Skylights
Skylight replacement and flashing repair in North Jersey
4.9 stars on Google60+ reviewsFamily-owned12 years of roofing experience
A skylight is a hole in your roof with a window in it. When it leaks, the cause is almost always the flashing around it or a worn-out unit, and both are roofing problems. We replace skylights and repair skylight flashing so they stay dry.
Starting price
Skylight re-flash from $800
That is the full job: full new flashing around the skylight, with the shingles around it replaced. Not a caulk or tar patch. Replacing the skylight itself is priced separately, and your price is in writing before any work starts. Rotten wood found under the old shingles is priced separately, and we show you photos first.
Diagnosis
Why is my skylight leaking?
| What you see | Likely cause | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Water stains on the drywall around the skylight after rain | Failed or badly installed flashing | New flashing kit and ice and water barrier around the opening |
| Drips from the glass or frame in cold weather only | Condensation from humid indoor air hitting cold glass | Better ventilation, a bath fan, or a newer insulated unit |
| Fog or moisture between the panes | The insulated glass seal has failed | Replace the skylight. The seal cannot be repaired. |
| Cracked dome, brittle gaskets, corroded frame | The unit is past its service life | Replace the skylight |
| Leak started right after a new roof | The roofer reused old flashing or sealed it with caulk | Re-flash the skylight correctly |
Timing
Replace skylights when you replace the roof
Skylight makers put the service life of a good unit at roughly 20 to 30 years. If your skylights are 15 years old and you are getting a new roof, replace them now. Here is why:
- The shingles around the skylight are already off, so most of the labor is already paid for.
- New flashing integrates with the new underlayment and shingles as one system.
- Replacing a skylight later means cutting into a new roof and patching it.
- Modern units have better glass: insulated, low-E coated and often laminated for safety.
We check every skylight during a roof replacement estimate and price them as a separate line, so the choice is yours.
How we install
A skylight that does not leak
Skylights earned a bad reputation from bad installs. Done right, they stay dry for decades. Our installs include:
- The right unit for the opening: deck-mounted for most pitched roofs, curb-mounted for low slopes and flat roofs
- Self-adhered ice and water barrier wrapped around the opening and up the frame
- The manufacturer’s engineered flashing kit, with step flashing woven into each shingle course
- On flat roofs, a raised curb with membrane flashing turned up and sealed to it
- Fixed, manual venting, electric or solar-powered venting units, with or without blinds
- Interior trim touched as little as possible. Most replacements are done from the roof.
Before and after
Skylight work, before and after
A skylight replacement and a skylight re-flashed during a new roof. Click or tap any set to see it full size.
View this photo set full size (opens in a new tab)Bottom photo: two worn-out skylights coming out. Top photo: the new units in, with new flashing kits. 
View this photo set full size (opens in a new tab)Before: an older skylight on a worn roof, its flashing patched with roof cement. After: the same skylight on the new roof, with new metal flashing around it.
More from our skylight jobs
Flashing repair on an older dome skylight: new metal flashing along the frame, with the shingles finished over its edge. 
From inside: when work is needed below the skylight, the room is covered and taped off first.
Reviews
What customers say about our work
These reviews are about our roofing work in general, not skylights specifically. Copied word for word from Google, where we cannot change a word.
“Great work, great professionalism. Confident in the quality of the work performed.”
— Jonathan A., Google review “Protech technicians did excellent job, described the work process clearly, in time and honest. Thank you!”
— Benald O., Google review
Questions
Skylight questions
Can you repair a skylight without replacing it?
If the glass and frame are sound and the leak is in the flashing, yes. We remove the surrounding shingles, install new flashing and barrier, and re-shingle. If the glass seal has failed or the unit is decades old, replacement is the better use of your money.
Will a new skylight fit my existing opening?
Usually. Manufacturers make standard sizes that match most older units, and custom and curb-mounted options cover the rest. We measure before ordering so the interior drywall stays as it is.
Do I need a permit to replace a skylight?
Swapping a skylight in the same opening is generally treated like replacing a window and does not need a permit on a one- or two-family house. Cutting a new opening or changing the framing does. Rules can vary by town, so we confirm before we start.
Can you add a skylight where there is none?
Yes, where the roof framing allows it. A new opening means cutting rafters or working between them, framing a light shaft and pulling a permit. We will tell you what is involved for your roof.
Do you work on skylights on flat roofs?
Yes. Flat roof skylights sit on curbs and are flashed with the roof membrane. See flat roofing.
Related services
Skylight leaking or fogged up?
We will find out why and give you a written price to fix or replace it.