Guide prices
Entry-level hatch
Polycarbonate or entry-level hinged hatch on gas struts, fitted to a new or existing upstand
Glazed manual hatch
Double-glazed hinged hatch on gas struts, upstand and weathering
Electric glazed hatch
Push-button glazed hatch with rain sensor; electrician's connection quoted separately
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.
Covering SR1 and neighbouring districts
Sunderland and the districts around it, SR1, SR9 and SR2, all sit inside our working area. So does the ground between Sunderland and Seaham (5 miles), and on towards Washington (5 miles). When a fitting team is booked, their travel is already in the quoted price, so it does not turn up as a surprise line on the final bill.
Your roof access hatches or ours
A damaged delivery is a frequent snag on fit-only work. Before the day, unpack a roof access hatch, photograph it, and tell the seller about any cracks or scuffs, because claims are much easier made early. We will also ask for the model or a link, so we can read the maker's instructions and check the builder's opening size and the upstand height it expects. If everything lines up, we fit it. If not, we explain what needs changing first.
What we do on the day
- Hatch fixed and weathered, with the membrane dressed up the upstand
- Gas struts or actuator fitted and adjusted for full opening
- Kerb checked or built square, level and to the maker's height
- Clear opening size — We check the hatch's clear opening rather than its outer size.
- Energy performance of hatches — We check the hatch's published U-value against the limit that applies.
A typical installation day
Morning first: the team arrives, introduces itself and walks through the job with you. Dust sheets go down in the room below and along the route in. Then the opening and upstand, or the flashing on a pitched roof, are checked against the unit's measurements. A roof access hatch goes in, is fixed to the maker's pattern and sealed into the roof covering. Inside, the reveal is finished as quoted. Before leaving, the team clears debris and talks you through what was done. Most jobs of this type take one day.
Do you need permission in Sunderland?
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
What we cannot see, we have to guess, and guesses make quotes wider. So the more you send, the tighter the price. Useful: shots from the roof or garden, shots from the room underneath, a rough width and length, the roof finish, any access problems, and the product page if you have already ordered. Add the property postcode around SR1 and we will come back with a quote or a survey date.
Common questions in Sunderland
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 cover Sunderland?
Yes. Fitters travel to addresses in Sunderland and the surrounding districts, including SR1. We do not run an office there; the survey and the fitting happen at your property. A few island and remote postcodes are covered by arrangement; if yours is one, we confirm travel and dates before quoting.
What upstand height and roof pitch does roof access hatch 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.
Got a unit waiting to go in, or need one sourced? Either way, start with your Sunderland address and a couple of photos.
