What are frameless structural rooflights?
Our frameless structural rooflights service in Greater Manchester covers minimal glass rooflights with no visible frame from inside. We survey every job before fixing the price.
Rear kitchen extensions on North West semis often have small domes from decades ago that leak or have yellowed. The North West gets more rain than most of England, so upstand height, membrane detailing and rain sensors on opening units are not optional extras.
Towns in Greater Manchester
What you can choose
- Low-iron extra-clear glass
- Shadow-gap or plastered reveal
- Solar-control coatings
- Butt-jointed runs for long openings
- Triple glazing
- Clean modern detail for architect-led schemes
- Solar-control and low-iron glass options
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. The Future Homes and Buildings Standards, published in March 2026, apply from 24 March 2027 and keep the 2.2 W/m²K limit for rooflights.
Guide prices
Guide prices for frameless structural rooflights in Greater Manchester are the same as anywhere we work — what changes the price is the job: access, structure, scaffold and finishing.
| Option | Guide price inc VAT | Ex VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Long-format or jointed run | £6,595 – £11,995 | £5,495 – £9,995 |
| Large single pane Typical | £4,795 – £7,195 | £3,995 – £5,995 |
| Standard frameless unit | £3,595 – £4,795 | £2,995 – £3,995 |
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.
Frameless rooflights in nearby areas
Common questions
How is it lifted onto the roof?
Larger panes go up with a vacuum lifter, a hoist or a crane. We plan access at survey.
Is frameless glass as strong as a framed rooflight?
Yes — it is structural glass designed for the job. The support is hidden rather than missing.
Can a frameless rooflight be walked on?
Only if it is specified as a walk-on unit. Most frameless rooflights are for light only.
Will I see the edge of the glass?
From inside, the reveal is finished up to the glass so the edge is hidden. From outside you will see the glass and its edge seal.
Will I need planning permission in Greater Manchester?
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.
