Who we are
A Nottingham installer that does one job
Robin Skylights puts light into rooms that do not have enough of it. We install new skylights and rooflights, and we replace old ones. That is the whole of the business, so the questions we ask on a survey are all about the roof, the room beneath it and the light that reaches both.
Most of our work is in houses: terraces, semis, inter-war and post-war suburbs, extensions and loft rooms. Small commercial jobs are welcome too, such as a shop back room, an office stairwell or a workshop. We have no showroom and no public premises. We come to you, look at the roof and the room, and talk it through where the work will happen.
The name is deliberate, and the next section explains it. The work is also done by people who plan it, not passed along a chain, so the person you speak to at the start knows what was agreed at the end.
Why Robin
The bird that stays for the winter
Most pictures of rooflights are taken under a blue June sky. A Nottingham house does not live under that sky for long. For much of the year the light is flat, grey and low, and the days are short. A room that feels fine in July can feel gloomy by four o'clock in November.
The robin is one of the few garden birds that keeps singing through that stretch, which is why it gave us the name. It is also how we think about the work. We plan an opening for the overcast months first, because a rooflight that reads bright on a dull Tuesday will be generous on a sunny one. There is more on this in our grey-day daylight guide.
In practice that shapes real choices: where the opening sits over the room, how wide it is, what the glazing does about cold and condensation, and how the upstand and flashing are built to cope with long wet spells.
How we work
Survey first, then a fixed written quote
We do not price a rooflight from a photograph and a guess. The first step is a free survey. We look at the roof covering, the structure underneath, the room, the route for access and the position that will let in the most daylight. Only then do we price the job.
The survey is also your chance to ask anything. Bring the questions you have about noise in rain, blinds, opening versions or how a particular frame will look from the garden. We would rather answer them before you commit than after the scaffold is up.
The price comes to you as a fixed written quote. Once it is agreed, the figure stays put when we arrive. The quote itemises what is included, so you can see what you are paying for, line by line.
Where the work needs it, we deal with Building Control ourselves, sending the paperwork to the council or to a private registered approver. A new opening in a roof usually needs approval, and replacement rooflights are controlled work too, so this is part of the job and not a separate task for you. Everything we fit meets current Building Regulations.
Every installation carries a 10-year workmanship guarantee, in writing. The terms are on our guarantee page, and a copy goes with your quote.
Where we work
Nottingham and thirty miles around by road
We are based in Nottingham, a city, and we cover the area within 30 miles by road. The area is a wide and varied one. It takes in West Bridgford, Beeston, Arnold and Carlton, and stretches out to places such as Loughborough, Ilkeston, Hucknall and Southwell. The distance is measured along the roads you would drive, not in a straight line.
Councils differ across that area. Nottingham City Council, Rushcliffe, Broxtowe, Gedling and others each run their own planning and conservation policies, and we look up the rules for your street before pricing anything. You can see every town on the areas page.
What we fit
The rooflights we install and replace
The range is wide because the rooms are. These are the main kinds:
- Roof windows for lofts and pitched roofs, including VELUX windows.
- Flat roof rooflights over extensions, kitchens and garden rooms.
- Roof lanterns for a large room that needs light from above on every side.
- Sun tunnels for a windowless landing, hall or bathroom.
- Replacement of misted rooflights where the glazing has failed.
If you are not sure which is right, our dark-room choosing guide is a good place to begin. If you would like a straight answer for your own roof, ask for a survey.
Next step
Tell us about the dark room
The easiest start is a photograph. Send us a picture of the room and one of the roof above it on WhatsApp, on 07880 284133, call 0115 775 0605, or use the form on this page. We will arrange a survey visit and take it from there.
How the process runs from first message to fitted rooflight is set out step by step on how a survey and quote work.