Guide prices
Onto a ready upstand
Customer-supplied unit up to about 1.5 m², fitted to a prepared kerb, sealed and trimmed
With a new upstand
Insulated timber upstand built, membrane turned up and dressed, unit fitted and sealed
Large or heavy unit
Extra hands or lifting gear, larger openings, fixed or opening units
Guide ranges for labour only — you supply the rooflight. 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?
Covering Rochester means covering the people who live and work there, not a single postcode. We take on domestic and commercial jobs in ME2, ME1 and ME4, and are happy to quote further out in Chatham and Strood. If your address sits between towns, tell us and we will confirm whether it falls in our normal area or needs travel set out separately on the quote.
Buying your own, or letting us supply
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.
Included in the work
- Opening tested where relevant, packaging taken away and paperwork handed back
- Roof membrane dressed up the kerb and finished under the drip edge
- Internal reveal trimmed or lined, with the protective film removed at the end
- Upstand height above the roof — We measure how far the upstand stands above the finished roof surface, including any ballast or walkway.
- Delivery damage and missing parts — We ask you to open the delivery and check it as soon as it arrives, not on fitting day.
Fitting your rooflight, step by step
Where a job takes half a day to a day, the split is usually structural work first and finishing second. Early on, the fitters cut or prepare the opening, trim where needed and prepare the upstand or flashing. Then a rooflight is lifted in, fixed and made weathertight so the roof is sound before anyone moves inside. Plasterboard, trim and filler for the reveal come after. Each evening the work area is swept, and at the end the glass is cleaned and the team talks you through what was done.
Planning and building rules in England
Replacing a rooflight in an English home is a controlled fitting: it has to be self-certified by a scheme-registered installer or notified to building control. We are not registered with a competent person scheme, so replacements we fit are notified with a building notice, and the new unit has to meet current energy limits. Adding a new one usually means a building regulations application, because joists or rafters are trimmed. On the planning side, most house rooflights are permitted development if they project 0.15 m or less; on a side slope the glass must be obscured and fixed unless the opening part is over 1.7 m above the floor.
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 ME2. That is enough for a first price.
Common questions in Rochester
Do I need planning permission for a rooflight in Rochester?
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.
Do you need scaffolding to fit a rooflight?
Not always. Single-storey roofs can often be reached safely with ladders, a tower or edge protection. Higher roofs, steep pitches and large units usually need scaffold or a mobile platform, and heavy glass may need a crane. We assess access from your photos or at the survey, and any scaffold or lifting cost is shown as its own line on the written quote.
Do you offer trade rates for builders and roofers?
We carry out subcontract fitting for builders, roofers, extension companies and commercial contractors. Pricing is per job or per schedule of units, agreed in writing before we start. We can work to your programme, fit on your upstand or build our own, and leave the opening ready for the next trade. Send drawings or a unit schedule and we will come back with a trade quote.
For a free, no-obligation quote in Rochester, use the form or call us with the details of your roof.
