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.
Covering CF10 and neighbouring districts
Fitters travel to the job, so the address is what counts. In Cardiff that means postcode districts CF10, CF11 and CF24, and the same teams can just as easily take on work in Penarth, about 3 miles away, or Caerphilly at roughly 7 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
- Insulation fitted to the upstand faces to limit heat loss
- Treated timber frame fixed down to the deck and joists
- Fall built into the kerb where the rooflight needs one
- Roof covering compatibility — We check what the roof is covered in before choosing how the membrane meets the kerb.
- 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.
Fitting your rooflight upstand, step by step
On the day, the fitters check the opening and the roof deck around it, then cut and fix treated timber to the maker's kerb size, square and level, with any fall the rooflight needs built in. Insulation goes on the faces that need it, and the roof membrane is turned up and dressed so the kerb is weathertight before anyone leaves. Most upstand jobs take half a day to a day.
Planning, building control and Cardiff
Welsh rules differ from England's in one important way: rooflights lose permitted development rights in conservation areas, National Parks, AONBs and World Heritage Sites. Elsewhere on a house, a rooflight that projects no more than 150 mm and stays below the highest part of the roof is usually fine. Building regulations still apply to new openings, replacements we fit go through a building notice because we are not scheme-registered, and the energy limit for rooflights is 2.2 W/m²K. A new Welsh Approved Document L takes effect on 4 March 2027.
Getting a price from photos
Each detail you send takes a question off our list. Photos inside and out show the opening and the ceiling. Rough measurements tell us the unit size. The roof covering tells us how it will be sealed in. Access notes tell us whether a tower or scaffold is needed. A product link, if you have one, lets us check it against the opening. Your postcode, CF10 or nearby, confirms travel.
Common questions in Cardiff
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.
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 cover Cardiff?
Yes. Fitters travel to addresses in Cardiff and the surrounding districts, including CF10. We do not run an office there; the survey and the fitting happen at your property. A few island and remote postcodes are covered by arrangement; if yours is one, we confirm travel and dates before quoting.
Get in touch with the details of your Cardiff property and we will explain what the job involves and what it costs.
