Guide prices
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 Portsmouth and nearby
Covering Portsmouth means covering the people who live and work there, not a single postcode. We take on domestic and commercial jobs in PO1, PO5 and PO2, and are happy to quote further out in Southsea and Gosport. 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.
What we do on the day
- Rotten kerb sections replaced where the timber has gone soft
- Controlled water test where it helps pin down the entry point
- Outside inspection of glass, frame, sealant, flashing and roof covering
- Age of the rooflight — We weigh the age and condition of the unit before recommending a repair.
- Leak or condensation — We work out whether the water is coming from outside or forming inside on cold glass.
How a repair visit goes
On arrival we agree access and protect the floor. Then a methodical check: glass for misting or cracks, seals for gaps, the frame for movement, the upstand and roof covering for splits or water lying against the kerb. If the cause is obvious and minor, it can usually be sorted as part of the visit. If not, you have the evidence and a priced repair plan, and the choice is yours.
Regulations for Portsmouth properties
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
Photos help us price the visit. Send one of the stain or drip inside, one of the rooflight from outside if you can reach a safe viewpoint, and a note of when it leaks: in heavy rain, in wind, or all the time. Add the postcode, PO1 or similar, and how the roof is reached.
Common questions in Portsmouth
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.
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.
Got a leak or a misted unit in Portsmouth? Send photos first and we will tell you what the visit costs before booking.
