Roof lanterns in the West Midlands: the essentials
Our roof lanterns service in the West Midlands covers hipped glass lanterns that lift the ceiling of orangeries and extensions. We survey every job before fixing the price.
Many Midlands semis have had a single-storey rear extension added, and a larger flat rooflight or lantern is often the change that makes it feel finished. Midlands housing is a mix of Victorian terraces, inter-war semis and newer estates, and rear kitchen extensions with flat rooflights are a common upgrade.
Towns in the West Midlands
What you can choose
- Opening vents with electric control
- LED lighting in the plaster box
- Solar-control or self-cleaning glass
- Internal and external colours
- Aluminium or uPVC systems
- Slim aluminium bars, more glass
- Adds visual height to a single-storey room
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.
Building Regulations Approved Document L sets a limiting U-value of 2.2 W/m²K for new or replacement rooflights in existing homes, measured in the horizontal plane; roof windows need 1.4 W/m²K or a Band B energy rating. 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 the West Midlands
Guide prices for roof lanterns in the West Midlands 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
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.
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 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 the West Midlands?
Yes — someone needs to let us into the room below and, where possible, show us how the roof is reached.
