Guide prices
Like-for-like swap
Old dome or unit removed and disposed of, new glass rooflight fitted to the existing sound kerb
New upstand and swap
Old kerb taken off, new insulated upstand built, roof covering made good, new unit fitted
Opening or large unit
Electric or larger replacement, including making good inside
Guide ranges for supply & fit; building control notice fee extra in England and Wales. Your price is fixed in a written quote after we have seen photos or surveyed. 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 Manchester
Distance is rarely the deciding factor. A roof in Longsight, 2 miles from Manchester, gets the same survey, the same written quote and the same fitting process as one in M2, M1 and M4. What changes the price is the job itself: size of unit, roof type, access and lifting. Salford, around 2 miles out, is treated the same way.
Your replacement rooflights or ours
Your unit or ours, the fitting standard is the same. For supply and fit we choose a replacement rooflight to suit the roof and price it with the installation. For fit-only we work with what you have, after confirming it arrived undamaged, that it matches the builder's opening, and that the upstand will sit at the height the maker asks for. Report any transit damage to the seller, as the product cover is theirs and the maker's. Our written guarantee applies to the fitting itself.
On the day, we cover
- Building notice given to the council in England and Wales, with its fee on the quote
- Packers, an adaptor or a new insulated upstand where the old kerb falls short
- Kerb inspected for rot, height, level and fall once the old unit is off
- Energy rules for the new unit — We make sure the replacement meets the current energy limit, not just the old unit's performance.
- Leaks that are not the rooflight — We look at the roof around the unit before blaming the rooflight.
From arrival to clean-up
Protection comes before tools. Floors, furniture and stairs get covered, and the ceiling below the opening is sheeted to catch dust. Up top, the fitters confirm the opening is square and the upstand or flashing suits what the maker specifies. Fixing follows, then weather-sealing into the membrane, felt or tiles. Only once the roof is tight do they turn to the internal reveal. Time on site for a replacement rooflight: one day, weather permitting.
Regulations for Manchester 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.
Getting a price from photos
A fast quote needs five things: a photo of the roof from outside, one from the room below, rough sizes of the opening or the space, the roof covering (felt, single-ply, fibreglass, tiles, slate or metal), and a note on access. If you have already bought the unit, add the product link or spec sheet. And give us the postcode, M2 or a neighbouring district.
Common questions in Manchester
Do you offer trade rates for builders and roofers?
We carry out subcontract fitting for builders, roofers, extension companies and commercial contractors. Pricing is per job or per schedule of units, agreed in writing before we start. We can work to your programme, fit on your upstand or build our own, and leave the opening ready for the next trade. Send drawings or a unit schedule and we will come back with a trade quote.
What if my roof opening is the wrong size for the replacement rooflight?
We find out before the fitting day, not on it. If the opening is slightly out, it can usually be adjusted by trimming or by packing out the upstand. If it is a long way off, the choice is between altering the opening and changing the unit. Bear in mind that rooflights are often sold by builder's opening size rather than external size, so check which one your measurement refers to.
Does a rooflight need building regulations approval?
A new opening usually needs building regulations approval. A replacement is a controlled fitting: it must be self-certified by an installer registered with a competent person scheme or notified to building control. We are not registered with a scheme, so replacements we fit are notified to building control with a building notice, and the council's fee is shown on your quote.
Send a few photos and your M2 postcode, and we will put together a written quote for the job.
