St Albans guide prices
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.
Is your address covered?
Covering St Albans means covering the people who live and work there, not a single postcode. We take on domestic and commercial jobs in AL1, AL2 and AL4, and are happy to quote further out in Harpenden and Hatfield. 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.
Your roof lanterns or ours
Which works out better, buying your own or letting us supply? It depends on what you value. Buying your own gives you control of the product and what you pay for it. Letting us supply puts the whole job, unit and fitting, under one written quote. On a customer-supplied unit we still measure it against the opening, look at the upstand, and inspect the condition it arrived in. Warranty on the product sits with whoever sold it, while the fitting carries our own guarantee.
Included in the work
- Frame assembled on the kerb in the maker's set order
- Caps, end closures and ridge trims fitted and sealed
- Internal trims fitted to the ring beam or upstand
- Level, not to a fall — We set or check the kerb level unless your lantern's maker says otherwise.
- Lanterns and planning — We check whether your lantern can go in without a planning application.
How a fitting day runs
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 roof lantern: one to two days, weather permitting.
Planning, building control and St Albans
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.
Help us quote accurately
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 AL1 and we will come back with a quote or a survey date.
Common questions in St Albans
Do I need planning permission for a rooflight in St Albans?
Often not. Many rooflights fall under permitted development, provided they do not project beyond the national limit and meet the other conditions that apply in England. Conservation areas, listed buildings and some flats are different and may need consent. Because the rules depend on the property, we confirm what is likely to apply at your address and point you to the planning authority where an application is needed.
Does a rooflight need building regulations approval?
A new opening usually needs building regulations approval. A replacement is a controlled fitting: it must be self-certified by an installer registered with a competent person scheme or notified to building control. We are not registered with a scheme, so replacements we fit are notified to building control with a building notice, and the council's fee is shown on your quote.
What upstand height and roof pitch does roof lantern 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.
Questions before you commit? Send them over with your St Albans postcode and we will answer them plainly, with a quote alongside.
