The whole job on one page
Here is a typical run, counted from the week you first get in touch. Your dates move with your diary, the weather and your council, but the order never changes.
| When | What happens | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | You send your details, we book a survey | Answer a few questions, send two photos if you can |
| Week 1 or 2 | Survey visit at your home | Be in, and let us reach the outside of the conservatory |
| Shortly after the survey | Your fixed price arrives in writing | Read it, ask questions, decide in your own time |
| Once you say yes | Roof spec settled with the council, application lodged | Nothing, unless the council asks a question |
| Three to five weeks on from the survey | Panels made, fitting date booked | Choose a date that suits you |
| Fitting week | 1 to 3 days on site | Clear the room and be in at the start and end of each day |
| The weeks after | Building control sign off, paperwork sent | File the certificate and guarantee with your house papers |
Week 1: your first message
It starts with the quote form or an email. We need three things: the shape of your conservatory, its approximate size and whether the roof today is polycarbonate or glass. Two snaps, one of the roof seen from the lawn and one looking up from indoors, let the surveyor arrive prepared.
A surveyor then rings you to fix a visit on a day and time you choose. If you would like a guide figure before anyone visits, the roof builder gives you one in about a minute.
Week 1 or 2: the survey
There is no need to empty the room. Just clear anything stacked against the back wall, where the roof meets the brickwork.
The surveyor works through a fixed list:
- Takes the length, width, pitch and overhang of each roof section, because every panel is cut from those figures.
- Checks the ridge, the glazing bars, the top of the window frames and the dwarf walls for cracks, sagging or movement.
- Looks at access: the side path, the drop below the gutter and where the van can park.
- Photographs the roof and where it meets the house, for our factory order and for the council.
- Runs through the choices with you, from colour and roof lights to spotlights and gutters, and answers whatever you ask.
Nobody asks you to sign anything on the day. Our guide to what happens at a survey has more detail on the checks.
After the survey: your price in writing
Your price arrives as one fixed figure, with each part listed: the roof in your colour, each extra you chose and any repair the frame needs. If a repair is needed, you see it and its cost before you agree to anything.
If the frame could not safely take any new roof, the surveyor says so instead of quoting. We would rather lose a job than fit a roof that will not last.
Take the time you need. Compare it with other quotes if you like, and check it against our published prices.
Once you say yes: building control
Once the roof is solid, the conservatory no longer counts as exempt from building regulations, and approval is normally required. Councils do not all read the rules the same way for a conversion like this, so we settle the roof specification with yours before a single panel is ordered. The application and the council's charge are then handled by us. The LABC website explains how local building control works if you want the background.
Planning is rarely an issue, as the conservatory keeps its size and height. The exceptions: a listed home, a conservation area, a National Landscape, a national park, or a house whose permitted development rights were taken away. If one of those fits, mention it on your first call.
Weeks 2 to 5: your panels are made
This is the quiet stretch. Your panels are cut and finished to the surveyor's measurements in your chosen colour, with the roof light openings in place if you ordered them. Expect three to five weeks between survey and fitting.
When the panels are ready, we call to agree a fitting date. We also tell you how many days to expect, so you can plan around it.
Your four jobs before fitting day
- Clear the conservatory, or at least move furniture to the middle so it can be covered.
- Take down any blinds fixed to the roof bars.
- Leave space to park near the house for a van.
- Keep pets away from the conservatory and the garden side while the roof is open.
Fitting week
How long depends on size. Small roofs are a 1 day job. Medium ones take 1 to 2 days. Large and P-shaped roofs need 2 to 3. Scaffold is rarely part of it on a single storey conservatory.
A one day fit
The team arrives in the morning, sheets the floor and furniture, and takes the old roof off. The bare frame is checked again and any agreed repair is done. The panels go in section by section, then the trims, the wall flashing and any gutters. Spotlights go in last, the room is cleaned, and before we leave you get a full tour of the new roof from the garden and from the room.
A two or three day fit
On bigger jobs we strip one section at a time and never leave the room exposed to the night. Each evening the finished part is sealed and any open section is covered and weighted. The last day ends with the same walk round.
Fitting goes ahead through most of the year, including winter. Our guide to replacing a roof in winter covers what happens when the forecast turns. If it is too wet or windy to work safely, we call before the day to move it.
The weeks after: sign off
Building control inspects the roof, either while we are fitting or once it is done, depending on your council. When they are satisfied, they issue a completion certificate. File it with your deeds. Whoever buys your home will need to see it.
Your 10 year insurance backed guarantee arrives with your paperwork. Looking after the roof is simple, and our guide to roof maintenance covers the few jobs worth doing each year.
Questions
Can I choose my fitting date?
Yes. When your panels are ready we call with dates and you pick one. It is usually three to five weeks on from the survey.
What happens if my frame needs work first?
Any repair goes on your written price as its own line, so you see it before agreeing. If the frame could not take any new roof, we tell you that instead of quoting.
Is the room usable between fitting days on a longer job?
It is kept dry and covered overnight, but we suggest leaving it clear until the last day. Everywhere else in the house is unaffected.
How long after fitting does the completion certificate arrive?
It depends on your council and when they inspect. It follows once building control has signed the roof off.
