Skylight Replacement Cost: What Drives the Price and When to Replace During a Re-Roof

Quick answer: VELUX, a skylight manufacturer, puts the national average cost to replace a skylight at about $800 to $2,200, with smaller repairs like new glass or new flashing running about $300 to $800. Those are national figures from a manufacturer, not local quotes. Your price depends on the skylight type and size, how hard it is to reach, and whether the roof around it needs work too. If your roof is due for replacement in the next few years, replacing the skylight at the same time usually costs less than doing the two jobs separately, because the flashing and the shingles around it get torn off either way.

What you are actually paying for

A skylight replacement is two jobs in one. One is the window. The other is the roof around it.

• The unit. Fixed skylights cost less than venting ones. Electric and solar-powered venting skylights cost the most, because they have motors, controls and sometimes wiring.
• The flashing. This is the metal and membrane kit that ties the skylight into the roof and sheds water around it. Many skylight leaks start here, not in the glass. New skylights generally get a new flashing kit.
• The roofing around it. Shingles around the skylight have to come up so the new flashing can go in, along with the step flashing and underlayment at the sides. On an older roof, those shingles may not lay back down well.
• Interior finish. If the new unit is a different size, or water has damaged the drywall in the shaft, there is interior work too.
• Access. A steep, tall or hard-to-reach roof takes more time and safety setup.

That is why two quotes for "a skylight" can look far apart. One may include new flashing and roof tie-in, the other may not. If you are comparing quotes, ask each contractor whether a new flashing kit and new underlayment around the opening are included.

National price ranges, by job

These figures come from the VELUX skylight cost guide. They are national ranges published by a manufacturer, not Rooftop Relief prices.

Job	National range (VELUX)
Replace the whole skylight	$800 to $2,200
Replace the glass	$300 to $800
Replace or repair flashing and seals on a leaking skylight	$300 to $800
Replace the skylight's framing	$170 to $600
Repair a tubular skylight	$300 to $500
Repair a fixed skylight	$400 to $900
Repair an electric or solar skylight	$500 to $1,200

VELUX also notes that the price to replace a skylight is usually lower than the original installation, since the opening in the roof and ceiling already exists.

Repair or replace the skylight?

Some problems are worth fixing. Others are a sign the unit is done.

Usually a repair:

• A leak at one corner or along one side where the flashing or sealant has failed, on a skylight that is otherwise in good shape.
• A motor or control problem on a venting skylight.

Usually a replacement:

• Fogging between the panes, which means the glass seal has failed.
• Cracked, yellowed or brittle plastic domes.
• Rotted framing or water stains that keep coming back after repairs.
• The skylight is about as old as the roof, and the roof is due.

A water stain near a skylight doesn't always mean the skylight is the problem. Water can travel along the deck from a bad pipe boot or failed flashing uphill. Find the source first. Replacing a skylight that wasn't leaking costs money and leaves the real leak in place. Our leak repair work starts with tracking the water to where it gets in.

Why the timing with your roof matters

A skylight and the shingles around it age on different schedules. VELUX says its skylights often last 30 years or longer when installed and maintained correctly. An asphalt shingle roof may come due before or after that, depending on the shingle and the house.

When a roof is replaced, the shingles and underlayment around every skylight come off anyway. If an old skylight stays in and fails a few years later, the new shingles around it have to be pulled up to replace it. You pay for that tie-in work twice, and you risk disturbing a roof that was sealed correctly the first time.

So if your skylight is getting old and your roof is within a few years of replacement, the two jobs usually belong together. If the skylight is newer and in good shape, it can often stay, with new flashing installed as part of the roof replacement. The right call depends on the age and condition of both. It's a lot easier to make that call before tear-off than in the middle of it.

When we replace a roof, we reflash the skylights whenever the existing flashing can't be reused.

If you're pricing a full re-roof, our guide to what a new roof costs in Cincinnati explains how skylights, chimneys and other penetrations affect the total.

Other options: removing a skylight or going tubular

Some homeowners decide they don't want the skylight anymore. It can be removed and the opening closed with new decking and shingles, with the ceiling patched inside.

We do skylight removals. Closing the opening typically runs $800 to $1,500 per skylight, depending on the size and what the ceiling needs inside.

Others swap a large skylight for a tubular skylight, a smaller tube that brings light through the attic into a room. VELUX lists tubular units as the least expensive type to replace, and says they can often be replaced in half a day or less.

We install tubular skylights too.

Does insurance pay to replace a skylight?

It depends on the cause. According to VELUX, replacement for normal wear and tear usually comes out of your budget once the product warranty has ended, while damage from a storm may be covered by homeowners insurance. Hail can crack glass and domes, and wind-blown debris can break them. If a storm hit, have the whole roof checked for hail damage, not just the skylight. Our guide to whether insurance will replace your roof explains how claims usually work.

Check the skylight's warranty too. VELUX lists 10 years of coverage for installation defects, 20 years for glass and 5 years for controls and accessories on its products. Other brands have their own terms.

We install and replace VELUX skylights.

Skylight flashing we install is covered by our 5-year workmanship warranty.

How to get an accurate number

A national range tells you whether a quote is in the right neighborhood. It can't tell you what your skylight needs. For that, someone has to look at the unit, the flashing and the roof around it.

Start with a free 25-point inspection. We check the skylight, its flashing and the shingles around it, and send a photo report so you can see what we see. If you just want a ballpark on the roof first, try the instant roof quote. If a skylight and a roof end up in the same project, financing is available.

The goal is to fix it once. Patching a skylight on a roof that's due, or replacing a roof around a skylight that's about to fail, can leave you paying twice.