The guarantee

Our 10-year workmanship guarantee

What the guarantee on our installations covers, what it leaves out and how to make a claim.

Book a free survey
  • Free survey, fixed written quote
  • 10-year workmanship guarantee
A roof window seen from inside a timber-lined loft

Every installation we carry out comes with a 10-year workmanship guarantee. It is a document you keep with the house papers, given to you at the end of the job. It covers the work we do, leaves out what is beyond our control, and sets out a route for a claim.

It is a promise from Orchard Skylights Maidstone about how we fit.

Coverage

What the guarantee covers

The guarantee covers the quality of the installation we carried out, for ten years from completion. That includes:

  • the fixing and positioning of the rooflight, roof window or lantern
  • the flashings, upstand, kerb and weathering that make the opening watertight
  • the roof work we did around the opening, including trimming and the covering we disturbed
  • the lining and finishing indoors that we carried out as part of the job

If a defect arises from how we did that work, we put it right at no charge to you.

Exclusions

What it leaves out

A workmanship guarantee does not cover everything that can happen to a roof. The usual exclusions are written into the document.

  • Damage from storms, falling branches, impact, vandalism or other events outside our control.
  • Wear and tear, and the normal ageing of seals, finishes and coatings.
  • Faults in the product itself, which fall to the manufacturer's own warranty where one applies.
  • Work on the roof or the unit by anyone else after we have finished, including later repainting, re-roofing or cleaning that damages the finish.
  • Parts of the roof or structure we did not work on.
  • Lack of reasonable upkeep, such as leaving gutters or the surface of a flat roof blocked.

If you are unsure whether something is covered, ask us. The document states the position in full.

Whose guarantee answers which problem
ProblemWho it falls toNote
Water entering round the flashing we fittedOur workmanship guaranteeWithin the ten years
Seal failure between the panes of a new unitThe manufacturer's product warrantyWhere one is supplied with the unit
A branch breaking the glassYour home insuranceOutside the guarantee
A leak from tiles we did not touchNot part of our workWe can look at it and advise

Making a claim

How to claim

If you think something we fitted has failed, get in touch as soon as you notice it. Call 01622 277162, email info@orchardskylightsmaidstone.co.uk or WhatsApp 07880 284133, and give the address, the date of the job and a few photos of the problem, inside and out.

We then arrange to look at it. If the defect comes from our workmanship, we put it right under the guarantee. If it turns out to come from something outside the guarantee, we tell you what we found.

A claim in four steps

  1. Contact us Send the address, the date of the job and photos.
  2. We inspect A visit to look at the unit, the roof around it and the ceiling below.
  3. We confirm We tell you in writing whether the guarantee applies.
  4. We put it right Where it applies, we carry out the work free of charge.

Keeping it valid

Looking after the paperwork

Keep the guarantee with your deeds and the Building Control paperwork. If you sell the house, pass the document on to the buyer, and ask us if you need a copy. Keep the surface around the unit clear of leaves, and have gutters cleaned as normal. Tell us before anyone else works on the roof around the opening.

For the cost of a job and what goes into it, see our costs page. To start one, use the free survey form.

Ten years, leaks and storm damage

When does the ten years start?

It starts on the day the job is completed and handed over to you.

Does the guarantee pass to the next owner?

The document is yours to hand on when you sell, and a buyer's solicitor may ask for it. Check the exact transfer terms on your copy.

Will a leak-stained ceiling count as a claim?

Photograph it and send it to us. We look at the cause first. A leak from our flashing is ours to put right, and a leak from somewhere else on the roof is explained to you after we have inspected it.

Is a misted new unit covered?

Seal failure inside the glass is a product matter, so it normally goes to the manufacturer's warranty. We help you with the claim where we fitted the unit.

What is not included if a storm blows a branch through the glass?

Storm and impact damage sit outside the guarantee. Your home insurer is the right first call.

A flat rooflight seen from below, white plaster reveal and blue sky with cloud through the glass

Book your free survey

Tell us about the room that stays dark. We come out, look at the room and the roof, then send a fixed written quote.

No obligation. We survey before we price.