Roof lantern canopy cost: what drives the price

Roof lantern canopy cost: the roof lantern itself

A canopy is a roof on posts or beams, often free-standing or partly attached to the house. If you want a roof lantern in that roof, you pay for two things: the roof lantern and the work to fit it properly on the canopy. So the roof lantern canopy cost starts with the roof type. A mono-pitch roof lantern with one sloping surface is the entry model. A gable roof lantern gives a classic ridge and needs more material.

After that, size and glass matter. HR++ double glazing is standard. On an open canopy, where the wind simply blows underneath, triple glazing adds little. There the money is often better spent on solar control glass, because a canopy usually stands in the garden, in full sun.

• Mono-pitch from €1,532, one sloping glass surface
• Gable from €2,399, two surfaces meeting at a ridge
• HR++ standard, solar control glass as an option
• Aluminium frame in any RAL colour

What the canopy itself must be able to do

Glass is heavy. A timber or aluminium canopy built for light plastic sheets is not automatically strong enough for a glass roof lantern. Have your contractor or a structural engineer assess whether the beams and posts can carry the extra weight, plus snow and wind.

A roof lantern also needs a flat, straight base: an upstand to rest on. You can read how that is built in the upstand of a roof lantern. The pitch matters too: a mono-pitch has a standard pitch of 8°, so rainwater drains properly. The water runs to an existing gutter or downpipe.

What does the work around the roof lantern cost?

Your own contractor or builder fits it, or on request our regular installation partner, shown as a separate line in the quote. On a canopy the work is often straightforward, because you work at low height and there is no interior finishing. Allow roughly half a day to two days of work, depending on size and whether the upstand is already in place. Always ask for a quote. More detail is in having a roof lantern installed.

If you are building the canopy from scratch, the roof lantern is only part of the budget. A complete canopy with a glass roof can cost roughly from a few thousand euros to well over €10,000, depending on size, material and finish. That is a rough market indication, not our price.

• Have the structure checked for weight, snow and wind
• Upstand and drainage in the contractor's quote
• A large roof lantern often needs lifting equipment
• Check with your municipality about a permit for the canopy

How to keep costs under control

Choose a stock size if it fits. The mono-pitch in 1, 2 and 3 metres is always in stock. If the canopy is new, your contractor can size the opening to match. If the size is already fixed, made to measure is the better choice, with a lead time from 2 weeks after approval. Collecting in Barneveld saves delivery costs. Read more about this application in a roof lantern on a canopy.

Frequently asked questions