What the job costs in Thatcham
About 1 × 2 m
Aluminium lantern, double glazed, fitted and glazed on a ready upstand
About 1.5 × 3 m
Mid-size lantern, solar-control glass options
2 × 4 m and over
Large lanterns, 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 Thatcham we cover
Jobs across RG19, RG18 and RG14 are part of our normal cover for Thatcham. We are not an office on the high street. Our fitting teams come out to the property from wherever they are working that week. Neighbouring places such as Newbury and Tadley are covered on the same terms, so a house on the edge of town is no harder to book than one in the centre.
Buying your own, or letting us supply
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 lantern 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.
Included in the work
- Frame assembled on the kerb in the maker's set order
- Upstand checked for size, level and square before the kit is opened
- Roof membrane checked where it meets the lantern frame
- Level, not to a fall — We set or check the kerb level unless your lantern's maker says otherwise.
- Following the build order — We assemble lanterns in exactly the sequence the instructions give.
A typical installation day
Fitting days start with a look at the sky. If rain is due, the order of work changes so the roof is never left open to it. A typical day for a roof lantern runs like this: set up access, protect the room, open up the roof or prepare the existing kerb or frame, check sizes, fix, seal, then finish inside. On jobs that take more than a day, the opening is weather-sealed overnight. The last hour goes on tidying, waste removal and a walk-round with you.
Do you need permission in Thatcham?
In England, a new rooflight opening generally needs building regulations approval because the roof structure is altered and the glazing must meet energy rules: 2.2 W/m²K for a rooflight in an existing home, or 1.4 W/m²K (or WER Band B) for a roof window. Planning is often not needed on a house: permitted development covers rooflights that stand no more than 0.15 m proud of the roof slope and sit below the highest part of the roof. Flats, listed buildings and areas with an Article 4 direction are different, so we check your address first.
Help us quote accurately
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, RG19 or nearby, confirms travel.
Common questions in Thatcham
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.
What if my roof opening is the wrong size for the roof lantern?
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.
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.
Send a few photos and your RG19 postcode, and we will put together a written quote for the job.
