Timber Dormer Windows in Edinburgh and the Lothians
We are a dormer specialist, not a general builder who occasionally does roofs — and across Edinburgh and the Lothians that focus shows up in the detailing.
Timber Dormer Windows — indicative geometry
Timber Dormer Windows for Edinburgh and the Lothians homes
Most of the dormer work we take on around Edinburgh and the Lothians is on Victorian and Edwardian terraces, interwar semi-detached houses and post-war bungalows, where the ridge height and the position of the existing purlins set the limits.
Timber gives you the narrow sections and the moulded detail that period roofs need, and modern engineered laminated stock is dimensionally far more stable than the solid softwood it replaced. Factory-applied microporous paint or stain gives 8–10 years before recoating. On a front elevation in a conservation area it is very often the only material that will be approved.
Key specification
| Timber | Engineered laminated softwood or hardwood |
|---|---|
| Finish | Factory microporous paint or stain |
| Repaint interval | 8–10 years |
| Sightlines | Slimmer than uPVC or aluminium |
Planning and building control in Edinburgh and the Lothians
Rear dormers on houses often sit inside permitted development, but the volume allowance is consumed by any previous loft or rear extension — so we check the planning history for the address before we say yes.
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 would rather tell you at survey that your ridge height will not take what you want than take a deposit and find out in week three.
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
- Full-Width Rear Dormers in Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Eyebrow Dormers in Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Bungalow Dormer Conversions in Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Dormer Window Replacement in Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Sash Dormer Windows in Edinburgh and the Lothians
- GRP Fibreglass Dormer Roofing in Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Flat Roof Dormers in Edinburgh and the Lothians
- Hipped Roof Dormers in Edinburgh and the Lothians
FAQs
Timber Dormer Windows in Edinburgh and the Lothians — FAQs
Does a dormer need building regulations approval?
Yes, always — permitted development covers planning, not building control. A dormer needs approval for structure, thermal performance under Part L, fire escape and protected route under Part B, and stairs under Part K if a staircase is involved. We handle the application, the inspections and the completion certificate.
Why is my dormer leaking?
In our experience the window itself is the cause less than a fifth of the time. Far more often it is the apron flashing at the dormer front, the lead soakers where the cheeks meet the roof slope, the back gutter behind a pitched dormer, or a split at an upstand in the flat covering. Water then tracks along a rafter and appears somewhere else entirely, which is why we trace the path before quoting.
Will a dormer add value to my house?
A properly built and signed-off dormer conversion adding a bedroom and bathroom typically returns a meaningful share of its cost in value, and more in areas where floor space is scarce. The building control completion certificate is what makes the space count as habitable floor area on a valuation — without it, surveyors will not include it.
Is scaffolding included in the price?
Yes. Every quotation we issue includes scaffold design, erection, weekly inspection, hire for the programme and dismantling. Scaffold appearing as an extra afterwards is one of the more common complaints about dormer work, so we price it in from the start.
How wide can a dormer be?
Structurally, as wide as the roof — full-width rear dormers regularly run six to eight metres, carried on a steel ridge beam. The limits are usually planning volume allowances and the setbacks needed at eaves and ridge, rather than what can be built.
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.