What do roof lanterns involve?
Our roof lanterns service in Essex covers hipped glass lanterns that lift the ceiling of orangeries and extensions. We survey every job before fixing the price.
Barn conversions and timber-framed homes across the East often call for conservation rooflights or bespoke glass. Flat, open landscape in much of the East means roofs take the wind, so upstand and seal details matter more than the brand of glass.
Towns in Essex
What you can choose
- Solar-control or self-cleaning glass
- LED lighting in the plaster box
- Aluminium or uPVC systems
- Internal and external colours
- Opening vents with electric control
- Classic look that suits period and modern homes
- Adds visual height to a single-storey room
Planning and building rules in England
English householder permitted development (Class C) normally covers rooflights that stand no more than 0.15 m proud of the roof plane and stay below the highest part of the roof. 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.
Roof lanterns prices in Essex
Prices below are shown including and excluding VAT. In Essex, as elsewhere, making good inside and access equipment are the main variables.
| Option | Guide price inc VAT | Ex VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Large or bespoke aluminium lantern | £5,995 – £10,795 | £4,995 – £8,995 |
| Mid-size aluminium lantern (2 × 3 m) Typical | £3,955 – £5,995 | £3,295 – £4,995 |
| Small lantern (1 × 2 m) | £2,995 – £3,955 | £2,495 – £3,295 |
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.
Roof lanterns in nearby areas
Common questions
Can a lantern go on an existing extension?
Yes, if the flat roof structure can be opened up and trimmed. We check joists and the roof build-up at survey.
How big can a lantern be?
Aluminium systems go to around three by six metres in standard ranges; larger sizes are made to order.
Do roof lanterns get hot?
They can in summer if clear glass is used on a south-facing roof. Solar-control glass and an opening vent make a big difference.
Roof lantern or flat rooflight?
A lantern adds height and sky from all sides; a flat rooflight is lower-profile and cleaner from outside. Our guide compares them in detail.
Do you fit roof lanterns across Essex?
Yes. We survey and fit roof lanterns across Essex, including Southend-on-Sea, Basildon, Colchester.
