Every skylight and rooflight we install or replace comes with a 10-year workmanship guarantee. This page explains in plain English what that means: what it covers, what sits outside it and what to do if something goes wrong. It is a summary. The written guarantee you receive when your job is finished sets out the terms that apply to your work, and if anything here and that document differ, the document is what counts.
What the guarantee covers
The guarantee covers our workmanship, which means the way we fitted what we installed. In practice, that is:
- The fitting of the rooflight, roof window or lantern into its opening, including the frame, the fixings and the kerb or upstand we built for it.
- The flashing we fitted around the unit, whether that is a flashing kit to slate or tile, lead or a flat roof upstand detail.
- The weathering of our work: the joint between the unit and the roof covering we made good around it, so that rain stays out where we worked.
If one of those fails because of the way we did the job, we will come back and put it right at no cost to you.
What it does not cover
A workmanship guarantee is about our work, so some things sit outside it. Setting them out now saves confusion later.
The product itself
The rooflight, roof window or lantern is made by a manufacturer, and the manufacturer gives its own warranty on the product: the glass, the sealed units, the frame, and any motor or control. That warranty is separate from ours and runs on its own terms. We will tell you which manufacturer's warranty applies to your unit and help you use it if a product fault appears.
The rest of the roof
We guarantee the work we did and the covering we made good around it. The guarantee does not extend to parts of the existing roof beyond our work, such as slates elsewhere on the slope, a felt roof that was already ageing, or a valley gutter or parapet we did not touch. If a leak comes from somewhere else on the roof, it is not a workmanship failure on our part, although we will tell you what we found when we inspect.
Damage, misuse and alterations
The guarantee does not cover:
- storm damage, falling objects, fire or impact
- misuse, such as standing on a rooflight that is not rated as walk-on, or forcing an opening unit
- alterations, repairs or other work carried out on or around our installation by someone else
- a lack of basic care, such as gutters and outlets left blocked so that water backs up against the unit
- normal wear and the ordinary cleaning a rooflight needs
Looking after your rooflight
Most of the care a rooflight needs is simple. Keep gutters, valley outlets and the area around the kerb free of leaves and debris so water can drain away. Clean the glass as the manufacturer advises. On an opening unit, check that the seals are clean and that nothing stops it closing. If you have an electric rooflight with a rain sensor, keep the sensor clear. None of this is a condition designed to catch you out. It is simply what keeps a roof working.
How to make a claim
- Contact us Call 01273 282313, send a WhatsApp to 07880 284133 or email info@coastlightskylightsbrightonandhove.co.uk. Tell us the address and roughly when we did the work.
- Send photos Photos of the problem from inside, and from outside if you can see it safely, help us understand it before we visit. Please do not go onto the roof to take them.
- We inspect We arrange a visit to look at the installation and find the cause.
- We put right what is covered If the cause is our workmanship, we put it right at no charge. If it is a product fault, we help you with the manufacturer's warranty. If it is something else, we tell you what we found and what your options are.
If water is coming in, protect the room below as best you can and tell us straight away. It helps to keep a note of when the problem started and what the weather was doing.
If you sell your home
Whether the guarantee passes to a new owner when you sell depends on the terms in your written guarantee, so please ask us. Keep the guarantee document and the Building Control completion paperwork together with your house papers, because a buyer's solicitor will usually ask for both.
Your legal rights
The guarantee is given in addition to your rights under consumer law, and it does not take any of them away. If work is not carried out with reasonable care and skill, you have rights whether or not a guarantee applies.
Before and after the work
The guarantee is the last part of a process that starts with the survey. The quote page explains how we survey and price a job, and the access plan explains how we plan the route to the roof and the permissions around it. If you would like a survey, ask us here.
