When a lantern is letting in a lot of water or the glass is broken, the first job is to stop more damage. Send photos from Chatham (ME4) and we'll tell you which it is — with the price agreed in writing before any work.

Is it time for urgent leak make-safe?
- Water pouring in during a storm
- Broken or missing glass
- A capping or vent blown off
What usually causes it?
Storm damage
High winds can lift cappings and vents.
Sudden seal failure
A failing joint can let go in heavy rain.
About Chatham and the ME4 area
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.
Coastal wind drives rain hard against lanterns, so cappings and ridge seals on the seaward face take the most punishment.
We cover Chatham as part of Kent, about 8 miles from Maidstone.
Neighbouring places we cover include Gillingham (1 mile), Rochester (1 mile), Strood (2 miles).
What should you expect to pay in Chatham?
Most urgent leak make-safe jobs come in between £195 and £395 ex VAT (£234–£474 including VAT), per visit. 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.
Urgent leak make-safe in Chatham: questions
Can you repair a lantern someone else installed in Chatham?
Yes. We repair lanterns whoever fitted them. If yours is still under the installer's warranty, contact them first so you don't affect it.
Which places near Chatham do you cover?
As well as Chatham, we cover nearby Gillingham, Rochester, Strood, Maidstone and the rest of Kent.
How quickly can you come?
We arrange make-safe visits as soon as we can, depending on weather, access and where you are. We'll give you an honest time when you call.
What does a make-safe cost?
Usually £195–£395 ex VAT, confirmed before we attend. The permanent repair is quoted separately.
Other lantern repairs in Chatham
- Eaves beam and gutter repairs in Chatham
- Upstand and kerb repairs in Chatham
- Misted glass unit replacement in Chatham
- Cracked lantern glass replacement in Chatham
- Flat rooflight and skylight repairs in Chatham
- Orangery lantern repairs in Chatham
Urgent leak make-safe near Chatham
More about urgent leak make-safe · All roof lantern repairs in Chatham