Guide prices in Chester
Compact sliding
Motorised sliding unit for a stair or hatch opening
Standard sliding
Larger opening onto a roof terrace
Large sliding
Big spans, lifting gear and longer installs
Guide ranges for supply & fit. 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.
Covering CH1 and neighbouring districts
If you also own a property or a business unit in Ellesmere Port, Neston or Garston, that is no problem. We can survey and quote both, and where it suits, line the fitting days up together. Every address is reached by fitters travelling to it from their current jobs, and CH1, CH2 and CH3 sit comfortably within that pattern.
Already bought your unit?
A damaged delivery is a frequent snag on fit-only work. Before the day, unpack a sliding rooflight, photograph it, and tell the seller about any cracks or scuffs, because claims are much easier made early. We will also ask for the model or a link, so we can read the maker's instructions and check the builder's opening size and the upstand height it expects. If everything lines up, we fit it. If not, we explain what needs changing first.
What we do on the day
- Lifting plan for the unit, often with gear booked for the day
- Clear run confirmed for the glass to slide over when open
- Cable routed to the motor, ready for the electrician's final connection, quoted as a separate line
- What the glass slides over — We check the area the glass will cover when open before deciding where the unit goes.
- Planning for a roof terrace — We flag early whether planning may be needed for the work around the rooflight.
What happens on the day
Where a job takes one to two days, the split is usually structural work first and finishing second. Early on, the fitters cut or prepare the opening, trim where needed and prepare the upstand or flashing. Then a sliding rooflight is lifted in, fixed and made weathertight so the roof is sound before anyone moves inside. Plasterboard, trim and filler for the reveal come after. Each evening the work area is swept, and at the end the glass is cleaned and the team talks you through what was done.
Do you need permission in Chester?
Replacing a rooflight in an English home is a controlled fitting: it has to be self-certified by a scheme-registered installer or notified to building control. We are not registered with a competent person scheme, so replacements we fit are notified with a building notice, and the new unit has to meet current energy limits. Adding a new one usually means a building regulations application, because joists or rafters are trimmed. On the planning side, most house rooflights are permitted development if they project 0.15 m or less; on a side slope the glass must be obscured and fixed unless the opening part is over 1.7 m above the floor.
Help us quote accurately
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, CH1 or a neighbouring district.
Common questions in Chester
Can you replace an old dome without redoing the whole roof?
Usually, yes. If the existing kerb is sound, level and tall enough, a new unit can often sit on it with a fresh seal to the roof covering. If the kerb is rotten or too low, we rebuild it and patch the covering around it rather than stripping the whole roof. This is checked at the survey and included in the written quote, so you know the full scope first.
Can you fit the sliding rooflight I bought online?
Yes, fit-only is one of our core services. Send the product link or spec, photos of the roof and rough sizes, and we can usually price it from those. Before fitting we check the delivery for damage, which should be reported to the seller, plus the size against the builder's opening and the upstand height. The product warranty stays with the maker or seller, and our guarantee covers the fitting.
How long does fitting take?
Fitting a sliding rooflight into an existing, correctly sized opening is often a day's work. New openings take longer, because joists or rafters need trimming, an upstand or flashing has to be built or fitted, and the inside needs finishing. Large units that need lifting gear, and days lost to rain, can stretch things further. Your written quote gives a realistic estimate for your roof.
Questions before you commit? Send them over with your Chester postcode and we will answer them plainly, with a quote alongside.
