What the job costs in Canning Town
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.
Covering E16 and neighbouring districts
Canning Town and the districts around it, E16, E13 and E14, all sit inside our working area. So does the ground between Canning Town and West Ham (1 mile), and on towards Stratford (2 miles). When a fitting team is booked, their travel is already in the quoted price, so it does not turn up as a surprise line on the final bill.
What the job includes
- Inside check of stains, frame drainage channels and the reveal
- Controlled water test where it helps pin down the entry point
- Outside inspection of glass, frame, sealant, flashing and roof covering
- 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 Canning Town
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
Before booking a visit, send what you can: a photo of the ceiling or reveal where water shows, a photo of the rooflight from outside, the roof covering if you know it, and whether it is one rooflight or several. We use that to price the visit and to bring the right materials.
Common questions in Canning Town
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.
Is it condensation or a leak?
Condensation tends to appear on cold mornings, on the inner face of the glass, and runs down the frame. A leak usually follows rain or wind from a particular direction and often stains the ceiling around the opening. Blocked condensation channels can make the two look alike. Photos and a note of when it happens help us narrow it down before the visit.
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.
For a repair in Canning Town, start with photos and the postcode; we confirm the visit price before anything is booked.
