Roof Windows in Birmingham

Birmingham Roof Pros fits roof windows on pitched and flat roofs across Birmingham. We cut and frame openings for new windows, swap worn windows for new ones in the same opening, and reseal the edges of windows that leak. The Planning Portal calls these rooflights, and describes a rooflight as a window fitted within a pitched or flat roof, normally to give more light to the rooms below.

Do you need planning permission?

The Planning Portal says permitted development rights let you make some changes to the roof of a house, such as adding skylights, without a planning application, as long as these limits are met:

Planning Portal limit	What it means for your window
Must not project more than 150 millimetres from the plane of the existing roof slope	The window has to sit close to the line of the roof, not stick up from it
Must not exceed the height of the existing roof	It cannot rise above the highest part of the roof
Side-facing windows must be obscure-glazed and, if opening, 1.7 metres above the floor	A window facing the side needs frosted glass, and any part that opens must be high up

These rules are for houses. The Planning Portal says they do not cover a building with flats in it, or a flat inside one. If the limits are not met, or the rights have been removed in your area, it says you will need to apply for planning permission.

Bournville and other conservation areas

Birmingham City Council's design guide for the Bournville Village Conservation Area says you will need planning permission to put a rooflight on the front or side of your home. It also says rooflights at the front are not usually acceptable there.

If you live in a conservation area, check with the council before you plan a window on a slope that faces the street. We can usually suggest a slope at the back instead.

Building regulations for a new roof window

The Planning Portal says approval under the building regulations will generally be needed to fit a new rooflight. Its reasons:

• The roof structure will generally need to be altered to make the opening, and the roof has to carry the weight of the window or be made stronger.
• The rooflight must show it has enough insulation against heat loss. The Planning Portal says its U-value, a rating for how much heat passes through, should not go over the limit.
• If the window is close to a boundary, its fire performance needs to be considered.

The Planning Portal says fitting a rooflight generally means cutting away part of one or more of the roof's rafters or joists, the main roof timbers. The cut ends then need new support from doubled timbers called trimmers. We include that framing, and the building control application, in our quote.

How we fit a roof window

We set out the opening between the rafters from inside the loft first. Then we strip the tiles or slates around it, cut and trim the timbers, and fix the window frame in place.

The Planning Portal says the edges of a rooflight need sealing against the weather, commonly with lead flashing or kits supplied with the window. We fit the flashing kit or lead, relay the tiles around it, and finish the lining inside.

It also says the room the window serves needs ventilation, and the window can give both quick airing and steady background air. We fit windows with a vent you can leave open.

Questions about roof windows in Birmingham

Get a roof window quote

Send us your postcode, which room you want to light, and a photo of the roof slope if you can. We will come and look, then send you a written quote.