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. Send photos from Portsmouth (PO5) and we'll tell you which it is — with the price agreed in writing before any work.

Is it time for ridge and hip repairs?
- Drips near the centre or top of the lantern
- A cracked or faded ridge end cap
- Sealant around the ridge cap split or missing
What usually causes it?
Movement at the junction
Several bars meet at one point and each moves slightly with temperature; the seals at the ridge take the strain.
Poor original sealing
Ridge details are fiddly. If the original sealing was rushed, it's often the first place to leak.
Covering Portsmouth and nearby
Drier, sunnier parts of the UK are kinder to seals than the wet west, but strong sun ages sealant, gaskets and plastic end caps, and south- or west-facing lanterns can make rooms very warm. Solar control glass and an opening vent help.
Portsmouth is around 15 miles from Southampton, and both are within our Hampshire coverage.
If you're just outside Portsmouth, we also cover Gosport (2 miles), Fareham (5 miles), Ryde (6 miles).
What should you expect to pay in Portsmouth?
Guide price for ridge and hip repairs: £195–£445 ex VAT (£234–£534 inc 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 Portsmouth: questions
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.
Which places near Portsmouth do you cover?
As well as Portsmouth, we cover nearby Gosport, Fareham, Ryde, Havant and the rest of Hampshire.
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 Portsmouth
- Flat roof junction and flashing repairs in Portsmouth
- Solar control and self-cleaning glass upgrades in Portsmouth
- Aluminium roof lantern repairs in Portsmouth
- uPVC roof lantern repairs in Portsmouth
- Flat rooflight and skylight repairs in Portsmouth
- Commercial roof lantern repairs in Portsmouth
Ridge and hip repairs near Portsmouth
More about ridge and hip repairs · All roof lantern repairs in Portsmouth