Velux and roof window installation across Reading — new roof lights, replacements and dormer windows, fitted and flashed watertight into your existing roof. Bring light into a loft, landing or extension without compromising the roof.
Velux and skylight installation in Reading costs £1,200-£3,000 installed, depending on the window size and roof type. We fit new roof windows, replace failed units, and carry out dormer window work — all correctly flashed and made watertight. Free survey and quote. Call 0118 327 2383.
A roof window — Velux is the best-known brand — sits flush in the roof slope and floods a loft, landing or top-floor room with natural light. Installation isn't just cutting a hole: the window must be structurally integrated into the rafters, flashed correctly into the surrounding tiles or slates, and made fully watertight. A poorly flashed roof window is a guaranteed leak, so the flashing kit and the tile integration are as important as the window itself.
Replacing an old or failed roof window is common work — the seals and mechanisms on older units degrade, leading to leaks, draughts or condensation between panes. A like-for-like replacement in the same aperture is straightforward; upgrading to a larger unit or a different type involves altering the rafter structure and the surrounding roof covering. We assess what's involved and price it honestly rather than quoting a swap and hitting you with extras.
Dormer windows are a bigger project — a structural box projecting from the roof slope with its own roof, cheeks and window, used to add headroom and light to a loft conversion. Dormer work spans roofing, structural and weatherproofing trades: the dormer roof (often flat, in EPDM or GRP), the cheek cladding or tiling, and the lead or flashing where it meets the main roof. We handle the roofing elements of dormer work and coordinate where needed.
Loft conversions and roof-light installations are widespread across Reading's family housing, and the roof type dictates the approach. On the concrete interlocking tile of the post-war estates — Woodley, Earley, Lower Earley, Tilehurst — Velux installation is straightforward, with standard flashing kits designed for these profiles. These properties, with their generous loft spaces, are where most of our roof window work happens, typically to light a loft conversion or an upgraded landing.
On the Victorian and Edwardian stock of Newtown, Katesgrove and Caversham, roof windows need more care. The steeper pitches and clay tile or slate coverings require the right flashing approach, and in conservation areas the visibility of a roof window from the street can be a planning consideration — a Velux on a rear slope is usually fine, but on a prominent front elevation in a conservation area it may need consent. We advise on the planning position before cutting anything.
Dormer work is concentrated where loft conversions are adding bedrooms — across the family suburbs of Reading where growing households are converting rather than moving. The 1930s and post-war stock in Tilehurst, Emmer Green, Woodley and Earley has the roof geometry that suits dormers, and we handle the roofing side: the dormer's flat roof in EPDM or GRP, the lead flashing where it ties into the main roof slope, and the weatherproofing that makes the conversion sound. Getting the junction between dormer and main roof right is where leaks are prevented or created.
A roof window does two jobs — light and ventilation — and specifying for both is what makes a loft conversion or upgraded room genuinely comfortable rather than just brighter. Position and size govern the light: a window on a south or west-facing slope floods a room but can overheat it in summer without blinds or solar-control glazing, while a north-facing window gives steady, even light without glare. In a Reading loft conversion, we advise on orientation and size against the room's use, because the right window in the wrong place creates a greenhouse or a gloomy corner rather than the bright room the homeowner wanted.
Ventilation through a roof window matters especially in the well-sealed modern loft conversions common across Reading's family housing. A converted loft is a warm, occupied space directly under the roof, and without ventilation it accumulates the moisture and stuffiness that lead to condensation and poor air quality. An openable roof window provides the passive ventilation that keeps the space healthy, and where a loft room is used as a bedroom, the window may also need to meet the minimum openable dimensions for means of escape under Building Regulations — a detail a competent installer checks rather than discovers at sign-off.
The junction between the window and the roof is where installation quality shows, and it's specific to your roof covering. On the concrete interlocking tile of the post-war estates, the standard flashing kits integrate cleanly. On the plain clay tile or slate of Newtown, Katesgrove and Caversham's period stock, the flashing needs adapting to the smaller, flatter units and steeper pitch, and the tile cutting around the window has to be precise to stay watertight. Getting this junction right on the actual roof covering — rather than forcing a standard kit onto a covering it wasn't designed for — is what separates a watertight installation from a future leak.
| Velux / roof window supplied & fitted | £1,200 – £2,500 |
| Large or premium roof window | £2,000 – £3,000 |
| Roof window replacement (like-for-like) | £900 – £1,800 |
| Dormer roof & flashing (per scope) | Priced per survey |
| Multiple roof windows (per additional) | From £900 |
Indicative 2026 ranges for Reading. Dormer projects are priced individually following survey. All roof windows are flashed and made fully watertight. Figures include VAT.
Building Regulations require roof windows to meet specific requirements for structural opening, thermal performance and, where used as a means of escape, minimum openable dimensions — which is why a correctly installed roof light involves proper rafter integration and flashing, not simply fitting a unit into a cut aperture.
Want to bring light into a loft, landing or conversion? A free survey gives you a proper price for a watertight roof window installation. Call to arrange.
Call 0118 327 2383“Fitted two Velux windows in our loft conversion. Watertight, neat, and they sorted the flashing into the tiles perfectly. Transformed a dark loft into a proper room.”
Emma J.
Woodley · Roof window installation
“Old Velux was leaking and misted up. They replaced it same day, no fuss, and it's bone dry. Fair price for a quick job.”
Graham P.
Tilehurst · Velux replacement
“Did the roofing on our dormer — the flat roof and the lead work where it meets the main roof. No leaks, signed off fine. Knew how to tie it all together.”
Louise B.
Emmer Green · Dormer roofing
A Velux or roof window supplied and fitted costs £1,200-£2,500 in Reading, or £2,000-£3,000 for large or premium units. Like-for-like replacement of a failed window is £900-£1,800. Multiple windows in the same job cost less per additional unit. All are flashed and made fully watertight.
Yes. Old roof windows fail as seals and mechanisms degrade, causing leaks, draughts or misting between panes. A like-for-like replacement in the same aperture is straightforward at £900-£1,800. Upgrading to a larger or different unit involves altering the rafters and surrounding roof, which we assess and price honestly.
Usually not — roof windows on rear or side slopes are typically permitted development. But in conservation areas (Newtown, central Caversham) a roof window on a prominent front elevation may need consent, and it must not project beyond the plane of the roof much. We check the planning position for your specific property before cutting anything.
Not if it's installed properly. The window must be structurally integrated into the rafters and flashed correctly into the surrounding tiles or slates with the right flashing kit. A poorly flashed roof window is a guaranteed leak — which is why we treat the flashing and tile integration as being as important as the window itself.
Yes — we handle the roofing elements of dormer work: the dormer's flat roof in EPDM or GRP, the lead flashing where it meets the main roof, and the weatherproofing that makes the conversion sound. Dormers are common on Reading's 1930s and post-war stock for loft conversions. We price these individually after survey.
Most — concrete interlocking tile on the post-war estates is straightforward with standard flashing kits, and clay tile or slate on period properties needs the right flashing approach but is entirely feasible. The steeper pitches of Victorian roofs actually suit roof windows well. We confirm the flashing approach for your specific roof covering.
A single roof window is typically fitted in a day, weather permitting — cutting the aperture, integrating it into the rafters, fitting the window and flashing it watertight. Multiple windows or dormer work takes longer. We give you a realistic timescale at the quotation stage.
No call-out fee. No obligation. Just an honest assessment and a fair price for your Reading property.
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