Quick answer: If you want one Leicester company to survey, supply and fit a slimline aluminium lantern and handle the written quote, I would start with URG Windows & Doors, which fits roof lanterns alongside its windows and doors and covers every job with Home Improvement Protection. For a long-established showroom, Phair Windows and Harveys are worth a call. If your builder is fitting the lantern, Roof Maker in Thurmaston publishes supply prices online.
A kitchen extension with a flat roof can feel dark in the middle, even with big glass doors at the back. A roof lantern is the usual fix: a raised glass structure that pulls daylight down into the centre of the room and adds a sense of height.
I spent a few evenings comparing companies that offer roof lanterns in Leicester, reading their product pages, guarantees, opening hours and what they say about surveys and fitting. I have not had a lantern fitted by any of them, so this is a researcher's comparison, not a customer review. Here is how the five I would shortlist line up.
How I chose the five
I only included businesses based in Leicester or just outside it that clearly list roof lanterns on their own website. For each I noted who makes or supplies the lantern, whether they fit it or supply only, the guarantee they publish, showroom hours and any published prices. Where a company did not publish something, I have said so rather than guessing. I did not rank anyone on price, because lantern quotes depend so heavily on size, glass and the roof underneath.
| Company | Base | Lantern offer | Supply and fit? | Published guarantee or warranty | Saturday hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. URG Windows & Doors | Belgrave Gate, Leicester | Slimline aluminium roof lanterns | Survey, supply and fit | Insurance-backed guarantee through Home Improvement Protection | 9am to 5pm |
| 2. Phair Windows | Clifton Road, Aylestone | Aluminium and uPVC lanterns and rooflights | Supply and fit | 10-year guarantee | By appointment |
| 3. Harveys Windows & Conservatories | Empire Road, Leicester | Lanterns and flat roof lights | Supply and fit | 10-year insurance-backed guarantee | 10am to 1pm |
| 4. Leicester Window Supplies | Melton Road, Syston | Sheerline S1 aluminium lantern | Supply only or supply and fit | Manufacturer-backed warranty | 9am to 1pm |
| 5. Roof Maker | Pinfold Road, Thurmaston | Slimline, Pyramid and hinged opening lanterns | Mainly supply, online quotes | 20-year unit seal warranty | Not listed |
1. URG Windows & Doors: one team from survey to finish
URG is a Leicester window and door company that also fits roof lanterns and rooflights. Its services page describes slimline aluminium lanterns built for maximum light with minimal framework, and names kitchens, extensions and open-plan living areas as the rooms they suit. For flat roofs where a lantern is too much, it also offers aluminium skypods.
What made me put URG first is how clearly it explains the process. It sets out four steps: a free survey where every opening is measured, one written price covering the products, fitting, finishing and taking old frames away, made-to-measure production, and installation with the fitters clearing up afterwards. It says there is no pressure to sign on the day.
The protection is also spelled out. URG says every installation is covered by Home Improvement Protection, which protects your deposit, gives you a written guarantee underwritten by an independent insurer that stands even if the company stops trading, and offers a free route to resolve disputes. It is a FENSA approved installer for its windows and doors (registration 45069), and it offers 0% finance through a credit broker, subject to status.
The team covers Leicester, Loughborough, Hinckley and Market Harborough. Phone lines are open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm and Saturday 9am to 5pm on 0116 456 0246. It does not publish lantern prices, so expect to book the free survey to get a figure.
Who I would send here: homeowners who want a single local firm to measure, supply and fit the lantern, with the deposit and guarantee protected in writing. It also makes sense if you are replacing windows or adding bifolds to the same extension.
2. Phair Windows, Aylestone: a long track record
Phair says it has traded across Leicestershire since 1998 and has a showroom at 49 Clifton Road in Aylestone. Its roof lantern page covers made-to-measure aluminium and uPVC lanterns and rooflights with argon-filled sealed units, a 10-year guarantee and finance. The site says it is rated 4.9 on Google and Trustpilot from more than 200 reviews. Showroom hours are Monday to Thursday 9am to 4:30pm and Friday mornings, with other times by appointment.
3. Harveys, Empire Road: conservatory and extension roofs
Harveys describes itself as a family-run business with more than 30 years of uninterrupted local trading. Its roofs range includes lanterns and flat roof lights alongside solid and glass conservatory roofs, and it lists Ultraframe as a partner. It offers a full 10-year insurance-backed guarantee and a fitted showroom near the city centre, open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday 10am to 1pm. A good fit if the lantern is part of a wider conservatory or extension project.
4. Leicester Window Supplies, Syston: supply only or fitted
This Syston firm says it has more than 20 years of experience and lets you choose supply only or supply and fit on its quote form. Its lantern is the Sheerline S1, an aluminium design with slim sightlines, multi-chamber thermal technology and the option to upgrade to Secured by Design standards. The showroom at 1309 Melton Road opens weekdays 8am to 4:30pm and Saturday mornings. Useful if you have your own builder but want to see a lantern in person first.
5. Roof Maker, Thurmaston: for builders and self-builders
Roof Maker makes and sells rooflights and lanterns from Pinfold Road in Thurmaston. Unlike the others, it publishes prices: lanterns from £516 plus VAT at the time I checked, with flat rooflights from £568 plus VAT. It offers an online quote tool, a 20-year unit seal warranty and technical support. It is mainly a supplier, so it suits you most if a builder or roofer is already doing the extension.
Check the height rules before you choose a lantern
A lantern sits above the roof, so it adds height to your extension. That matters if you are relying on permitted development rather than full planning permission. The Planning Portal says "Single-storey rear extensions cannot exceed four metres in height", and where an extension comes within two metres of a boundary the eaves cannot be higher than three metres. Extensions also cannot be higher than the highest part of the existing roof.
In practice, ask your installer or architect to draw the lantern on the elevation drawings, not just the roof plan. If the extension is in a conservation area, on a listed building or the house has had permitted development rights removed, check with Leicester City Council or your district council before ordering.
Building regulations matter too. A new opening in a flat roof is a structural change, so whoever builds the roof needs to support the lantern properly and keep it watertight at the upstand. The Planning Portal notes that dwellings "are required to be energy efficient", so ask for the U-value of the whole lantern, not just the glass.
Five things to ask on the survey
- Who builds the upstand? The kerb the lantern sits on is often built by the roofer, not the lantern fitter. Agree in writing who does it.
- What glass is specified? Ask about solar control or self-cleaning glass for a south-facing kitchen.
- Is there a vent? Some lanterns can include opening vents, which help with cooking steam and summer heat.
- What does the guarantee cover? Frames, sealed units and fitting can have different terms.
- What happens to my deposit? Ask whether it is protected and by which scheme.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission for a roof lantern in Leicester?
Often not, if the extension it sits on meets permitted development limits, including the four-metre height limit for single-storey rear extensions. Listed buildings, conservation areas and homes without permitted development rights may need permission, so check with your council first.
How much does a roof lantern cost?
Prices depend on size, glass and fitting. Roof Maker publishes lantern supply prices from £516 plus VAT. The fitting companies here, including URG, quote after a free survey, so get two or three written quotes for the same size and glass.
Will a roof lantern make my kitchen too hot?
It can in summer if the glass is basic and the room faces south. Ask about solar control glass and an opening vent, and compare the published performance figures for each lantern.
Can a lantern go on an existing flat roof?
Usually, but the roof needs to be opened up, framed and fitted with a new upstand, so it is a structural job. Ask a surveyor or builder to check the roof joists first.
If you would rather deal with one local firm from measuring to the final clean-up, URG Windows & Doors is the call I would make first, on 0116 456 0246. Then get at least one comparison quote from the list above for the same size and glass.
Sources
- Planning Portal: Extensions and planning permission
- Planning Portal: Doors and windows, building regulations
- FENSA: Homeowners
- URG Windows & Doors: services and home pages on the company's own website, checked November 2026
- Phair Windows, Harveys Windows & Conservatories, Leicester Window Supplies and Roof Maker: each company's own website, checked November 2026
Last updated November 2026. General information only, not professional or building advice. Company details and prices were taken from each business's website in November 2026 and can change. Check planning and building regulations with your local authority before work starts.