What the job costs in Melksham
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 Melksham and nearby
Fitters travel to the job, so the address is what counts. In Melksham that means postcode districts SN12, BA14 and SN13, and the same teams can just as easily take on work in Trowbridge, about 5 miles away, or Chippenham at roughly 6 miles. Survey and fitting dates are offered according to fitter availability, and travel is built into the quote rather than added later.
Fit-only or supply and fit
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
- Route through the loft checked for joists, cables and pipes
- Rigid or flexible tube run and joined, with as few bends as possible
- Ceiling opening cut neatly and the diffuser fitted
- Flat or pitched roof kit — We confirm the roof type and covering before ordering the kit.
- Condensation in cold lofts — We insulate the tube where it passes through a cold loft.
Fitting your sun tunnel, step by step
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 and building rules in England
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
For fit-only work, the product details matter most: the link, the spec sheet, or a photo of the label on the box. Alongside that, send pictures of the roof and the ceiling below, approximate opening sizes, the type of roof covering, and how someone would get onto the roof. For supply and fit, the same photos and sizes do the job. Finish with your postcode, such as SN12.
Common questions in Melksham
Will my new sun tunnel leak?
A correctly fitted unit should not. Leaks usually trace back to the detail around the frame: an upstand that is too low, a membrane or flashing that is not dressed properly, sealant applied to a damp surface, or water ponding against the kerb. We fit to the maker's instructions and check each of those points. The fitting carries a written workmanship guarantee, with its terms set out on your quote.
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 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.
Questions before you commit? Send them over with your Melksham postcode and we will answer them plainly, with a quote alongside.
