What the job costs in Rochester
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.
Coverage in and around Rochester
Covering Rochester means covering the people who live and work there, not a single postcode. We take on domestic and commercial jobs in ME2, ME1 and ME4, and are happy to quote further out in Chatham and Strood. If your address sits between towns, tell us and we will confirm whether it falls in our normal area or needs travel set out separately on the quote.
Already bought your unit?
Your unit or ours, the fitting standard is the same. For supply and fit we choose a sun tunnel 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.
What the job includes
- Route through the loft checked for joists, cables and pipes
- Ceiling opening cut neatly and the diffuser fitted
- Tube insulated where it passes through a cold loft
- Length and bends in the tube — We plan the shortest, straightest route we can between the roof and the ceiling.
- Condensation in cold lofts — We insulate the tube where it passes through a cold loft.
Fitting your sun tunnel, step by step
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 sun tunnel: half a day to a day, weather permitting.
Planning, building control and Rochester
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.
Before you get in touch
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 ME2 and we will come back with a quote or a survey date.
Common questions in Rochester
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.
Do I need planning permission for a rooflight in Rochester?
Often not. Many rooflights fall under permitted development, provided they do not project beyond the national limit and meet the other conditions that apply in England. Conservation areas, listed buildings and some flats are different and may need consent. Because the rules depend on the property, we confirm what is likely to apply at your address and point you to the planning authority where an application is needed.
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.
Send a few photos and your ME2 postcode, and we will put together a written quote for the job.
