What are skylight blinds & solar control?
Our skylight blinds & solar control service in West Sussex covers electric blinds, blackout and solar-control upgrades for rooflights. We survey every job before fixing the price.
Across the South East, single-storey kitchen extensions on 1930s semis and post-war detached houses are where most flat rooflights and lanterns go. Larger gardens in much of the South East mean deeper rear extensions, and deeper rooms need light from above rather than only from the doors.
Towns in West Sussex
Options we can specify
- Blackout blinds
- Integral blinds within the glass
- Insect screens on opening units
- Solar-powered remote blinds
- Electric pleated or roller blinds
- Integral blinds never need dusting
- Blackout for bedrooms and nurseries
Planning and building rules in England
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. Listed buildings need listed building consent, flats have no householder permitted development rights, and an Article 4 direction can remove the rights in some conservation areas.
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.
What do skylight blinds & solar control cost in West Sussex?
Guide prices for skylight blinds & solar control in West Sussex 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Integral blind in a new glass unit | £715 – £1,435 | £595 – £1,195 |
| Electric or solar blind Typical | £595 – £1,075 | £495 – £895 |
| Manual pleated or blackout blind | £355 – £595 | £295 – £495 |
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.
Blinds & solar control in nearby areas
Common questions
Do blinds work on roof lanterns?
Lantern blinds exist but are complex; solar-control glass is often the better answer.
What is an integral blind?
A blind sealed between the panes of the glass unit. It never gets dusty or damaged, but is ordered with the unit.
Will a blind stop a rooflight getting hot?
An internal blind helps with glare but some heat still gets in behind it. Solar-control glass or an external shade does more for heat.
Are electric blinds worth it?
For high rooflights you cannot reach, yes. Solar-powered models avoid new wiring.
Will I need planning permission in West Sussex?
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.
