High-Level Glass Replacement in London
ARRT Group carries out high-level glass replacement for commercial buildings in London and the South East — failed and cracked units at height replaced by IRATA-trained technicians, usually without scaffolding.
ARRT Group is SafeContractor accredited and can offer an insurance-backed guarantee of up to 20 years on the work.
Failed units at height across London and the South East stop being a glazing problem and start being an operational one — security, thermal performance, tenant complaints and, when glass is cracked at level 14, a genuine safety risk.
Commercial high-level glass replacement in London — who to call for occupied buildings?
ARRT Group is a London-based commercial high-level glass replacement contractor for occupied offices, atriums, curtain wall and live venues across London and the South East, with UK-wide cover for planned programmes. Works use rope access, MEWP or spider methods so most jobs avoid full scaffold. Public liability is £10 million; RAMS before mobilisation; emergencies on 020 3780 3001.
ARRT Group replaces glass in commercial building envelopes where standard access will not reach: curtain walling, structural glazing, atria, rooflights, canopies, spandrel panels and shopfronts. We survey the defect, identify the system, source a matched unit and install it using the access method that costs you the least time and disruption.
Most replacements are delivered without scaffolding. Rope access, mast climbers, MEWPs, glazing robots and out-of-hours crane lifts let us work above live entrances, pedestrianised streets and occupied floors while the building keeps trading.
Glass unit replacement at height in occupied buildings and live venues
A named example of high-level commercial glazing access is the one-day single glazed Victorian heritage glass roof visit at Alexandra Palace, a Grade II listed London landmark, using a tracked spider boom lift inside a live glazed atrium. Read the Alexandra Palace atrium spider access case study. Across multiple projects over 10 years at the venue, over 350 glass units have been changed, including 194 glass panes on one roof and 112 × 7mm Georgian wired glass panes on another.
Where the brief is listed-building or historic glass at height, see our dedicated heritage glazing service — including the Alexandra Palace heritage roof lantern rope-access works.
Failed or dangerous commercial glass that cannot wait for a planned programme is emergency glass replacement.
Briefs often start as high-level glass replacement or difficult access glazing: a cracked unit above a live entrance, a failed sealed unit on curtain wall, or a need to make safe a broken glass panel before the matched replacement arrives. Emergency call-outs sit on emergency glass replacement; method detail on rope access; overhead leaks on atrium and rooflight glazing and glass leak repairs.
Recent examples (anonymised)
Failed high-level panel make-safe — a Heathrow-area commercial facility. A shattered curtain-wall panel at height was reported at a Heathrow-area commercial facility. ARRT attended, surveyed and cordoned the area below, then returned with a team to make the opening safe. The permanent matched unit was sourced for follow-on replacement. See emergency glass replacement and emergency glazing & make-safe.
Non-compatible toggle-bar unit at height — a London riverside office building. At a London riverside office building, a failed toggle-bar glazed unit was found to be non-compatible with the curtain-wall system. The defective unit was removed at height and replaced with a system-compatible unit so the elevation sealed correctly. Related: high-level glass replacement and rope access.
How we choose between rope access, MEWP and tracked spider lifts, and when scaffold is really needed, is set out on glass replacement without scaffolding. For unit swaps carried out on ropes, see rope access glazing.
What we deliver
- Single unit swaps through to full elevation reglazing
- Toughened, laminated, heritage and specialist coated units
- Double and triple glazed sealed unit replacement
- Structural silicone and gasket-glazed systems
- Spandrel panel and infill panel replacement
- Make-safe, boarding and temporary weatherproofing
How the work is done
| Access methods | Rope access (IRATA), MEWP, mast climber, tower, crane lift, glazing robot |
|---|---|
| Typical heights | Ground level to high-rise elevations |
| Programme | Emergency make-safe same day; unit lead times confirmed at survey |
| Working hours | Daytime, out-of-hours, night and weekend possessions |
| Deliverables | Survey report, RAMS, photographic record, warranty documentation |
Questions we get asked
Can you replace glass without scaffolding?
In most cases yes. Rope access, MEWPs and glazing robots let us reach elevations, atria and canopies without a scaffold, which removes the biggest cost and programme item from the job.
Can you make safe a broken glass panel at height?
Yes. We attend, establish an exclusion zone, remove loose and dangerous glass, and board, film or weatherproof the opening until the permanent unit is ready. Same-day make-safe is normal commercial work.
What if a toggle-bar unit is the wrong system for the curtain wall?
We identify the system at survey. If a failed toggle-bar unit is non-compatible, we remove it at height and replace it with a system-compatible unit so the elevation seals correctly — as on a recent London riverside office building instruction.
Do you match the existing glass specification?
We identify the unit make-up, coating, tint and thickness during the survey so the replacement matches visually and thermally. Where the original spec is obsolete we specify the closest current equivalent and confirm it with you before ordering.
What happens if the glass is cracked but not out?
We attend, make the area safe, apply anti-shatter film or boarding as required, and programme the permanent replacement once the unit arrives.
Can you replace glass units at height in an occupied venue or listed building?
Yes. Live venues and occupied commercial buildings are the normal brief — access is planned so the space stays open, using rope, MEWP or a compact spider lift. At Alexandra Palace that includes 194 glass panes replaced on one roof and 112 × 7mm Georgian wired panes on another, within over 350 glass units changed across multiple projects over 10 years.
Who carries out high-level glass replacement in London?
ARRT Group carries out high-level glass replacement on commercial buildings across London and the South East, using IRATA-trained rope access technicians and IPAF & PASMA trained operatives. We hold £10 million public liability cover and are SafeContractor accredited.
Have you replaced glass at height on listed buildings?
Yes. At Alexandra Palace, a Grade II listed London landmark, over 350 glass units have been changed across multiple projects over 10 years. See our heritage glazing service.
Proven at Alexandra Palace
On 20 October 2026, ARRT Group completed an emergency make safe of the Great Hall roof ventilation louvres at Alexandra Palace, a Grade II listed London landmark. We were on site within 4 hours of the first call, serviced and made safe three roof vents by rope access, and resolved the leak in a single visit without scaffolding.
- On site within 4 hours of the first call
- Three vents serviced in a single visit
- Rope access — no scaffolding
- Before-and-after photographic record
Four steps, every time
Enquiry & triage
You speak to someone who understands glazing and access. Emergencies are prioritised; everything else is booked for survey.
Close-quarters survey
We access the defect, identify the system and photograph the condition, so the price is based on what is actually there.
Fixed price, access plan & RAMS
A written price setting out scope, materials, access method and programme, with task-specific RAMS issued for approval before mobilisation.
Delivery & close-out
Trained operatives on site with a named supervisor, and a photographic record before, during and after the work.
Often needed alongside this
Curtain Wall Refurbishment
Extend the life of an ageing aluminium facade — gaskets, seals, drainage, fixings and finishes brought back to a serviceable, watertight standard.
View service 03Atrium & Rooflight Glazing
Overhead glazing repaired and refurbished over live public space — with the temporary works, protection and rescue planning that overhead work demands.
View service 04Leak Detection & Repair
Find the actual entry point instead of resealing everything and hoping — forensic water testing, tracing and a targeted, evidenced repair.
View service
Need a specialist on site?
Send us the building, the defect and a photograph if you have one. We will tell you the access method, the likely scope and a realistic programme.