Guide prices in Orpington
Short rigid tube
Around 250 mm tube, short straight run through a loft
Wider or longer run
Around 350 mm tube or longer runs with bends
Flat roof or complex
Flat roof kits, long runs or two tubes
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.
Fitting across Orpington and nearby
Distance is rarely the deciding factor. A roof in Chislehurst, 3 miles from Orpington, gets the same survey, the same written quote and the same fitting process as one in BR6, BR5 and BR7. What changes the price is the job itself: size of unit, roof type, access and lifting. Swanley, around 4 miles out, is treated the same way.
Your sun tunnels or ours
There are two ways to do this. Supply and fit means we source a sun tunnel that suits your roof and install it, so one company answers for both the product choice and the fitting. Fit-only means you buy the unit and we install it. With fit-only, the product warranty stays with the maker or seller, and our written guarantee covers the fitting work. Both routes get the same checks on the opening, the upstand and the maker's instructions before anything is fixed.
What we do on the day
- Rigid or flexible tube run and joined, with as few bends as possible
- Tube insulated where it passes through a cold loft
- Dust cleared from the room below and the loft
- Length and bends in the tube — We plan the shortest, straightest route we can between the roof and the ceiling.
- Tube size — We match the tube size to the room and the roof.
What happens on the day
Arrive and agree the plan. Sheet the floor and furniture. Set up the ladder, tower or scaffold. Check the opening, the upstand or flashing, and the unit against the paperwork. Fix and pack a sun tunnel level. Seal it into the roof. Line the reveal or fit the ceiling trim. Clean the glass, clear the waste, and talk you through it. That is the shape of most fitting days, and for this type of job it usually takes half a day to a day.
Planning, building control and Orpington
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.
Getting a price from photos
What we cannot see, we have to guess, and guesses make quotes wider. So the more you send, the tighter the price. Useful: shots from the roof or garden, shots from the room underneath, a rough width and length, the roof finish, any access problems, and the product page if you have already ordered. Add the property postcode around BR6 and we will come back with a quote or a survey date.
Common questions in Orpington
Can you fit a rooflight in winter or when it is raining?
Yes, within limits. Cold is less of a problem than wet, because membranes, primers and sealants need a dry surface to bond. We plan fitting days around the forecast and may move a date if heavy rain is due. If the roof has to be opened up, it is not left overnight without a temporary weather seal, so the room below stays dry while the work is finished.
How long does fitting take?
Fitting a sun tunnel 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.
Do you need scaffolding to fit a rooflight?
Not always. Single-storey roofs can often be reached safely with ladders, a tower or edge protection. Higher roofs, steep pitches and large units usually need scaffold or a mobile platform, and heavy glass may need a crane. We assess access from your photos or at the survey, and any scaffold or lifting cost is shown as its own line on the written quote.
For a free, no-obligation quote in Orpington, use the form or call us with the details of your roof.
