What do roof lanterns involve?
Roof lanterns in Greater London means hipped glass lanterns that lift the ceiling of orangeries and extensions. Every quote follows a survey of the roof and the room below.
Victorian and Edwardian terraces with narrow side returns are typical of much of London, and a glass roof or long flat rooflight is the usual way to keep the back rooms bright once the return is built over. Party walls are a fact of life in London terraces, and rooflights close to a shared wall need detailing that keeps the neighbour's side dry too.
Towns in Greater London
Options we can specify
- Opening vents with electric control
- Solar-control or self-cleaning glass
- Rectangular, square or bespoke sizes
- Internal and external colours
- Aluminium or uPVC systems
- Adds visual height to a single-storey room
- Slim aluminium bars, more glass
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. 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.
What do roof lanterns cost in Greater London?
Guide prices for roof lanterns in Greater London 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
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 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.
Do they leak?
Modern lanterns are sealed systems. Leaks usually trace back to the kerb or roof membrane detail, which we form and check ourselves.
Do I need to be at home for the survey in Greater London?
Yes — someone needs to let us into the room below and, where possible, show us how the roof is reached.
