Cambridge 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 Cambridge we cover
Cambridge and the districts around it, CB2, CB4 and CB1, all sit inside our working area. So does the ground between Cambridge and Royston (12 miles), and on towards St Ives (12 miles). When a fitting team is booked, their travel is already in the quoted price, so it does not turn up as a surprise line on the final bill.
On the day, we cover
- Treated timber frame fixed down to the deck and joists
- Height set above the finished roof to the maker's stated minimum
- Fall built into the kerb where the rooflight needs one
- Energy limit for site-built kerbs — We insulate upstands to meet the limit for site-built upstands, which is 0.35 W/m²K in England and Wales.
- Fall built in or level — We confirm whether your rooflight needs the kerb to provide a fall or should sit level.
A typical installation day
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.
Planning, building control and Cambridge
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.
Help us quote accurately
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 CB2 and we will come back with a quote or a survey date.
Common questions in Cambridge
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.
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.
What is included in the price?
The written quote lists it line by line. Typically that covers fitting labour, fixings, sealants, membrane or flashing materials, any upstand work, internal finishing if agreed, and taking away the waste. For supply and fit, the unit itself is included too. Scaffold, lifting gear and any third-party fees, where needed, are shown separately so you can see what each part of the job costs.
Questions before you commit? Send them over with your Cambridge postcode and we will answer them plainly, with a quote alongside.
