Two houses on the same street can ask for the same roof window and end up with different jobs. One has a clear run of rafters and easy access from the back garden. The other has a purlin in the way, a steep slate roof three storeys up and a bathroom below that needs an opening sash. The product is identical; the work around it is far from it.
That is why every price we give follows a look at the roof.
The product and its glass
The first part of any price is the unit itself. A small fixed roof window and a large roof lantern sit at opposite ends of the range, and size matters within each type. Then come the choices that suit a wet climate: the glazing, the coatings and whether the unit opens.
Priced at survey
What the product adds
- Type and sizeLantern, flat glass, walk-on, roof window, conservation unit or sun tunnel, and how big.
- GlazingDouble or triple glazing, a laminated inner pane, or glass chosen to soften rain noise.
- CoatingsSelf-cleaning or easy-to-clean glass for a roof that is awkward to reach.
- OpeningFixed, manual or electric, and mains or solar power for an electric unit.
The roof and the way up to it
The roof decides how much work sits around the glass. Fitting a new rooflight usually means altering the roof structure to make the opening, and the roof must be able to carry the unit's weight or be strengthened. Replacing a unit in an existing opening of the right size usually involves less structural work.
The covering matters too. Slate, concrete tile, felt and single-ply each have their own way of being weathered around a frame. A flat roof may need a new kerb with a proper fall, and a lantern needs an upstand of the right height. Access is the last piece: a single-storey extension can be reached easily, while a steep roof high on a terrace may need more to get up to it safely.
Seen on the day
What the roof adds
- New or replacementA new opening means structural work; a like-for-like swap uses the hole already there.
- CoveringSlate, tile, felt or single-ply, and how it is weathered around the frame.
- Kerb or upstandFlat roofs may need a kerb built with a fall, or an upstand raised for a lantern.
- AccessHeight, pitch and the route to the roof.
Consents and paperwork
Some jobs carry consents that add time and fees before any work starts. A new rooflight will generally need Building Regulations approval, and where the work is notifiable we handle the Building Regulations notification with local authority building control or a registered building control approver. Planning permission and listed building consent depend on the house and where it stands.
| Situation | What it brings |
|---|---|
| Like-for-like replacement | Still building work under the Building Regulations |
| New rooflight | Building Regulations approval generally needed |
| Conservation area, Gower AONB, Bannau Brycheiniog, World Heritage Site | Planning application for a new rooflight in the roof slope |
| Listed house | Listed building consent through the council |
| Flat or maisonette | No householder permitted development rights |
What the free survey checks
The survey gathers everything a price depends on. We look at the roof from outside and the room from inside, and we talk through how you use the space and what bothers you about the room now.
- The roof: pitch, covering, falls and outlets on a flat roof, and how water leaves it in a downpour.
- The structure: the rafters or joists around the proposed opening, and whether anything needs strengthening or trimming.
- The room: what it is used for, how much moisture it makes, and where the glass would sit over it.
- Exposure: which way that slope faces and how hard the weather hits it.
- The address: whether the house is listed, or sits in a conservation area, the Gower AONB or the National Park.
From survey to a figure you can plan around
Once the roof and room have been seen, a fixed written quote comes to you, built on what was found. Nothing in it rests on a guess from a photo. If you would like to read about one product before booking, the cost answers for skylights in general, roof lanterns, roof windows and sun tunnels go through what drives each one.
When you are ready, book a survey with the form, or ring 01792 929062.