Guildford is about sixteen miles from our base in Old Windsor, a straightforward run down the A320 or the A3. The Specialist Roofing Company is a family-run metal roofing firm that has fitted zinc since 2007. We’re approved installers for VMZINC, RHEINZINK and PREFA, and we work across Guildford, Merrow, Burpham, Onslow Village, Shalford, Godalming and the villages of the Surrey Hills.

Call 01753 867288 or send us your drawings for a free quote.

A county town with strict roofscapes

Guildford’s centre is a conservation area of steep streets and old roofs: the cobbled High Street, the castle, and long views out to the cathedral on Stag Hill and the downs. Around it are Victorian and Edwardian streets such as Charlotteville, the 1920s garden suburb of Onslow Village, inter-war and post-war homes in Merrow and Burpham, and larger houses on the slopes towards the Surrey Hills.

Because the roofscape is part of the town’s character, the council takes it seriously. Guildford Borough Council uses Article 4 directions in some conservation areas, which means changes to a roof facing a road, path or open space can need planning permission even where they normally wouldn’t. Onslow Village (designated in 1990), Charlotteville and Warren Road, Waterden Road and Bridge Street are among the borough’s conservation areas. Check the council’s map for your address before you design anything.

Where zinc helps in Guildford

  • Rear dormers in conservation areas. Where a front dormer is out of the question, a well-proportioned zinc dormer on the rear slope is often the answer. Pre-weathered zinc reads as a quiet, traditional metal. See zinc dormers.
  • Extensions on sloping plots. Guildford is hilly, and many extensions are seen from above by neighbours. A crisp standing seam roof looks far better from above than felt or membrane.
  • Houses in the Surrey Hills. In the Surrey Hills National Landscape, planners care how a building sits in the view. Muted grey zinc, or copper that weathers to brown, helps a new roof settle into the landscape.
  • Garden studios and home offices. These are common in Guildford’s larger gardens, and their low roofs suit standing seam.

Chalk, flint and trees

Many houses on the chalk around Merrow and the downs have flint, brick or clunch walls and clay-tiled roofs. Zinc junctions with these traditional materials need careful flashing and the right separation from lime mortars and timber. On the wooded slopes, we design gutters and valleys to be easy to clear. Read detailing rooflights in VMZINC standing seam and why ventilation matters.

What we do in Guildford

  • Standing seam zinc roofs and standing seam in PREFA aluminium
  • Zinc dormers and dormer cheeks
  • Copper bays, canopies and feature roofs
  • Zinc cladding on extensions and upper storeys
  • Surveys and repairs on existing zinc, copper and lead

Every job is done by our own team, never subcontracted, with a 20-year guarantee.

Nearby

We also work in Godalming, Shalford, Bramley, Send, Ripley, West Horsley and Woking. See all of zinc roofing in Surrey.

Guildford zinc roofing FAQs

Is my house covered by an Article 4 direction?

Guildford Borough Council’s online map shows conservation areas and Article 4 directions by address. If you’re unsure, ask the council or your architect before you finalise the design.

Do you travel to Guildford for small jobs?

Yes. No job is too large or too small, whether it’s a bay roof or a whole house.

Get a quote

Call 01753 867288, email info@thespecialistroofingcompany.co.uk or send us your drawings.

The Specialist Roofing Company, Meadow Way, Windsor.