What the job costs in Southsea
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.
Coverage in and around Southsea
Fitters travel to the job, so the address is what counts. In Southsea that means postcode districts PO5, PO1 and PO4, and the same teams can just as easily take on work in Portsmouth, about 1 mile away, or Gosport at roughly 2 miles. Survey and fitting dates are offered according to fitter availability, and travel is built into the quote rather than added later.
Already bought your unit?
Your unit or ours, the fitting standard is the same. For supply and fit we choose a sliding 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.
Included in the work
- Controls, sensors and any safety stop set up and tested
- Lifting plan for the unit, often with gear booked for the day
- Cable routed to the motor, ready for the electrician's final connection, quoted as a separate line
- Planning for a roof terrace — We flag early whether planning may be needed for the work around the rooflight.
- Power and safety stops — We confirm the power supply and the safety features before fitting day.
A typical installation day
On the day, you need to be in at the start and at the end. In between, the fitters get on with it. They will want the room below cleared where possible, a parking spot if you have one, and somewhere to set the unit down safely. After checking the opening and the upstand or flashing, they fix a sliding rooflight, seal it and finish the inside. Packaging and any old unit leave with them unless the quote says otherwise.
Planning, building control and Southsea
England's rules in short: permitted development usually covers a rooflight on a house roof provided it doesn't stick out more than 0.15 m or rise above the ridge, though a listed building always needs consent and some streets have Article 4 directions. Building regulations apply to new openings, and replacements go through building control; as we are not registered with a competent person scheme, we use a building notice and show the fee on the quote. The energy limit for rooflights in existing homes is 2.2 W/m²K, and the 2026 Approved Document L, in force from 24 March 2027, keeps that figure.
Getting a price from photos
Each detail you send takes a question off our list. Photos inside and out show the opening and the ceiling. Rough measurements tell us the unit size. The roof covering tells us how it will be sealed in. Access notes tell us whether a tower or scaffold is needed. A product link, if you have one, lets us check it against the opening. Your postcode, PO5 or nearby, confirms travel.
Common questions in Southsea
Do you cover Southsea?
Yes. Fitters travel to addresses in Southsea and the surrounding districts, including PO5. We do not run an office there; the survey and the fitting happen at your property. A few island and remote postcodes are covered by arrangement; if yours is one, we confirm travel and dates before quoting.
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.
What upstand height and roof pitch does sliding rooflight fitting need?
It depends on the product. Manufacturers usually specify a minimum upstand height above the finished roof surface, and a minimum pitch on the glass so rain runs off. We follow the maker's figures for your unit rather than a rule of thumb. If your existing kerb or roof falls short, we explain the options, such as raising the upstand or choosing a unit with built-in pitch.
Got a unit waiting to go in, or need one sourced? Either way, start with your Southsea address and a couple of photos.
