small shed or garage re-felt landing at £250–£700. Felt is still the cheapest way to cover a small flat roof, and modern torch-on systems last far longer than the old pour-and-roll rolls of a decade ago. But it is not always the smartest buy. On this page we compare shed felt, torch-on felt, EPDM rubber and GRP fibreglass so you can see exactly what your money gets and when it pays to upgrade.
Roofing felt costs in 2026
| Option | Typical cost (2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shed / garage felt (per roll, DIY) | £40–£90 per roll | Green mineral or self-adhesive rolls; one to two rolls usually cover a typical shed. |
| Torch-on / pour-and-roll felt, fitted | £45–£75 per m² | Three-layer built-up felt applied by a roofer, including labour, primer and edge trims. |
| Re-felt a small shed or garage flat roof | £250–£700 | Strip old felt, dispose, re-board any soft timber and fit a new covering. |
| EPDM rubber roof, fitted | £80–£120 per m² | Single-ply membrane laid in one sheet; very few seams and a 20–50 year life. |
| GRP fibreglass roof, fitted | £90–£130 per m² | Seamless resin-and-matting finish; hard-wearing with a 20–30 year life. |
Torch-on felt vs shed felt: what is the difference?
Shed felt is the thin, nail-down mineral roll you buy in a DIY shop for £40–£90. It is fine for a garden shed but only lasts five to ten years because it is a single layer that relies on nails and laps to stay watertight. Torch-on felt is a different product: two or three layers of polyester-reinforced bitumen bonded together with a gas torch, giving a fully sealed, seamless-feeling covering. It costs more to fit at £45–£75 per m² because it needs a trained roofer, but it comfortably reaches 15–20 years and copes far better with ponding water on a garage or extension roof.
Felt vs EPDM and GRP: which lasts longer?
On price, felt wins — a re-felt of a small roof can be half the cost of rubber or fibreglass. On lifespan, it is the other way round. Good torch-on felt gives 10–20 years, while EPDM rubber typically lasts 20–50 years and GRP fibreglass 20–30. EPDM is laid as one continuous sheet so there are almost no joints to fail, and GRP creates a rock-solid surface you can walk on, which suits balconies and dormers. If you plan to stay put and want to forget about the roof for a generation, the extra £30–£60 per m² usually works out cheaper per year than re-felting twice.
When felt is the right cheap choice — and when to upgrade
Felt makes clear sense on sheds, small outbuildings, and any roof you may replace or extend within ten years — there is little point spending EPDM money on a covering you will rip off soon. It is also a sensible stop-gap if a roof is leaking now and budget is tight. Upgrade to EPDM or GRP when the roof is over a habitable room, gets foot traffic, has awkward upstands and detailing, or when you simply want to fit and forget. As a rule of thumb, once a roof is above 15–20 m² the labour saving of a single-ply system starts to close the gap with felt.
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