Before fitting skylights in Leicester, decide whether a flat rooflight or a roof lantern suits the room, check the planning limits for roof alterations, confirm who handles building regulations, and ask how the glazing deals with heat and glare. URG Windows & Doors, a FENSA-registered installer on Belgrave Gate, supplies both aluminium rooflights and roof lanterns, so it is a useful local example to measure other quotes against.
A dark kitchen at the back of a terrace, a single-storey extension that never gets the sun, a landing with no window at all. These are the rooms where light from above makes the biggest difference. A wall window can only reach so far into a deep room. Glazing in the roof drops daylight straight onto the floor where you need it.
But a skylight is not just a window laid flat. It sits in the part of the house that keeps the weather out, so the details matter more. We used one local installer's published range as a worked example: its page on skylights in Leicester sets out the two main options in plain language. Whoever you ask to quote, put the six questions below to them and write the answers down.
1. Do you need a rooflight or a roof lantern?
These two products are often lumped together, but they do different jobs. A rooflight (sometimes called a skypod or flat glass rooflight) is a single glazed unit that sits low on a flat roof. A roof lantern is a raised, framed structure, usually with sloping glass panels, that stands up above the roof line like a small glass roof of its own.
URG describes its rooflights as contemporary aluminium skypods for flat roof spaces, with clean lines and high-performance glazing. Its roof lanterns are slimline aluminium, designed for maximum light and minimal framework, and the company suggests them for kitchens, extensions and open-plan living areas.
As a rough guide, a rooflight suits a smaller space or a spot where you want a neat, low profile, such as a utility room, a hallway in a flat-roofed extension or above a stair. A lantern suits a larger room where you want a feature and a real sense of height, such as a kitchen-diner opening onto the garden.
| Question | Flat rooflight | Roof lantern |
|---|---|---|
| How it looks from inside | A clean glass panel in the ceiling | A raised glass structure that adds height |
| Typical rooms | Hallways, utility rooms, smaller extensions, above stairs | Kitchens, kitchen-diners, larger open-plan extensions |
| Visible from outside | Low profile on the roof | Stands clearly above the roof line |
| What URG Windows & Doors publishes | Aluminium skypods with high-performance glazing for flat roofs | Slimline aluminium lanterns with minimal framework |
| Ask every installer | Size of the opening, upstand detail, glass specification | Number of panels, frame colour, how the lantern is supported |
2. Will the roof need planning permission?
For many houses in England, adding glazing to an existing roof falls under permitted development, so no planning application is needed. The Planning Portal sets out the main limits for roof alterations: the work must not project more than 150 millimetres from the plane of the existing roof slope, and it must not be higher than the existing roof. Side-facing windows must be obscure-glazed, and if they open, the opening part must be at least 1.7 metres above the floor of the room.
There are exceptions. These permitted development rights apply to houses, not to flats or buildings that contain flats. They can also be removed in some areas, and the Planning Portal notes that extra local rules may affect what permissions you need. Leicester has plenty of Victorian and Edwardian streets where roof changes are noticed. If your home is listed, in a conservation area or you are unsure, ask Leicester City Council before you sign anything.
A roof lantern on a flat-roofed extension is a slightly different case, because it stands up from the roof. Ask the installer to explain how the height of the lantern relates to the planning rules for your property, and get the answer in writing.
3. Who deals with building regulations?
Planning and building regulations are separate things. Planning is about how the house looks and affects neighbours. Building regulations are about whether the work is safe, structurally sound and energy efficient.
The Planning Portal says that since 1 April 2002, building regulations have applied to all replacement glazing, and that windows and doors must meet maximum U-values for heat loss. Cutting a new opening in a roof also usually involves changing the roof structure, such as trimming joists or rafters, which brings structural checks into play.
Ask each firm three things. Is the work covered by a competent person scheme, so they can self-certify the glazing? Who will check the structural side if a new opening is being made? And will you receive a certificate at the end? URG Windows & Doors is a FENSA Approved Installer with registration number 45069. Whoever you use, check the registration on the scheme's own website rather than relying on a logo on a van.
4. How will the glass handle heat, glare and noise?
A skylight lets in far more light than a wall window of the same size, because it faces the open sky. That is the point, but it can also mean a hot room in July and glare on a laptop screen.
Questions worth asking:
- Is the unit double or triple glazed, and what is the U-value of the whole unit, not just the glass?
- Is solar control glass available for a south-facing roof?
- Is there a self-cleaning coating on the outer pane?
- How noisy will heavy rain be on this glass compared with the rest of the roof?
- Can blinds be fitted later, and are they designed for this product?
URG says its rooflights bring light in without compromising insulation, style or structural integrity, and that its roof lanterns are designed to improve thermal performance. Ask for the actual figures for the unit you are quoted, so you can compare like with like.
5. Where exactly should it go?
Position matters more than size. A rooflight over a kitchen island or a dining table makes the space feel used and bright. One over a corridor at the far end of an extension can turn a dead zone into somewhere you want to sit.
Think about the joists and where the existing beams run, because moving a rooflight half a metre can save a lot of structural work. Think about cleaning, too. A flat unit on a single-storey roof is easy to reach with a long-handled brush, but one high on a two-storey roof is not.
Ask whether you need an opening unit for ventilation, especially over a kitchen or a shower room. Fixed units are simpler, but a room with a lot of glass and no airflow can get stuffy.
And picture the view from above. Neighbours with upstairs windows may look down onto a large glass panel, and you may look up at theirs. A short chat over the fence before the survey can avoid awkwardness later.
6. What happens if something goes wrong later?
Roof glazing that leaks is one of the most frustrating home problems, because water can travel along a roof before it shows on a ceiling. A clear guarantee is worth more here than almost anywhere else in the house.
FENSA explains that an insurance-backed guarantee covers the installer's written guarantee if the company stops trading. URG Windows & Doors says every installation is covered by Home Improvement Protection, which includes deposit protection from order to completion, an insurance-backed guarantee and a free independent dispute resolution route. Ask any installer what their guarantee covers on roof glazing in particular: the glass, the frame, the seals and the weatherproofing where the unit meets the roof covering.
What we checked
We read guidance from the Planning Portal on roof alterations and on building regulations for glazing, FENSA's information for homeowners, and the published rooflight and roof lantern details of one Leicester installer. We did not compare prices. The cost of a skylight depends on its size, the glazing, whether a new opening is needed and the state of the roof, and only a survey can give a reliable figure.
Getting a fair quote
Ask every firm for one written price that includes the unit, the glazing, any upstand or kerb, the roof making-good, internal plastering around the opening and removal of waste. URG offers a free, no-obligation survey, says its written quotes cover the products, fitting and finishing, and says there is no pressure to sign on the day. If you are thinking about spreading the cost, it offers 0% finance subject to status and affordability, arranged as a credit broker rather than a lender. Its office hours are Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm and Saturday 9am to 5pm, and you can call 0116 456 0246.
Frequently asked questions
Is a skylight the same as a rooflight?
People use the words loosely. Installers often say rooflight for a flat glass unit on a flat roof, and roof window for an opening unit set into a pitched roof. A roof lantern is a raised, framed glass structure.
Do I need planning permission for a skylight in Leicester?
Often not for a house, if the glazing does not project more than 150mm from the roof slope and is not higher than the roof. Flats, listed buildings and conservation areas can be different, so check with the city council first.
Will a skylight make my extension too hot?
It can on a south-facing roof without the right glass. Ask about solar control glazing, ventilation and blinds before you order.
How long does fitting take?
It depends on the size and whether a new opening has to be formed. Ask the installer for a written timetable that includes any structural work and making good inside.
Sources
- Planning Portal: Roof, planning permission
- Planning Portal: Doors and windows, building regulations
- FENSA: Information for homeowners
- GOV.UK: Competent person schemes
General information only; check details directly with each business, and with the linked official sources for your own home.