In Dartford, as everywhere, 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 and we'll tell you what we think has failed.

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
Common causes we find
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.
Covering Dartford and nearby
Even in drier areas, one heavy downpour with blocked eaves is enough to overflow a lantern indoors. Clearing the eaves channel is the simplest prevention there is.
Near the coast, salt in the air is hard on aluminium finishes and fixings; washing the frame occasionally and touching in chips keeps corrosion away.
Dartford is around 18 miles from Maidstone, and both are within our Kent coverage.
Neighbouring places we cover include Bexley (3 miles), Swanley (4 miles), Welling (5 miles).
What should you expect to pay in Dartford?
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 Dartford: questions
How do I get a price for ridge and hip repairs in Dartford?
Send a few photos of the lantern and the problem, with your Dartford postcode. We'll reply with a guide price and tell you whether a visit is needed before we can fix the price.
Which places near Dartford do you cover?
As well as Dartford, we cover nearby Bexley, Swanley, Welling, South Ockendon and the rest of Kent.
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 Dartford
- Roof lantern leak repairs in Dartford
- Flat roof junction and flashing repairs in Dartford
- Misted glass unit replacement in Dartford
- Flat rooflight and skylight repairs in Dartford
- Cleaning and maintenance in Dartford
- Commercial roof lantern repairs in Dartford
Ridge and hip repairs near Dartford
More about ridge and hip repairs · All roof lantern repairs in Dartford