What do conservation rooflights involve?
Our conservation rooflights service in East Sussex covers slim, low-profile steel-look rooflights for period and listed roofs. We survey every job before fixing the 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. Many South East homes have been extended more than once, and an old dome over an earlier extension is often due for replacement.
Towns in East Sussex
What you can choose
- Blinds
- Flashings for slate or plain tile
- Toughened or laminated double glazing
- Steel or aluminium frames
- Central vertical glazing bar
- Double glazed behind a period look
- Suits slate and plain-tile roofs
Planning and building rules in England
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.
For English homes the energy rules ask for rooflights of 2.2 W/m²K or better and roof windows of 1.4 W/m²K (or WER Band B); most modern double glazed units meet both. Replacing a rooflight or roof window can be self-certified by an installer registered with an authorised competent person scheme; otherwise building control approval is needed.
What do conservation rooflights cost in East Sussex?
These are typical supply-and-fit ranges. For an address in East Sussex, 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 |
How the job runs
- Tell us about the roof. Send the postcode, rough sizes and a photo or two through the form, WhatsApp or the guide-price tool.
- Free survey. For new installations a surveyor measures the opening, checks the roof build-up and talks through glass and options.
- Fixed written quote. You get the product, the work and the price in writing. Nothing is ordered or paid for until you agree.
- Fitting and handover. We fit, seal and make good, then hand over product data, warranties and any certificate paperwork.
Conservation rooflights in nearby areas
Common questions
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.
Are conservation rooflights double glazed?
Most modern ones are, with slim units behind the traditional frame.
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.
Will I need planning permission in East Sussex?
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.
