What Commercial Skylight Replacement Involves
Commercial skylights fail at scale. When one dome cracks, the other eleven installed at the same time are usually not far behind. Replacement is about doing them in a sensible order, keeping the building operating and making sure the new units are tied into the roof properly.
We start with a condition survey of every unit, then plan phases around your tenants and any upcoming re-roof. Each unit is removed, the curb is checked, the membrane is tied back in and a fall-protection screen goes on the same day.
The 5 Commercial Skylight Problems We Replace Most
- Cracked and yellowed polycarbonate domes on warehouses and retail.
- Wired glass on older industrial roofs.
- Failed atrium glazing with fogged or leaking sealed units.
- Rotted wood curbs under decades of patches.
- Missing fall protection on units installed before current rules.
Residential-Scale Replacement in Commercial Buildings
Condo Amenity Rooms
Board-managed replacements with notices and COI. Our King West condo retrofit covered 12 units in 2024 with zero tenant complaints, and we send the boards insurance rider and WSIB clearance letters before mobilization. Per-unit amenity replacements typically run $6,000 to $12,000 with screens included.
Apartment Corridors
Top-floor corridors in rental buildings brightened again. Apartment corridors over shops along Queen, the Danforth and Roncesvalles get the same tired yellowing polycarbonate treatment, and a single-day replacement per opening keeps tenants moving. We post notices in the stairwell a week ahead and carry full WSIB clearance for the landlord.
Seniors’ Residences
Quiet scheduling and laminated glass. Retirement residences run on a different clock than warehouses, so we keep cutting outside mealtimes and activity hours and use laminated glass to keep residents safe. In our opinion, common-room retrofits are some of the most satisfying jobs we do, the difference in daylight is immediate.
Mixed-Use Main Street Buildings
Apartments over shops along Queen, the Danforth and Roncesvalles. These Main Street buildings often have original 1980s or 1990s polycarbonate domes that have yellowed and cracked, and a same-day swap to a Velux curb-mount glass unit with a screen pays for itself in tenant satisfaction. We coordinate access with the retail tenants on the ground floor so the storefront keeps trading as planned.
Commercial Replacement by Building Type
Offices and Towers
Our Vaughan Metropolitan Centre office tower replacement ran $65,000 over one week. Office tower work is almost always about keeping the lobby and elevators open while we work, so we phase panels around tenant hours and screen every opening the same day. The VMC project replaced 14 panels with new curb-mount glass units and upgraded fall-protection screens to current MOL standard.
Libraries and Public Buildings
City of Toronto Public Library branch on the Danforth, phased around public hours in 2024. Public buildings need clean COI, WSIB clearance and method statements, which we provide as standard so facility managers can pass them up the chain. The Danforth branch got new laminated glass units over the reading room and the lobby.
Retail and Showrooms
Single-day swaps before opening. Retail storefront skylights are usually one curb-mount unit over the main floor, replaced in a single day for $8,000 to $18,000. We schedule the cut, frame and glass set before the store opens so the floor is fully dressed by the time the first customer walks in.
Warehouses and Industrial
Bays replaced in phases with screens. Warehouse racking aisles stay in use while we swap one bay at a time, with fall-protection screens fitted the same day the opening is cut. Per bay pricing of $6,000 to $12,000 is typical, and we coordinate the tie-in to your roofer of record so the membrane warranty stays intact.
Restaurants
Atrium replacements worked around service. Restaurant dining-room atria get laminated interior glass, sealed interior enclosures during the cut and after-hours scheduling so lunch and dinner service are unaffected. Our Oakville Lakeshore restaurant atrium was replaced over three days at $28,500, open for dinner as usual.
Schools
Summer or holiday scheduling where possible. School skylight replacement is almost always easier during the July-August break or the winter holiday, and we phase around exam periods when a summer window is not available. Laminated glass over occupied classrooms is non-negotiable for us.
Specialty Commercial Replacement
Re-Roof Sequencing
Units swapped while the roofer is on site so the tie-in is done once. Coordinating with your roofer of record saves a second mobilization and avoids cutting into a brand new membrane a year down the line. Sharing the tie-in work is the single biggest cost saver in any re-roof and skylight project, and we plan the sequence together with your roofer.
Polycarbonate to Glass
Clearer, longer-lasting glazing. A polycarbonate dome starts to yellow within ten years and crack within twenty, while a laminated glass curb-mount unit stays clear for thirty years or more. The swap usually pays for itself in lighting quality alone.
Hail-Resistant Glazing
For exposed roofs and impact risk. Hail-prone roofs in north Markham, north Vaughan and exposed Burlington industrial sites benefit from laminated or tempered hail-rated glazing. We size the glass and the screen package to the actual exposure on your roof.
Smoke Vent Replacement
Like-for-like ULC-listed units where required. Smoke-vent replacements have to keep the original ULC-S527 listing intact or the fire plan is no longer compliant, so we match the listing rather than substituting a cheaper unit. The fire panel tie-in is tested after install before sign-off.
Materials
| Item | Options |
|---|---|
| Units | Velux Dynamic Dome, curb-mount glass, custom atrium panels |
| Glazing | Laminated, tempered Low-E, polycarbonate |
| Tie-in | TPO, EPDM, SBS to the manufacturer’s detail |
| Safety | MOL-standard fall-protection screens |
Our Commercial Replacement Expertise
We know that the hard part of commercial work is not the skylight, it is the logistics. Who holds the roof warranty, when tenants arrive, where the crane can stand, what the board needs to see. We sort those out before anyone climbs a ladder.
What Actually Stops Managers From Replacing Skylights
“Budget is already committed this year.”
In our opinion, a condition survey helps here. We tell you which units are urgent and which can wait for next year’s capital plan, which is what facility managers actually want for a multi-year budget cycle. The written report is useful evidence at the next capital planning meeting.
“Tenants will complain.”
Phasing and after-hours cutting keep complaints rare. Our King West retrofit had zero tenant complaints over a 12-unit project, and that has been the rule rather than the exception across our commercial work in Toronto. Honestly, a tidy phase plan and a friendly foreman on the ground does most of the work.
“We just re-roofed.”
We tie into new membranes to the roofer’s details without voiding warranties. In our opinion, the roofer of record almost always has the cleaner tie-in detail, so we coordinate with them before any cutting starts. That single conversation protects your brand new roof for its full 20-year rated life.
“Paperwork is a nightmare.”
COI, WSIB letters, method statements and closeout docs, all standard. Our founders checklist insists on clearance letters being in the property managers inbox before mobilization, never after, so the paperwork never slows your project. Itemized closeout with photos and product data is what your auditors want to see in the file.
Commercial Replacement Timeline
Survey (Week 1)
Every unit inspected and reported. We check glazing, curbs, membrane and tie-in condition, and tag each unit replace, repair or monitor. That written condition report is the document your capital planning meeting actually needs.
Proposal and Approvals (Weeks 2 to 4)
Phasing plan, permits if needed. We list the permit as its own line at actual cost, since some installers over-charge for permits thinking managers wont check other quotes. Property managers always check, and so should you.
Phased Replacement
One day to three weeks depending on unit count. Every opening is screened the same day it is cut, tied into the membrane and signed off by the crew lead against our founders commercial checklist. Our VMC tower replacement ran one week for 14 panels with no tenant interruption.
Closeout
Photos, warranties, documentation. We hand over a full closeout package so your auditors and your insurers can see exactly what was installed, where and how it ties into the membrane. That same package is what we use on warranty calls decades later.
Commercial Replacement Cost in Toronto: What Drives the Price
Number of Units
Larger batches lower the per-unit cost. A warehouse with 12 failing domes sees a noticeably lower per-bay cost than a single-unit swap, because we mobilize once, share fall-protection setup, and run crews through the same checklist twelve times.
Unit Type
Domes cost less than glass curb-mount or atrium panels. A Velux Dynamic Dome or polycarbonate retrofit runs $6,000 to $12,000 per unit, while a curb-mount glass replacement lands at $8,000 to $18,000 and atrium panels climb above $30,000. Glass lasts longer and stays clearer, so the price difference pays back on most roofs.
Curb Condition
Rotted curbs need rebuilding. If the original wood curb has gone soft from decades of moisture, we rebuild it with a new pressure-treated or steel curb before the new unit goes on, and that rebuild is itemized so you can see the cost. Skipping curb work is the most common cause of a leak two years after a swap.
Membrane Type
SBS tie-ins take more time than TPO. SBS torch-down needs a hot-work permit and a roofer who does that work daily, while TPO and EPDM are mechanically fastened or adhered. The membrane type is a real line item on the proposal and worth checking against your existing roof.
Screens
Required on commercial roofs. MOL working-at-heights rules mean every commercial opening needs a screen the same day it is cut, and many older roofs need screens added even where they did not exist before. We include screens as standard, not as an upgrade.
Scheduling
After-hours and weekend premiums are itemized. Restaurant and retail work almost always runs after hours or before opening, and we write that premium into the proposal so the GC or owner is not surprised by a separate invoice at the end. A weekend callout for one retail unit typically adds $300 to $800 to the total.
Commercial Replacement vs Installation vs Repair: Which Service You Need
Failing units in place: replacement. New openings: commercial installation. One leaking unit on a newer roof: leak repair.
Fixed, Venting or Solar: Choosing Your Skylight Type
Most commercial replacements are fixed units or domes. Venting and smoke-vent units are specified where code or comfort requires. Smart and solar controls fit offices and clinics.
Commercial Skylight Replacement Timeline in Toronto: What to Expect Week-by-Week
Survey in week one, approvals in weeks two to four, phased work on site for one day to three weeks, closeout within a week.
Why Facility Managers Call Us Back
Clean phasing, proper tie-ins and documents your auditors will like. We have been doing this across Toronto, Vaughan, Markham and the wider GTA for over twenty years, certified for both Velux and Fakro since 2004 and more than 2,000 installs in. Every crew is in-house and WSIB-covered, no subcontractors on your roof, and every quote is itemized with the permit on its own line. OBC 9.7 for fenestration, OBC 9.26 for roofing, CSA A440 glass and a written lifetime leak-free flashing warranty are the things you are actually paying for. We specd it all out up front.
