Guide prices
Small sealed unit
Misted or cracked unit up to about 1 m² measured, made and refitted
Medium sealed unit
Units up to about 2 m², or toughened and laminated
Large or specialist
Triple glazed, solar-control or heavy units needing lifting gear
Guide ranges. The first visit is charged and priced before booking; any new glass is priced in writing before work starts. 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.
Coverage in and around Highbury
Jobs across N5, N7 and N1 are part of our normal cover for Highbury. 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 Islington and Holloway are covered on the same terms, so a house on the edge of town is no harder to book than one in the centre.
On the day, we cover
- Frame rebate cleaned and checked for damage, corrosion or failed seals
- New glazing tapes, gaskets or sealant fitted to suit the frame
- Old glass taken out safely and removed from site
- Condensation or a failed seal — We confirm whether the mist is inside the sealed unit or on the room-side surface.
- Matching the glass make-up — We identify the existing glass so the replacement performs at least as well.
How the glass is replaced
On the fitting visit, the room below is protected first. The beads or cappings come off, the old unit is lifted out with suction lifters, and the rebate is cleaned and checked for damage or blocked drainage. The new sealed unit goes in on fresh packers and gaskets, the cappings are refitted and sealed, and the glass is cleaned. Most glass swaps take half a day once the new glass is made.
Do you need permission in Highbury?
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 us
To price the measuring visit, send a photo of the rooflight from inside showing the misting or crack, one from outside if you can reach a safe viewpoint, and the rough size of the glass. If you know the make or have the original paperwork, include that too, along with the postcode.
Common questions in Highbury
How long does new rooflight glass take?
The new sealed unit is made to the measured size, so there is a gap between the measuring visit and the fitting visit while it is produced. We give you the expected timing when we price the glass, and book the fitting once it has arrived.
Is the measuring visit charged?
Yes. The first visit measures the existing glass and checks the frame, and it is charged. We confirm that price before you book. The fitting of the new glass is then priced in writing, so you see the full cost before anything is ordered.
Is new glass or a new rooflight better value?
If the frame, gaskets and drainage are sound, new glass is usually the cheaper fix. If the frame is cracked, distorted or leaking at the kerb, a full replacement is better value. After the measuring visit we price both so you can compare.
Send photos of the problem in Highbury and we will price the visit before you book it.
