What the job costs in Brighton
Standard window
Centre-pivot roof window with flashing kit, tiles cut and refitted, inner lining
Larger or top-hung
Bigger or top-hung windows, or two in the same roof
Electric or pair
Electric or solar windows, or a matched pair with blinds
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 BN1 and neighbouring districts
Fitters travel to the job, so the address is what counts. In Brighton that means postcode districts BN1, BN3 and BN2, and the same teams can just as easily take on work in Hove, about 1 mile away, or Portslade at roughly 3 miles. Survey and fitting dates are offered according to fitter availability, and travel is built into the quote rather than added later.
What we check on a supplied unit
A damaged delivery is a frequent snag on fit-only work. Before the day, unpack a pitched roof window, 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 opening size and the flashing kit it expects. If everything lines up, we fit it. If not, we explain what needs changing first.
On the day, we cover
- Rafters trimmed where the window is wider than the gap between them
- Underlay collar or membrane dressed and taped around the frame
- Inside lining fitted and left ready for decoration
- Flashing to suit the roof — We match the flashing kit to your roof covering before ordering.
- Energy limit for roof windows — We check the window's published figures against the energy limit for existing homes.
Fitting your pitched roof window, step by step
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 pitched roof window 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.
Planning, building control and Brighton
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.
Details that speed up your 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 BN1. That is enough for a first price.
Common questions in Brighton
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.
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.
Will my new pitched roof window 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 Brighton postcode and we will answer them plainly, with a quote alongside.
