Hipped Roof Dormers in Edinburgh and the Lothians
We design, build and weatherproof hipped roof dormers for homeowners across Edinburgh and the Lothians, working from first survey through to building control sign-off.
Hipped Roof Dormers — indicative geometry
Hipped Roof Dormers for Edinburgh and the Lothians homes
Edinburgh and the Lothians is a mix of Victorian and Edwardian terraces, interwar semi-detached houses and post-war bungalows, and each of those wants a different dormer form — which is why we survey before quoting rather than pricing off a photograph.
A hipped dormer slopes on the front and both sides, so no vertical face breaks the roof plane. That makes it visually recessive, which matters enormously on a front elevation or in a conservation area. The trade-off is a narrower window opening for the same overall footprint, because the hips eat into the front face at the head.
Key specification
| Typical projection | 1.2m – 2.4m wide |
|---|---|
| Hip pitch | 40° – 50° typical |
| Roof finish | Plain tile bonnet hips or slate with lead |
| Flashing | Lead soakers, back gutter and apron |
Planning and building control in Edinburgh and the Lothians
We run the permitted development test on your specific property: set-back from the eaves, height against the ridge, volume allowance and whether an Article 4 direction applies locally.
Building regulations approval is separate and always required. We submit the application, book the inspections around the programme and hand you the completion certificate at the end — the document a buyer's surveyor will ask to see.
Why homeowners in Edinburgh and the Lothians use us
We only do dormers. That sounds like a limitation until you have watched a general builder improvise a back gutter on a wet Thursday.
Send us the address and roughly what you are hoping to gain, and we will come back with a realistic answer rather than an optimistic one.
Other dormer work in Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Box Dormers in Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Dormer Loft Conversions in Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Dormer Window Installation in Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Timber Dormer Windows in Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Conservation Dormer Windows in Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Lead & Zinc Dormer Roofing in Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Pitched Roof Dormers in Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Full-Width Rear Dormers in Edinburgh and the Lothians
FAQs
Hipped Roof Dormers in Edinburgh and the Lothians — FAQs
Do I need planning permission for a dormer window?
Rear dormers on a house often fall under permitted development, provided the dormer is set at least 200mm back from the eaves, sits below the ridge line, uses materials similar in appearance to the existing house, and stays within the volume allowance — 40m³ for a terrace, 50m³ for a semi or detached. Front-facing dormers, flats and maisonettes, listed buildings, conservation areas and any property with an Article 4 direction all need a full planning application. We check the constraints on your specific address before we quote.
Will my roof be open to the weather?
No. The roof is only opened once the scaffold, temporary weather protection and materials are all on site, and the dormer is made weathertight — structure, deck, membrane and temporary glazing — before the crew leaves at the end of the opening-up phase. We do not open a roof on a Friday afternoon.
What is the best roof covering for a flat dormer?
GRP fibreglass and EPDM rubber are the two we specify most. GRP cures into a single seamless laminate with bonded trims and suits small tops with several upstands. EPDM is a one-piece membrane that copes better with movement on larger spans. Both carry twenty-year guarantees; mineral felt is cheaper but has a materially shorter life.
What insulation do dormers need?
Current building regulations want around 0.15–0.18 W/m²K for a new dormer roof and 0.18 W/m²K for the cheeks and front. In practice that is a warm-roof build-up using 100–150mm of PIR insulation above or between the structure, with a continuous vapour control layer on the warm side. Getting the VCL continuous matters more than the insulation thickness.
Can you match my existing roof tiles?
Usually. Most common clay and concrete profiles are still in production or available reclaimed, and we source a match at survey stage so you see it before work starts. Where a discontinued profile cannot be matched exactly, we normally recommend taking tiles from a less visible slope for the dormer and using the closest new match on the hidden elevation.
Find out what your roof will take
A free measured survey in Edinburgh and the Lothians tells you what is achievable, what it needs, and what it costs — before you commit to anything.