Short answer: The electric rooflight cost depends on five things: the size and type of the unit, the motor and its controls, the rain sensor if you want one, the electrical work to bring power to it, and the state of the kerb and the access to the roof. We publish no figures because wiring and roof conditions can leave two rooflights of identical size priced far apart. After the survey you receive a written quote at a fixed price, itemised against each of those factors.
The unit itself
An electric skylight price starts with the glass and the frame. Size is the obvious driver: a larger rooflight needs more glass, a stronger frame and a more powerful drive to lift it. The type matters just as much. A flat rooflight on a kerb, a pitched roof window and a roof lantern with an opening vent are built differently, and their prices follow suit.
The glazing specification adds to it. A double-glazed unit with a solar control coating, a laminated inner pane for quieter rain or a self-cleaning outer pane costs more than a plain one. Frame finish plays a part too. A white internal frame is the standard, and a dark grey or bespoke colour is an extra. These are choices made with the unit, and they are listed separately on the quote so you can see what each one adds.
The motor, the controls and the sensor
The drive is the main difference between an electric rooflight and a manual one. Two kinds are common. Chain actuators are slim and suit narrow kerbs. Spindle drives push the sash open on a threaded rod, and the maker matches the drive to the size and weight of the sash. Either can be mains-powered, and a solar version carries a small panel and battery in the unit instead.
Controls come next. The simplest is a wall switch. A handheld remote costs more, and a link to a wider home system costs more again. A larger room, or several units that should open together, may need a control box to run them as a group.
A rain sensor is usually an add-on, and it is worth deciding on before ordering, because it is far easier to specify with the unit than to add later. Before you decide, read whether electric skylights close when it rains for what the sensor really does.
Choosing between mains and solar power is the subject of electric, solar or manual opening rooflights.
Wiring and who does it
A mains unit needs a cable from somewhere. In a new extension, that can be planned into the first fix, when the walls and ceiling are open, and the cost is small. In a finished room it can mean chasing a channel into plaster, running cable above a ceiling or taking it through a loft, and then making good. That is where an electric job can cost more than expected.
The electrical work itself is done by a qualified electrician, because wiring in a home falls under the electrical safety rules of the Building Regulations. The survey establishes where the supply is going to come from, how far the cable has to run and who will do it, and the quote says what is included. A solar unit needs no cable and avoids most of this, which is the main reason people choose it for a room that has been decorated.
Where the rooflight is part of a larger extension project, the electrician is often on site anyway, and the rooflight cable becomes one more run in their schedule. Mention it early, so the position is fixed before the ceiling goes up.
- Where the nearest supply is
- Whether the ceiling is open or finished
- How far the cable has to travel
- Whether a solar unit would avoid the wiring altogether
The kerb and the roof
A rooflight sits on something, and the something affects the price. On a flat roof it is a kerb or upstand, and if you have an existing opening of the right size and in good condition, the new unit can often be fitted to it. If the opening is the wrong size, or the old kerb has rotted, a new one is built, and the roof covering round it is reworked. On a pitched roof the equivalent is the rafter trimming and the flashing, and a different roof covering means a different flashing kit.
An electric unit can also need more of the structure than a fixed one. The actuator is mounted on the frame, and the opening glass is heavier than a fixed pane. Where a rooflight is replacing one that does not open, the opening needs checking against the new unit. The kerb is the detail that matters most, and flat roof rooflight upstands shows why.
Access and finishing
The last group of costs is practical. A rooflight over a single-storey rear extension is easy to reach. One on a third-storey slope, or above a terrace with a narrow passage and no rear access, needs scaffold, or a hoist, or more hands to carry the glass. The size and weight of the glass sets how it is lifted, and a large lantern may need a crane lift.
Inside, there is the finishing: the plasterboard splay round the opening, the paint and any light well. An opening unit needs room for the actuator and clearance for the glass to lift. If these are changed from the original opening, the finishing grows.
All of this is checked at the survey, and the price that follows is a fixed written quote. Ten years of written guarantee stand behind the workmanship, and Building Control hears about any notifiable work from us. For the broader picture of how we price, the costs page sets out the approach, and the electric and opening rooflights hub, Electric and Opening Rooflights, covers the range. Get a free quote
Before you ask for a price
Can you not quote a price over the phone?
Because the main costs, such as the wiring, the kerb and the access, can only be seen on site. Send photographs by WhatsApp and we can say what we would look at, then the survey fixes the quote.
Does a solar unit cost less than a mains one?
It can, where it avoids a long cable run, though the unit itself is built differently. The wiring saving depends on the room, so it is assessed at survey alongside the other items.
Is the electrician's work included in your quote?
The quote states what is covered, including the electrical work for the rooflight, so it is clear before you agree to anything. Raise any other electrical work in the room at survey.