Roof access hatch installation in Brighton

What the job costs in Brighton

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 Brighton we cover

Distance is rarely the deciding factor. A roof in Hove, 1 mile from Brighton, gets the same survey, the same written quote and the same fitting process as one in BN1, BN3 and BN2. What changes the price is the job itself: size of unit, roof type, access and lifting. Portslade, around 3 miles out, is treated the same way.

Fit-only or supply and fit

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 roof access hatch 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

• Gas struts or actuator fitted and adjusted for full opening
• Opening and upstand sized for a clear climb-through, not just daylight
• Kerb checked or built square, level and to the maker's height
• Safety at the roof edge — We ask how often people will use the roof and for what.
• Energy performance of hatches — We check the hatch's published U-value against the limit that applies.

What happens on the day

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 roof access hatch, seal it and finish the inside. Packaging and any old unit leave with them unless the quote says otherwise.

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.

What to send for a quick quote

Start with your phone. Take a picture of the roof where the unit goes or already sits, then one from inside looking up. Measure what you can, even roughly. Tell us what the roof is covered with and how a fitter would reach it: ladder, garden access or scaffold. Bought it already? Send the link or spec. Add your full postcode, for example in BN1, and we can price it.

Common questions in Brighton

Tell us your postcode, BN1 or close by, and what you want fitted. We will reply with the next steps and a quote.