Understanding Pricing for Common Skylight Leaks and Damage

While skylights provide an infusion of natural light to living spaces and offer fantastic views of the outdoors, they're vulnerable to leaks and can incur damage from debris.

If you have a broken skylight it's important to have it repaired as soon as possible to prevent water damage and avoid costly drafts.

General Skylight Repair or Replacement Costs #

• A typical skylight exterior repair averages $350 to $600 and takes about an hour or two to complete. More complicated repairs that involve removing the surrounding roof covering and replacing flashing can cost as much as $1,100 and take a day to complete.
• If a leak has persisted for some time and is showing up inside your home in the form of water spots, an interior repair must be performed as well. On top of exterior repair costs, be prepared to spend an additional $200 to $1,000 for interior repairs depending on how extensive the damage is.
• Repairing a skylight operation problem might cost as little as $75 but can be as much as $300 if multiple parts need replacing.
• Broken or damaged glass generally necessitates replacement of the entire skylight. Depending on the size of unit installed, expect to pay $300 to $800 for installation of a new skylight (not including the cost of the skylight itself).

Skylight repair contractors charge different rates depending on the state they work in, so repair prices will vary according to the area of the country where you live.

Skylight Repair Cost Examples #

• "The seal around my glass skylight was broken so I paid a roofer $225 to properly re-seal and waterproof it. They also did a full inspection to check for any other concerns." - Amanda T.

• "We had condensation building up inside both our plastic dome skylights. A handyman removed them, installed new proper flashing and reinstalled them with improved seals which cost $300 total." - Michael S.

• "During a storm, a fallen tree branch broke one of our double glass skylight panels. We had to call a glass shop who removed and specially ordered a replacement tempered glass panel which, after labor fees, cost $850." - James D.

• "The inner lift mechanism on our large motorized glass sunroof skylight stopped working. A specialty contractor charged $1,200 for the complex operation of removing it and replacing the lift motor and hardware." - Melissa S.

As shown, skylight repairs typically range from basic $200 fixes up to $1,000s depending on damage, skylight type, complexity, custom parts and local labor rates.

Average Roof Skylight Repair Prices By Location: #

Reasons that Skylights Leak #

Problems with skylights are typically the result of one of the following causes:

• Faulty Installation: The skylight installation procedure described above must be followed exactly and some skylight manufacturers recommend additional steps for their particular product. Skipping a step can result in a problem with the skylight, as can incorrectly applying the rubber and metal flashing.
• Inferior Materials: In years past, asphalt paper was laid down on top of the roof deck during skylight installation. Nowadays well-respected roofers recommend ice-and-water shield, a durable rubber bitumen product that adheres directly to the roof surface and is also self-sealing should it ever tear. Make sure that your contractor uses a bitumen ice-and-water shield as well as a bitumen flashing product for your skylight installation to avoid problems down the road.
• Falling Debris and Weather Damage: Storms can bring hail, falling tree limbs, and wayward debris hurtling towards your skylight. While the unit is designed to withstand impacts, even tempered glass can break if struck hard enough.
• Skylight Operating Mechanism Failure: If your skylight is designed to open, whether manually or automatically, moving parts can get jammed or simply fail from overuse.

Resources:

• Skylights | Department of Energy
• Skylights Wildfire Research Fact Sheet

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