Guide prices
Small frameless
Up to about 1000 × 1000 mm, hidden frame inside the upstand
Medium frameless
Up to about 1000 × 2000 mm
Large frameless
Large single panes, lifting gear on the day
Guide ranges for supply & fit. 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.
Areas around Colchester we cover
Covering Colchester means covering the people who live and work there, not a single postcode. We take on domestic and commercial jobs in CO1, CO2 and CO4, and are happy to quote further out in Sudbury and Clacton-on-Sea. 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.
What we check on a supplied unit
Supply and fit tends to suit people who would rather not pick a unit from a catalogue. We look at the roof, the opening and how you use the room, then put a frameless rooflight on the quote that fits all three. Fit-only suits people who already know what they want, or have one on site. We are happy with either. The difference is who stands behind what: on fit-only, the maker or retailer covers the product, and our workmanship guarantee covers the installation.
What the job includes
- Lifting gear arranged for heavy single panes where two people cannot safely carry
- Fall set in the upstand so rain clears the oversailing glass edge
- Roof covering turned up and finished under the glass overhang
- How the reveal will look — We agree the finish at the glass edge before building anything.
- Tolerance on the upstand — We build frameless kerbs to the maker's tolerance rather than to normal carpentry accuracy.
A typical installation day
Protection comes before tools. Floors, furniture and stairs get covered, and the ceiling below the opening is sheeted to catch dust. Up top, the fitters confirm the opening is square and the upstand or flashing suits what the maker specifies. Fixing follows, then weather-sealing into the membrane, felt or tiles. Only once the roof is tight do they turn to the internal reveal. Time on site for a frameless rooflight: one day, weather permitting.
Planning, building control and Colchester
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
Each detail you send takes a question off our list. Photos inside and out show the opening and the ceiling. Rough measurements tell us the unit size. The roof covering tells us how it will be sealed in. Access notes tell us whether a tower or scaffold is needed. A product link, if you have one, lets us check it against the opening. Your postcode, CO1 or nearby, confirms travel.
Common questions in Colchester
Will my new frameless rooflight leak?
A correctly fitted unit should not. Leaks usually trace back to the detail around the frame: an upstand that is too low, a membrane or flashing that is not dressed properly, sealant applied to a damp surface, or water ponding against the kerb. We fit to the maker's instructions and check each of those points. The fitting carries a written workmanship guarantee, with its terms set out on your quote.
What if my roof opening is the wrong size for the frameless rooflight?
We find out before the fitting day, not on it. If the opening is slightly out, it can usually be adjusted by trimming or by packing out the upstand. If it is a long way off, the choice is between altering the opening and changing the unit. Bear in mind that rooflights are often sold by builder's opening size rather than external size, so check which one your measurement refers to.
Can you replace an old dome without redoing the whole roof?
Usually, yes. If the existing kerb is sound, level and tall enough, a new unit can often sit on it with a fresh seal to the roof covering. If the kerb is rotten or too low, we rebuild it and patch the covering around it rather than stripping the whole roof. This is checked at the survey and included in the written quote, so you know the full scope first.
Get in touch with the details of your Colchester property and we will explain what the job involves and what it costs.
