Do Roofers Fit Skylights, or Do You Need a Specialist?

Putting a skylight into a roof is more than cutting a hole. The work runs in a sequence, and each stage calls for a different skill.

1. Survey, then settle the unit and its position.
2. Strip the roof covering round the opening and cut the roof, trimming timbers where needed.
3. Fit the frame and the unit, then the flashing so water runs round the unit and not into it.
4. Replace the roof covering up to the flashing.
5. Build and line the light well, from the roof opening down to the ceiling.
6. Finish the ceiling and plaster so it looks like part of the room.
7. Notify Building Control where the work is notifiable.

A roofer is skilled at steps two to four. A joiner or plasterer handles five and six. Glazing knowledge and Building Regulations knowledge run through the lot. A firm that fits rooflights regularly puts these together as one job. A roofer who does not usually do it may need to bring in other trades, and who is responsible for the whole job should be clear in writing.

There are jobs where an experienced roofer is a perfectly good choice.

• A simple roof window in a plain tiled roof, with no loft room below.
• A like-for-like replacement of a unit in the same opening.
• A roof being recovered, where the new covering and the rooflight can be flashed together.
• A flat roof being re-waterproofed, where a kerb can be built in as part of the work.

If your roofer has fitted such units before and can show you, that is a fair start. Ask whether they will notify Building Control where the work needs it, who finishes the inside, and what guarantee they give in writing. Our page on replacing an old VELUX window shows what a like-for-like job covers.

Some jobs are less forgiving, and they favour a firm that does little else.

Lanterns and large flat rooflights

A roof lantern is a glazed structure with its own frame, bars and flashings, and it sits on an upstand that must be built to suit. Getting the kerb, the weatherproofing and the internal finish right takes practice. See roof lanterns and flat roof rooflights.

Electric opening and rain sensors

An electric opening rooflight needs a power supply and control wiring, and the electrical work has to be done properly. Our answer on whether electric rooflights need an electrician explains how it works.

Walk-on and conservation units

Walk-on rooflights have to carry load and often sit in finished floors or terraces. Conservation rooflights have to meet planning expectations in sensitive places. Both need specific knowledge of the product and the setting. See walk-on rooflights and conservation rooflights.

Misted or failed units

Replacing a misted unit needs a unit that matches or beats the old one on insulation, and the fitter has to know the Part L limits. See misted rooflight replacement.

Energy rules

Approved Document L sets a tighter energy limit for roof windows than for rooflights, and a replacement must meet whichever applies. A fitter who works with these figures every week is less likely to put in a unit that falls short.

Whichever way you go, these questions sort out who is ready to do the job properly.

• Who does the roof work, and who does the inside finish?
• What exactly is in the written quote, and is it fixed?
• Who deals with Building Control, and how?
• What guarantee is given on the workmanship, and is it in writing?
• Which unit is being fitted, and does it meet the Part L limit?
• If there is a planning question, who checks it?

For the planning side, our planning guide explains where permitted development stops. A good fitter will raise it before you do.

How we work

We install and replace skylights, rooflights, roof lanterns, roof windows including VELUX, electric opening rooflights, walk-on rooflights, conservation rooflights and sun tunnels. A free survey comes first, with the room, spot and roof all seen before a price appears. The fixed written quote you then receive holds on the day. Building Control notification is ours to deal with where the job needs it, and the installation meets current Building Regulations. Our 10-year workmanship guarantee is given in writing, and a simple single rooflight usually means one or two days up top.

Message 07880 284133 on WhatsApp, or fill in the survey form for the room and spot. The home page lists everything we fit, and whether your roof suits a skylight covers the structural side.