We carry out ridge and hip repairs in Braintree and across the CM7 area. The ridge is where the hip bars and glazing bars meet at the top of a lantern, usually under a moulded or pressed end cap.

What you might be seeing
- Drips near the centre or top of the lantern
- A cracked or faded ridge end cap
- Staining along the hip bars inside
What usually causes it?
UV-damaged end caps
Plastic ridge end caps become brittle and crack, especially on south-facing lanterns.
Movement at the junction
Several bars meet at one point and each moves slightly with temperature; the seals at the ridge take the strain.
Roof lanterns in Braintree
Sun and UV do more damage than rain on many lanterns here: brittle ridge caps, chalky finishes and hardened gaskets. They're cheap to replace before they let water in.
From Chelmsford to Braintree is roughly 10 miles — all part of the Essex area we cover.
Neighbouring places we cover include Witham (7 miles), Chelmsford (10 miles), Maldon (11 miles).
What should you expect to pay in Braintree?
Most ridge and hip repairs jobs come in between £195 and £445 ex VAT (£234–£534 including VAT), per lantern. Towers or scaffold, where needed, are priced into the quote. Your fixed price is confirmed in writing before any work starts.
Do you need permission in England?
Straightforward repairs — resealing, gaskets, cappings, eaves and like-for-like parts — don't normally need building regulations approval in England. Replacing the whole lantern or enlarging the opening is different and falls under the Building Regulations 2010; we confirm in writing which route applies before any replacement. Listed buildings need listed building consent from the local council for alterations, and conservation areas can have extra controls; like-for-like repairs are treated differently from changes, so check with the council's conservation officer first.
How does it work?
- Send photosWhatsApp or upload a few photos and tell us when it leaks.
- Guide priceWe reply with a guide price and whether a visit is needed.
- Fixed price in writingYou approve the price and the date before anything starts.
- Repair and testWe fix what's failed, water-test where it matters, and send photos.
Ridge and hip repairs in Braintree: questions
Do you cover Braintree?
Yes. We cover Braintree, including the CM7 postcode area, as part of Essex. Send photos by WhatsApp or the form for a free guide price, and we'll confirm the fixed price in writing before any work starts.
Do you need to visit to price ridge and hip repairs?
Not always. Clear photos are often enough for a guide price. Where the cause isn't obvious, a visit to inspect and water-test is charged from £145 ex VAT, confirmed before we come.
What does a ridge repair cost?
Usually £195–£445 ex VAT for a standard lantern, confirmed in writing before work starts.
My ridge cap is a different colour from the frame — does that matter?
Faded or chalky caps are a sign of UV damage. Colour alone isn't a leak, but brittle caps crack, so we check them.
Other lantern repairs in Braintree
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- Urgent leak make-safe in Braintree
Ridge and hip repairs near Braintree
More about ridge and hip repairs · All roof lantern repairs in Braintree