Short answer: Sun tunnel installation cost depends on the tube diameter, whether the tube is rigid or flexible, how long and straight the run is, what the roof is covered with and how easily we can get at the loft. We do not quote a figure without a survey, because two houses on one street can need very different routes. The survey is followed by a fixed quote, and a 10-year workmanship guarantee goes in writing alongside it.
Why a sun pipe price needs a survey
Anyone searching for a sun pipe price wants a number, and a number would be easy to give if every sun tunnel were the same. They are not. The dome on the roof is the visible part, but most of the work is out of sight: the opening in the covering, the run of tube through the loft and the cut in the ceiling below. Each of those changes with the house.
A short drop from a roof directly above a hallway is quick work. A long, bending route from a slate roof down to a landing in the middle of a terrace is slower, needs more material and takes more care. The two jobs look alike from the street. In the loft they are very different, which is why we look before we quote. The full picture of the product is on our sun tunnel installation page.
What moves the cost
A handful of things account for most of the difference between one quote and another.
Tube diameter. A wider tube gathers more light and costs more to supply. It also needs wider gaps between rafters and joists, so the size you can have depends on the loft as well as the budget.
Rigid or flexible tube. Rigid sections carry light better, are cut to length and are joined and taped on site. Flexible tube is easier to route round obstacles but loses more light, so a long flexible run may need a bigger diameter to compensate. The choice affects both the parts and the labour. Sun tunnel routes, lengths and bends sets out that trade-off.
Length and bends. A longer tube uses more material and takes more time to fit. Each elbow adds parts and fiddly joint work.
Roof covering. Slate, plain tile, interlocking tile and a flat roof each take a different flashing, and the work of lapping a base into the covering differs. Slate on an older terrace needs particular care. A flat roof builds the upstand up differently, as the sun tunnel page for flat roofs explains.
Ceiling diffuser. Plain frosted discs and wider-spreading patterned ones are priced differently, and a lamp kit inside the diffuser adds parts and a little electrical work.
| Driver | Pushes the cost up | Keeps it down |
|---|---|---|
| Tube | Wide, long, many elbows | Short, straight, upright |
| Roof covering | Slate or a tricky profile | Standard tile |
| Loft access | Tight, boarded or cluttered | Open, with a hatch above the room |
| Diffuser | Patterned, or with a lamp kit | Plain frosted disc |
Access, the loft and the ceiling
Time in the loft is part of the price. A roomy 1930s loft over a semi in Crosby or Maghull makes the job easy, the tube having clear ground to travel. A low void in a Victorian terrace, or the web of diagonals in a trussed-rafter roof on a newer estate, slows everything down and calls for more care in handling a long tube. Boarding that has to lift, a tank that has to be worked around, or a loft full of stored boxes all add time.
The ceiling end counts as well. Cutting a clean round hole, sealing the diffuser to the plasterboard and laying the insulation back neatly round the tube is careful work, and we do it in a way that leaves the house tidy. A little plaster dust is expected. We put down dust sheets and clear up before we go.
Scaffolding or a roof ladder is occasionally needed, depending on how we reach the roof, and that is checked at survey too. If the survey shows that an unusual access arrangement is needed, it goes in the written quote, and does not turn up later as an extra.
How we price it
The process is short. Photographs of the room and the roof are a good first step, though you can book a survey directly instead. We visit, go into the loft, trace the route and tell you whether a sun tunnel suits the room. Where it does not, we point out a room that could take one more easily, or say if a rooflight would suit better. The guide titled sun tunnel or rooflight helps you make that call.
The written quote that comes next is a fixed one. It lists the tube, the diffuser, the flashing for your roof and the work, so you can see what the money is for. We deal with Building Control whenever the job has to be notified. Nothing is added afterwards for a surprise that a survey should have caught. The guarantee page explains the 10-year cover that comes with the workmanship, and you hold it in writing.
For how pricing works across every kind of rooflight, our costs page sets out the method. The thing to remember is that the survey comes before the price, and the price is fixed once it is written down. To start, send two photographs on WhatsApp or ask for a visit. Request your quote
Before you ask for a quote
Is a sun tunnel cheaper than a roof window?
It can be where the route is short and the roof covering is straightforward, since the opening is small and no rafter is usually cut. A long or awkward run can narrow the gap. Which product suits the room matters more than which one costs less.
Does the north-facing slope change the price?
The orientation itself does not add to the work. It may point towards a wider tube for the same light, and that is a cost that comes from the diameter. What a north-facing slope delivers is the topic of sun tunnels on north-facing roofs.
Can you give a rough idea before the survey?
We would rather not guess, because a guess made from a photograph can be wrong in either direction. Send the photographs, and we can say at once whether the job looks simple or complicated. The figure follows the survey.