What the job costs in Whitstable
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 Whitstable and nearby
Covering Whitstable means covering the people who live and work there, not a single postcode. We take on domestic and commercial jobs in CT5, CT6 and CT2, and are happy to quote further out in Herne Bay and Canterbury. 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.
Buying your own, or letting us supply
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 the job includes
- Rigid or flexible tube run and joined, with as few bends as possible
- Route through the loft checked for joists, cables and pipes
- Tube insulated where it passes through a cold loft
- Flat or pitched roof kit — We confirm the roof type and covering before ordering the kit.
- Length and bends in the tube — We plan the shortest, straightest route we can between the roof and the ceiling.
From arrival to clean-up
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 Whitstable
In England, a new rooflight opening generally needs building regulations approval because the roof structure is altered and the glazing must meet energy rules: 2.2 W/m²K for a rooflight in an existing home, or 1.4 W/m²K (or WER Band B) for a roof window. Planning is often not needed on a house: permitted development covers rooflights that stand no more than 0.15 m proud of the roof slope and sit below the highest part of the roof. Flats, listed buildings and areas with an Article 4 direction are different, so we check your address first.
Getting a price from photos
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 CT5. That is enough for a first price.
Common questions in Whitstable
Can you fit the sun tunnel 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 opening, the flashing kit and the roof pitch. The product warranty stays with the maker or seller, and our guarantee covers the fitting.
Do I need planning permission for a rooflight in Whitstable?
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.
Do you make good inside after fitting?
Yes, where the quote includes it. Internal finishing usually means lining the reveal with plasterboard, taping or skimming, and fitting trim where it meets the ceiling. Some people prefer their own plasterer or decorator to finish off, which is fine. The written quote spells out exactly where our work stops, so nobody is left guessing about who does what once the unit is in.
Send a few photos and your CT5 postcode, and we will put together a written quote for the job.
