Birmingham 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.
Fitting across Birmingham and nearby
Covering Birmingham means covering the people who live and work there, not a single postcode. We take on domestic and commercial jobs in B3, B2 and B4, and are happy to quote further out in Aston and Smethwick. 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.
What we do on the day
- Height set above the finished roof to the maker's stated minimum
- Treated timber frame fixed down to the deck and joists
- Fall built into the kerb where the rooflight needs one
- 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
Building an upstand starts with the rooflight's own drawing: its kerb size, height above the finished roof and fall. The team sets the timber out to those figures, checks the diagonals, insulates the outer faces and dresses the membrane up and over. If the rooflight is going on the same day, it is fitted next; if not, the kerb is protected until it does.
Do you need permission in Birmingham?
England's rules in short: permitted development usually covers a rooflight on a house roof provided it doesn't stick out more than 0.15 m or rise above the ridge, though a listed building always needs consent and some streets have Article 4 directions. Building regulations apply to new openings, and replacements go through building control; as we are not registered with a competent person scheme, we use a building notice and show the fee on the quote. The energy limit for rooflights in existing homes is 2.2 W/m²K, and the 2026 Approved Document L, in force from 24 March 2027, keeps that figure.
What to send for a quick quote
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 B3 and we will come back with a quote or a survey date.
Common questions in Birmingham
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.
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 Birmingham?
Yes. Fitters travel to addresses in Birmingham and the surrounding districts, including B3. 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 Birmingham property and we will explain what the job involves and what it costs.
