Conservation rooflights for Reading: the essentials
Our conservation rooflights service in Reading covers slim, low-profile steel-look rooflights for period and listed roofs. Every job starts with a survey of the opening, the roof covering and the room below, and a fixed written price.
Across the South East, single-storey kitchen extensions on 1930s semis and post-war detached houses are where most flat rooflights and lanterns go. Think of conservation rooflights for period, listed and conservation-area roofs.
Reading is the main town we list in Berkshire; we also cover nearby Earley and Henley-on-Thames.
What you can choose
- Toughened or laminated double glazing
- Central vertical glazing bar
- Steel or aluminium frames
- Manual or electric opening
- Blinds
- Double glazed behind a period look
- Suits slate and plain-tile roofs
Before you order: points to check
- Listed building consent is needed for listed buildings
- Conservation officers may specify size and position
Planning and building rules for Reading
Most rooflights on English houses do not need planning permission, provided they keep within 150 mm of the roof surface and below the ridge line. A rooflight on a side-facing slope must be obscure-glazed, and fixed shut unless the opening part is more than 1.7 m above the floor.
Under Approved Document L, a rooflight added to an English home must achieve at least 2.2 W/m²K (horizontal plane), and a roof window 1.4 W/m²K or Window Energy Rating Band B. In an extension, glazing including rooflights is normally limited to 25% of the new floor area plus any windows or doors the extension covers, unless a whole-house calculation shows otherwise.
Our planning guide covers each nation in more detail.
Conservation rooflights prices in Reading
These are typical supply-and-fit ranges. For an address in Reading, scaffold, a hoist for heavy glass, or a new structural opening can move the figure, which is why we survey first.
| Option | Guide price inc VAT | Ex VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Large or electric conservation rooflight | £2,755 – £4,195 | £2,295 – £3,495 |
| Standard conservation rooflight Typical | £2,035 – £2,755 | £1,695 – £2,295 |
| Small conservation rooflight | £1,795 – £2,155 | £1,495 – £1,795 |
From enquiry to finished job
- Send the details. Postcode, rough size and a photo of the roof and room.
- Measure and check. A surveyor visits Reading, measures and checks structure and access.
- Agree the quote. You approve the specification and price before anything is ordered.
- Fitting and handover. We install, clean down and leave product and warranty documents.
Neighbouring towns
More we do in Reading
Questions about conservation rooflights in Reading
Do I need consent for a conservation rooflight?
On a listed building you need listed building consent. In a conservation area, check with the council — many areas have Article 4 directions affecting roof alterations.
Can they open?
Yes, most are top-hung or side-hung for ventilation and cleaning, with manual or electric operation.
Will the council accept it?
We cannot promise an outcome, but a slim conservation profile fitted low in the roof is the type many conservation officers ask for.
Do I need to be at home for the survey in Reading?
Yes — someone needs to let us into the room below and, where possible, show us how the roof is reached.
Will I need planning permission in Reading?
In England a rooflight on a house is usually permitted development under Class C if it projects no more than 150 mm beyond the roof slope and sits no higher than the ridge.
