Kirkwall guide prices
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 warrant fees, where a job needs them, are shown as their own line.
Coverage by arrangement
Kirkwall is covered by arrangement. Tell us the address and we will confirm travel, dates and any ferry or accommodation costs before quoting. Many island and remote jobs can be priced from photos first, so nobody travels until the scope is clear.
Buying your own, or letting us supply
Which works out better, buying your own or letting us supply? It depends on what you value. Buying your own gives you control of the product and what you pay for it. Letting us supply puts the whole job, unit and fitting, under one written quote. On a customer-supplied unit we still measure it against the opening, look at the upstand, and inspect the condition it arrived in. Warranty on the product sits with whoever sold it, while the fitting carries our own guarantee.
On the day, we cover
- Cable routed to the motor, ready for the electrician's final connection, quoted as a separate line
- Lifting plan for the unit, often with gear booked for the day
- Full open and close cycle checked before handover
- What the glass slides over — We check the area the glass will cover when open before deciding where the unit goes.
- Power and safety stops — We confirm the power supply and the safety features before fitting day.
What happens on the day
Morning first: the team arrives, introduces itself and walks through the job with you. Dust sheets go down in the room below and along the route in. Then the opening and upstand, or the flashing on a pitched roof, are checked against the unit's measurements. A sliding rooflight goes in, is fixed to the maker's pattern and sealed into the roof covering. Inside, the reveal is finished as quoted. Before leaving, the team clears debris and talks you through what was done. Most jobs of this type take one to two days.
Planning, building warrants and Kirkwall
In Scotland a new rooflight needs a building warrant before work starts. A like-for-like replacement including the frame is exempt from a warrant but must meet current standards, so the glazing has to reach 1.6 W/m²K or better. For planning, rooflights on houses outside conservation areas can often go ahead under permitted development, but it is worth confirming with the planning authority.
Before you get in touch
Keep it simple. Two or three photos, outside and inside. Approximate sizes. What the roof is made of. Anything awkward about getting up there, such as a conservatory below, a narrow side path or no parking. If you bought the rooflight online, the link or model name. Then your postcode in or around KW15. That is enough for a first price.
Common questions in Kirkwall
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.
What is included in the price?
The written quote lists it line by line. Typically that covers fitting labour, fixings, sealants, membrane or flashing materials, any upstand work, internal finishing if agreed, and taking away the waste. For supply and fit, the unit itself is included too. Scaffold, lifting gear and any third-party fees, where needed, are shown separately so you can see what each part of the job costs.
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.
Questions before you commit? Send them over with your Kirkwall postcode and we will answer them plainly, with a quote alongside.
