What the job costs in Penzance
Diagnostic visit
Roof and inside inspected, cause found, written repair price
Reseal and re-flash
Failed sealant and flashing taken out, joints cleaned, resealed and taped
Upstand or membrane repair
Rotten kerb section or roof membrane at the upstand repaired
Guide ranges. The first visit is charged and priced before booking; any repair 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.
Fitting across Penzance and nearby
Covering Penzance means covering the people who live and work there, not a single postcode. We take on domestic and commercial jobs in TR18, TR20 and TR17, and are happy to quote further out in Camborne and Redruth. 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.
On the day, we cover
- Rotten kerb sections replaced where the timber has gone soft
- Inside check of stains, frame drainage channels and the reveal
- Outside inspection of glass, frame, sealant, flashing and roof covering
- Leak or condensation — We work out whether the water is coming from outside or forming inside on cold glass.
- Water lying against the kerb — We check whether rainwater sits against the upstand after it stops raining.
How a repair visit goes
Expect the visit to be mostly looking and testing. Dust sheets go down below the rooflight. The fitter checks seals and glass from inside, then gets up on the roof by ladder or tower. Minor jobs such as clearing a blocked drainage channel can often be dealt with there and then. Bigger work, like new flashing or a replacement sealed unit, is measured up and priced in writing afterwards.
Planning and building rules in England
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.
What to send us
Tell us where the water appears, how long it has been happening and what the weather was doing when it started. A couple of photos from inside and outside, plus the postcode, let us price the visit before you book and plan what the fitter brings.
Common questions in Penzance
Can you replace just the misted glass?
Often, yes. Misting between the panes means the sealed unit has failed, but the frame around it may be perfectly sound. Where the maker's design allows the glass to be changed, we measure the unit and fit a replacement, which costs less than a whole new rooflight. Where it does not, or the frame is also worn out, we explain why replacement is the better option.
Should I repair or replace my old leaking rooflight?
It depends on the age and condition of the unit and what has failed. A single perished seal or a blocked channel is worth repairing. A brittle, discoloured dome, a rotten kerb, or several faults at once usually make replacement the better value. After the diagnostic visit we set out both options with prices, so you can decide with the full picture in front of you.
Do you charge for a leak investigation in Penzance?
Yes. Tracing a leak properly takes time on the roof, a close look at the frame and sometimes a water test, so the visit is charged. We confirm the price before you book, so there are no surprises. If a repair is needed beyond what can be done during the visit, it is quoted separately in writing and you decide whether to go ahead.
Send photos of the problem in Penzance and we will price the visit before you book it.

