What are glass links & glass box roofs?
Our glass links & glass box roofs service in East Sussex covers frameless glass links joining old and new buildings. We survey every job before fixing the price.
Period cottages and conservation-area streets are common in the South East, so slim conservation rooflights are often the right choice. 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
Options we can specify
- Frameless or slim-framed glass
- Heated glass on some systems
- Frameless sliding or pivot doors
- Structural glass beams and fins
- Concealed gutters and drainage
- Visually light connection between buildings
- Designed around the existing building
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.
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. 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.
What do glass links & glass box roofs cost in East Sussex?
The ranges below are typical for straightforward jobs; your fixed price follows a survey of your roof.
| Option | Guide price inc VAT | Ex VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Fully frameless link with glass beams | £20,395 – £35,995 | £16,995 – £29,995 |
| Glass roof and glazed sides Typical | £13,195 – £20,395 | £10,995 – £16,995 |
| Glass roof between existing walls | £9,595 – £13,195 | £7,995 – £10,995 |
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.
Glass links in nearby areas
Common questions
Is structural glass safe?
Structural glass is laminated so it stays in place if a ply breaks. The manufacturer designs it for the loads involved.
Who designs it?
Your architect, or we produce a survey-based design that the glass manufacturer engineers.
How is the glass joined to the old wall?
Usually by a slim channel or flashing set into the masonry, sealed and weathered so the old wall can move without cracking the glass seal.
How long does a link take?
Design and manufacture are the long part. Fitting is often two to five days.
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.
