Ampthill guide prices
Timber upstand
Treated timber kerb built square and level to the maker's size
Insulated upstand
Kerb with insulation and the roof membrane turned up and dressed
Large or with trimming
Bigger kerbs or where joists need trimming first
Guide ranges for labour and materials, rooflight not included. 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.
Areas around Ampthill we cover
Fitters travel to the job, so the address is what counts. In Ampthill that means postcode districts MK45, MK42 and MK43, and the same teams can just as easily take on work in Kempston, about 6 miles away, or Bedford at roughly 8 miles. Survey and fitting dates are offered according to fitter availability, and travel is built into the quote rather than added later.
What we do on the day
- Treated timber frame fixed down to the deck and joists
- Diagonals measured so the kerb is square before anything sits on it
- Height set above the finished roof to the maker's stated minimum
- Height above the finished roof — We set the upstand so it stands at least 150 mm above the finished roof, measured from the top of any ballast, paving or walkway.
- Size tolerance on the kerb — We build kerbs to a tight tolerance because rooflight glass is made to order and cannot be trimmed on site.
Fitting your rooflight upstand, step by step
The fitters measure twice before cutting: the opening, the rooflight's kerb size and the finished roof level. The kerb is built, packed level or to the maker's fall, insulated and weathered into the roof covering. You are left with an upstand ready for the rooflight, and a note of the sizes it was built to.
Do you need permission in Ampthill?
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 MK45 and we will come back with a quote or a survey date.
Common questions in Ampthill
Can you remove and dispose of the old rooflight?
Yes. Taking out the old unit is part of any replacement job, and it leaves with the rest of the waste unless you ask to keep it. Old domes, glass and frames go through proper waste routes. If removal turns up a rotten kerb or damaged decking, we show you what we have found and agree the repair with you before going any further.
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 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.
Get in touch with the details of your Ampthill property and we will explain what the job involves and what it costs.
