Every Orchard Skylights job starts with a free survey at the house. There is no price list to read first and nothing to pay to find out what is possible. We ask for a few details first, visit to measure, and then put the figure in writing.
Before the visit
What to send us
Fill in the form below, write to info@orchardskylightsmaidstone.co.uk, or send a WhatsApp to 07880 284133. A few details speed up the first conversation:
- the town or postcode of the house
- which room is dark, and what type of roof is above it: flat, pitched, tiled, slate or felt
- whether you want a new opening or a swap for an old unit
- a photo of the room from the doorway, and the roof from the garden if it can be taken safely from the ground
If the project is still on paper, say so. Roof glazing is often chosen while an extension is being drawn, and we can talk about upstand heights and structure with the builder.
At the house
What the survey covers
The visit is practical. We stand in the room and note where daylight falls and where it stops. Then we go up to the roof, or into the loft space when it is accessible, to look at the covering, the structure and the route for any services.
We measure the opening you have in mind and tell you which products suit it. If something will not work, such as a lantern on a roof that cannot carry the upstand, we suggest an alternative. We also check the planning position and tell you whether the Building Control notification will be needed. Expect to be asked about decoration, access for fitters and any restrictions on your property.
Terms you may meet
- Upstand
- The raised lip round a flat-roof opening, which carries the glazing.
- Kerb
- The frame, usually timber or prefabricated, that lifts a rooflight off a flat roof.
- Trimming
- Timbers framed around a new roof opening to carry the cut rafters or joists.
- Notifiable work
- Building work that has to be notified to Building Control, such as a new opening in a roof.
After the visit
What the written quote contains
The quote you receive is fixed and in writing, and names the product, its specification and the opening size. It also covers the roof work, the finish indoors, who handles the Building Control notification, and the 10-year workmanship guarantee, which is described on its own page. Anything left out is listed as an exclusion, so you can compare it against other quotes line by line. What drives the number is set out on the costs page.
When you are happy with it, we agree a start date.
Opening size, specification, roof work, lining and guarantee on one document
Fitting
From acceptance to a finished ceiling
Once you accept, we order the unit and book the fitters. Length of the job depends on the product: a roof window on a pitched roof is a smaller job than a lantern on a new kerb. We cover the room below, open the roof, weather the new unit in and finish inside. Leaks are the thing everybody worries about, so the flashing or upstand detail is looked at carefully and described in the quote.
At the end you have the paperwork and a roof that is closed up and weathertight.
