Guide prices in Lerwick
Small fixed unit
Opening cut, joists trimmed, upstand built, roof covering made good, plasterboard reveals ready for decoration
Medium fixed unit
As the small unit, with a larger opening up to about 1 × 2 m and additional trimming
Large or opening unit
Bigger structural work or an electric opening unit
Guide ranges for supply & fit, including structure and making good; building control or warrant fees extra. 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 warrant fees, where a job needs them, are shown as their own line.
Coverage by arrangement
Lerwick is covered by arrangement. Tell us the address and we will confirm travel, dates and any ferry or accommodation costs before quoting. Many island and remote jobs can be priced from photos first, so nobody travels until the scope is clear.
Already bought your unit?
If you have bought a new rooflight yourself, we check four things before fitting. First, the delivery: open it, look for chips, cracks and bent frames, and report any damage to the seller straight away. Second, the size, measured against the builder's opening rather than the external frame. Third, the upstand height above the finished roof. Fourth, the maker's instructions, which set the fixings and sealing. Product warranty claims go to the seller and maker; our guarantee is for how it was fitted.
On the day, we cover
- Survey of joist direction, roof build-up, ceiling void and access
- Rooflight fitted, sealed and checked for even clearance on every side
- Opening marked out, covering stripped back and the deck cut cleanly
- Cables, pipes and ceiling fittings — We look into the ceiling void for anything in the way of the new opening.
- Which way the joists run — We check the direction and size of the joists before fixing the rooflight's position.
How a fitting day runs
On the day, you need to be in at the start and at the end. In between, the fitters get on with it. They will want the room below cleared where possible, a parking spot if you have one, and somewhere to set the unit down safely. After checking the opening and the upstand or flashing, they fix a new rooflight, seal it and finish the inside. Packaging and any old unit leave with them unless the quote says otherwise.
Planning, building warrants and Lerwick
If you live in Scotland, the key question is whether the job is new or a replacement. A new rooflight needs a building warrant. Swapping an old rooflight for a new one, frame included, doesn't, as long as the new unit meets the standards: the energy figure for new or replacement rooflights in alterations is 1.6 W/m²K. Conservation areas have no householder permitted development rights for roof alterations, and listed buildings need listed building consent.
What to send for a quick quote
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 ZE1. That is enough for a first price.
Common questions in Lerwick
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.
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.
Will my new 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.
Questions before you commit? Send them over with your Lerwick postcode and we will answer them plainly, with a quote alongside.
