Flat roof? Good. We've got you.

A lot of tools see a flat roof, shrug, and give up. "No clear direction, can't help you." Which is a strange thing to do, because a flat roof is one of the most flexible roofs you can own for solar.

So we built the roof check to handle them properly instead of bailing out.

The flat-roof secret no one tells you

On a flat roof, the panels aren't stuck with whatever direction the building happens to point. They sit on mounting frames, which means the installer chooses the tilt and the aim — typically south, or an east/west layout to spread output across the day. You're not at the mercy of your roof's orientation; you get to pick a good one. That's an advantage, not a problem.

ScreenshotSolarable roof check on a flat roof

Honest about the trade-offs, too

We're not going to pretend flat roofs are free of catches. Tilted frames need a bit of spacing so rows don't shade each other, and any roof — flat or pitched — needs to be sound enough to take the kit, which is one of the things a survey confirms. We'll give you a straight read on suitability; the surveyor confirms the structural detail and the layout.

What we won't do is the lazy thing and tell you a flat roof "isn't suitable" because it didn't fit a tidy assumption. If you've got a flat roof and you've been brushed off before, that says more about the tool than your roof. Our guide to solar panels on a flat roof covers the practicalities in full.

Check your flat roof — we're not going to give up on it.