What the job costs in Durham
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 Durham and nearby
Fitters travel to the job, so the address is what counts. In Durham that means postcode districts DH1, DH7 and DH6, and the same teams can just as easily take on work in Spennymoor, about 5 miles away, or Chester-le-Street at roughly 6 miles. Survey and fitting dates are offered according to fitter availability, and travel is built into the quote rather than added later.
On the day, we cover
- Rotten kerb sections replaced where the timber has gone soft
- Lifted flashing or tape removed and renewed
- Membrane splits at the upstand cut back and patched
- Upstand height and condition — We measure the kerb and probe the timber for softness.
- Age of the rooflight — We weigh the age and condition of the unit before recommending a repair.
How a repair visit goes
Most of the effort on a repair visit goes into finding the cause. We start with your account of when it leaks: heavy rain, wind from one direction, or cold mornings, which points towards condensation. That shapes where we look first. Findings are photographed so you can see them for yourself. You then get a clear explanation and, where needed, a written repair quote, fixed before anything further is booked.
Planning, building control and Durham
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.
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 Durham
Do you charge for a leak investigation in Durham?
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.
Why is my rooflight leaking?
The usual causes are sealant that has cracked or pulled away, flashing or membrane that has perished at the edges, condensation channels blocked with dirt, water ponding against the kerb, or a seal failing on the glass unit. Sometimes the water is coming in elsewhere and running along to the rooflight. A diagnostic visit finds the real source before anyone starts applying sealant.
Will resealing fix my leaking rooflight?
Sometimes. If the sealant has simply aged and the flashing, upstand and glass are sound, a careful reseal on a dry day can solve it. If the real problem is ponding water, a low upstand or a perished membrane, fresh sealant will only hide it for a while. We tell you which one you are dealing with before recommending any work, and quote the proper fix in writing.
Got a leak or a misted unit in Durham? Send photos first and we will tell you what the visit costs before booking.

