Guide prices
Small opening
Up to about 1000 × 1000 mm with actuator, rain sensor and switch or remote
Medium opening
Larger units, wall switch and remote
Large opening
Big or heavy units, extra actuators
Guide ranges for supply & fit; the electrician's final connection is quoted separately. Your price is fixed in a written quote after we have seen photos or surveyed. Scaffold, access towers or a crane are priced separately if the job needs them, and building control fees, where a job needs them, are shown as their own line.
Is your address covered?
Distance is rarely the deciding factor. A roof in Paignton, 3 miles from Torquay, gets the same survey, the same written quote and the same fitting process as one in TQ1, TQ2 and TQ3. What changes the price is the job itself: size of unit, roof type, access and lifting. Brixham, around 5 miles out, is treated the same way.
What we check on a supplied unit
Which works out better, buying your own or letting us supply? It depends on what you value. Buying your own gives you control of the product and what you pay for it. Letting us supply puts the whole job, unit and fitting, under one written quote. On a customer-supplied unit we still measure it against the opening, look at the upstand, and inspect the condition it arrived in. Warranty on the product sits with whoever sold it, while the fitting carries our own guarantee.
What we do on the day
- Wall switch, remote receiver or control box fixed in place
- Opening and closing tested, with controls explained at handover
- Cable route planned through the kerb or reveal before the lining goes on
- Cable length and size — We check the cable run against the maker's limits before planning where the controls go.
- Opening onto a side slope — We check where the opening part will sit if the roof is pitched or the unit faces a neighbour.
A typical installation day
Fitting days start with a look at the sky. If rain is due, the order of work changes so the roof is never left open to it. A typical day for an electric opening rooflight runs like this: set up access, protect the room, open up the roof or prepare the existing kerb or frame, check sizes, fix, seal, then finish inside. On jobs that take more than a day, the opening is weather-sealed overnight. The last hour goes on tidying, waste removal and a walk-round with you.
Planning, building control and Torquay
Two sets of rules matter in England. Planning: a rooflight on a house is normally permitted development if it projects no more than 0.15 m and stays below the highest part of the roof, but flats, listed buildings and Article 4 areas need checking. Building regulations: new openings need approval for the structure and energy performance, and a replacement is a controlled fitting. We are not registered with a competent person scheme, so we notify replacements to building control with a building notice and put the council's fee on the quote.
Getting a price from photos
Keep it simple. Two or three photos, outside and inside. Approximate sizes. What the roof is made of. Anything awkward about getting up there, such as a conservatory below, a narrow side path or no parking. If you bought the rooflight online, the link or model name. Then your postcode in or around TQ1. That is enough for a first price.
Common questions in Torquay
Do you make good inside after fitting?
Yes, where the quote includes it. Internal finishing usually means lining the reveal with plasterboard, taping or skimming, and fitting trim where it meets the ceiling. Some people prefer their own plasterer or decorator to finish off, which is fine. The written quote spells out exactly where our work stops, so nobody is left guessing about who does what once the unit is in.
Do I need planning permission for a rooflight in Torquay?
Often not. Many rooflights fall under permitted development, provided they do not project beyond the national limit and meet the other conditions that apply in England. Conservation areas, listed buildings and some flats are different and may need consent. Because the rules depend on the property, we confirm what is likely to apply at your address and point you to the planning authority where an application is needed.
What upstand height and roof pitch does electric opening rooflight fitting need?
It depends on the product. Manufacturers usually specify a minimum upstand height above the finished roof surface, and a minimum pitch on the glass so rain runs off. We follow the maker's figures for your unit rather than a rule of thumb. If your existing kerb or roof falls short, we explain the options, such as raising the upstand or choosing a unit with built-in pitch.
Send a few photos and your TQ1 postcode, and we will put together a written quote for the job.
