Rooflight and skylight costs in Bristol

The figures on this page are broad UK market ranges, given as a starting point only. They are not our prices. They are there so a written quote, ours or anyone else's, makes sense when it lands. A real price depends on your roof, your room and the product you pick, which is why we survey before we quote.

Four things move almost every rooflight price, whatever the type:

• New opening or same opening. Cutting a new hole means trimming rafters or joists, which takes time and timber. Swapping a unit into an existing opening of the same size is quicker.
• Access. A bungalow roof reached from a ladder is one thing. A three-storey Clifton terrace with a basement area at the front may need a full scaffold, and that can cost as much as the unit.
• The roof covering. Slate, plain clay tile, interlocking concrete tile, felt, GRP and single-ply each take a different flashing or upstand, and some take longer to make good.
• The inside. Plastering new linings, fitting a blind, and redecorating are often quoted as separate lines.

The table gives typical fitted ranges per unit across the UK market. Treat each one as a starting point. A large or unusual job will sit above the top of its range.

Scaffold is usually priced separately and depends on height and the street. The sections below take each type in turn.

A roof window sits in the slope of a pitched roof and opens on a hinge. Its cost depends mostly on whether the opening is new. Fitting into a fresh opening means stripping the tiles or slates, cutting and trimming the rafters, fitting the frame and flashing, then lining the inside. In a loft conversion that is already open to the rafters, the inside is simpler; in a finished bedroom it means plaster and paint. Our answer on what it costs to fit a roof window walks through a typical breakdown.

Centre-pivot and top-hung units differ in price, and so do the inner pane options. A laminated inner pane is a sensible upgrade over a bedroom or a stair, though it is a recommendation rather than a legal requirement.

For VELUX windows, the size code on the existing frame drives a lot. The letter gives the width and the digits the height, so an MK04 can be swapped like for like with little work to the roof. Going up a size means altering the opening. A manual VELUX costs less than a VELUX INTEGRA electric or solar version of the same size. The VELUX fitting cost answer covers the swap, the upsize and the electric options.

On a flat roof the unit sits on a kerb, a raised upstand that keeps water away from the glass. The price of flat roof rooflights depends on size, whether the kerb is built on site or supplied with the unit, and how the roof covering is dressed up to it. A GRP or single-ply roof can be detailed neatly around a new kerb; an old felt roof may need a section relaid. Fixed units cost less than opening ones of the same size.

Roof lanterns are priced mainly by length and frame material. Aluminium and uPVC sit at different points, and a timber interior adds cost. An opening vent in the lantern is an extra, and a worthwhile one on a south-facing kitchen. If the extension already has a flat roof, the joists may need strengthening or trimming to take the frame. The roof lantern cost answer has a fuller picture by size.

Electric and opening rooflights add a motor, a control and usually a rain sensor. The cost depends on the power route. A mains electric unit needs a supply run from the house, which is simple in a loft being rewired and harder in a finished room. A solar unit charges its own battery from a small panel, so it costs more to buy but needs no wiring. Converting an existing manual unit is sometimes possible with a retrofit kit. See what an electric rooflight costs for the comparison.

Energy efficient rooflights cost more because of the glass: triple glazing, warm-edge spacers and low-emissivity coatings. Part L sets a floor for replacements in existing homes (a roof window takes the window limit of 1.4 W/m²K, or a WER of Band B; a rooflight takes 2.2 W/m²K), so every compliant unit is already reasonably warm. The premium buys better figures again, plus a warmer inner pane that is less prone to condensation.

For misted and failed rooflights, the big question is whether the frame is sound. If it is, replacing only the sealed glass unit costs far less than a whole new rooflight and generally is not notifiable building work. If the frame has rotted, warped or lost its seals, the whole unit is replaced, which is notifiable and costs more. The survey settles which applies.

Walk-on rooflights are priced by size and by the load the glass is rated for. A unit over a basement light well with occasional foot traffic needs a different specification from one in a roof terrace people stand on daily. Slip-resistant finishes and heavier laminated glass add cost. The walk-on rooflight cost answer gives the detail.

Conservation rooflights have a slim steel or aluminium frame and sit flush with slate or tile, so a Georgian roof in Bath or Clifton keeps its line. Steel costs more than aluminium. Glazing bars, a heritage colour and listed building consent drawings can all add to the price. Our conservation rooflight cost answer explains the range.

Sun tunnels are the lowest-cost route to daylight in a windowless room, such as an internal bathroom or a hallway. The cost depends on tube length, rigid or flexible tube, and the diameter. A short run from roof to ceiling is quick to fit; a long run through a loft with bends costs more. A ventilation kit, which adds an extractor path alongside the light, is an extra. The sun tunnel cost answer covers the options.

Every quote we send is written and itemised, after a free survey at your home, with no obligation. Each line stands on its own, so you can see where the money goes and compare it fairly with another quote:

1. The product, by maker, type and size, with the glazing and the U-value.
2. Labour to fit it, including any trimming of rafters or joists.
3. The flashing kit or kerb, and how the roof covering is made good.
4. The inside finish: linings, plaster, trim, and any blind.
5. Access: towers or scaffold where the roof needs them.
6. The Building Control fee, where the work is notifiable, which we handle.
7. Removal of the old unit and the waste.

Alongside, the quote shows, for each position, whether the unit could open, by hand or by motor, and where we would leave it fixed. That way the cost of an opening option is never a surprise, and you can choose with the figures in front of you. The work then carries our 10-year workmanship guarantee.

To get your own figures, ask for a free quote. The page on opening rooflights and fresh air helps if you are weighing up whether the extra for an opening unit is worth it.