When a Home Skylight Has Reached the End
Skylights age like windows. The sealed glass unit has a desiccant strip in the spacer that soaks up moisture for years until it is saturated. Then the seal fails, moisture gets between the panes and the glass fogs. Flashing rusts or loosens. Old caulk dries and cracks. Wood curbs soften from years of small leaks.
When a skylight is on its second or third repair, replacement is almost always cheaper over ten years. You get a new unit, new flashing, a reset warranty and usually much better glass than the original.
The 5 Signs Your Home Skylight Needs Replacing
- Fogged glass that never clears, a sign of a failed seal and saturated desiccant.
- Drafts or cold spots around the frame in winter.
- Yellowed or cracked acrylic on older dome units.
- Stains that come back after a repair.
- Age over 20 years, when most original flashing and seals are near the end.
Residential Replacement by Room
Kitchens
Grease and steam age seals faster. Replacement is a good time to switch to a venting Velux VS. A Velux VS runs $3,200 to $4,500 installed and clears cooking steam in minutes. We see kitchen seals go 15-25% faster than hallway seals because of the thermal cycling.
Bathrooms
Fogged glass and mould on the shaft. New Low-E glass plus shaft insulation stops condensation. Bathroom replacements often come with shaft drywall and insulation refresh because the shaft is typically stained or mouldy. New laminated glass is mandatory over tubs and showers.
Hallways and Stairs
Clear glass in place of yellowed acrylic is a huge visual change. Hallway skylights are often the easiest swap because access is simple and the room below is forgiving. $2,200 to $3,500 for a same-size replacement is typical.
Bedrooms
Add a blackout blind at the same time. Velux blackout manual $180 to $320 installed, motorized $380 to $650 installed. Bedroom skylights almost always get a blind with the replacement.
Attics
Older loft skylights are often undersized. Consider enlarging. Enlargement runs $3,800 to $7,500 and includes reframing the opening and a permit. The light gain is dramatic on most older attic installs.
Family Rooms and Additions
1980s and 90s additions often had several identical units. Replacing them together saves setup cost. Multi-unit replacements drop $300 to $600 per unit on setup. Three units that took three visits can become one.
Sunrooms
Failed glass roof panels get laminated Low-E replacements. Laminated Low-E replacements are the right call because they hold together if broken. We measure each failed panel and swap individually.
Commercial-Style Replacement for Residential Owners
Multi-Unit Homes and Duplexes
Landlords replace several units in one visit to save mobilization. Multi-unit replacements cut per-unit cost by $200 to $400 because staging and disposal are shared. We can typically do three to four units in one visit.
Condo Townhouses
Board approval and COI are handled for you. We supply the certificate of insurance, WSIB clearance and a method statement for the condo board. Most boards approve residential-style replacements within two to four weeks.
Home Offices and Studios
Detached studios get venting units for summer comfort. Venting units run $3,200 to $4,500 installed. Studios over garages or in backyards are a growing request for detached workspaces.
Rental Properties
Replacements scheduled around tenants with minimal disruption. We coordinate with tenants directly so the landlord does not have to manage the visit. Most replacements are scheduled for a weekday with 24-hour notice.
Specialty Replacement Options
Same-Size Swap
The quickest route, usually no permit. Same-size swaps run $2,200 to $4,800 and are usually one day from removal to handover. No framing changes, no permit in most cases, no inspection trip.
Enlargement
Reframe for a bigger unit and more light. Enlargement runs $3,800 to $7,500 with reframing, permit, new drywall and finishing. Most homeowners get 30 to 60 percent more light from the same roof spot.
Fixed to Solar
Upgrade to a Velux VSS for remote opening and rain sensing. Velux VSS runs $4,500 to $7,500 installed with the solar panel, battery, remote and rain sensor. The remote alone is reason enough for many of our bedroom replacements.
Brand Switch
Non-Velux units replaced with a Velux FCM curb-mount. See Velux replacement. Brand switches are common with older Canadian Tire, Columbia or unsealed units. Curb-mount adapters let us drop in a Velux without reframing.
Permanent Removal
Close the opening completely if you no longer want a skylight. Permanent removal closes the opening with new sheathing, underlayment and shingles. The shaft below gets drywalled and finished to match the ceiling.
Materials Used on Home Replacements
| Component | Standard spec |
|---|---|
| Unit | Velux FS, VS, VSS or Fakro FTT |
| Glass | Low-E 272, laminated interior |
| Flashing | New EDL/EDW kit or step flashing |
| Underlayment | Grace Ice & Water Shield, full curb |
| Shaft | Roxul batt, 6-mil poly vapour barrier where missing |
Our Replacement Expertise
We replace hundreds of residential skylights, and the removal tells us how the old one failed. That matters, because if the shaft was never insulated or vapour-sealed, a new unit will still drip condensation. We fix the cause, not just the glass.
What Actually Stops Homeowners From Replacing
“It still mostly works.”
In our opinion, mostly working is when you should plan it, before water reaches the insulation and framing. Most skylights fail in stages: first the seal, then the flashing, then the curb. Catching it at the seal stage keeps the replacement simple.
“It’s going to be expensive.”
Same-size swaps start at $2,200 and usually skip the permit. Permit savings on a same-size swap can be $300 to $600, since no framing is cut and no inspection is needed.
“I’ll lose a day of my life to construction.”
One day, drop sheets, dust control and a vacuum at the end. Most same-size swaps are wrapped up by mid-afternoon, with trim and drywall touch-up the next morning if needed.
“The new one will leak like the old one.”
Not with new flashing every time and a lifetime flashing warranty. Every replacement gets a new Velux EDL or Fakro factory flashing kit, fresh Grace Ice & Water Shield, and our written leak-free warranty on the install.
Residential Replacement Timeline
Day 1 to 3: Assessment
Free visit, diagnosis, quote. The assessment covers glass, curb, flashing and shaft condition. We photograph the failure so the quote can be specific about what gets replaced.
Weeks 1 to 3: Ordering
Units ship from Velux Canada or Fakro Canada. Stock sizes arrive in days, custom sizes in two to three weeks. We email the order confirmation the day it ships.
Replacement Day
Usually one day. Removal, curb check, new underlayment, new flashing kit, new unit set, trim touch-up. Most same-size swaps are wrapped up by mid-afternoon.
Wrap-Up
Trim, drywall touch-up, warranty registration. We register the new Velux or Fakro warranty in your name, hand over the paperwork, and email a closeout package with photos and the leak-free warranty in writing.
Residential Replacement Cost in Toronto: What You Are Paying For
The New Unit
Fixed costs least; solar most. A fixed Velux FS runs $2,200 to $3,500 before install, a Velux VSS $3,800 to $5,800 before install. Size and glass spec drive most of the unit cost.
Removal and Disposal
Always included. Old unit comes out and the debris gets hauled the same day. We recycle glass, metal and shingles separately so nothing goes to a landfill bin.
Flashing and Underlayment
New kit and ice and water shield on every job. New Velux EDL or EDW flashing kit plus full Grace Ice & Water Shield around the curb. Reused flashing is the top reason residential replacements leak, so we never reuse.
Curb Repair
Only if rot is found. Curb rot adds $200 to $500 in framing lumber, primer and sealer. We photograph the rot before cutting so you can see why the line was added.
Enlargement
Framing and permit when the opening grows. Enlargement adds $1,500 to $2,700 in reframing and drywall cost. Permit at coast is listed on the quote as its own line.
Interior Finish
Trim and drywall touch-ups. Trim and drywall touch-ups are included on most swaps. Shaft drywall refresh is quoted separately if the existing drywall is stained.
Residential Replacement vs Installation vs Repair: Which Service You Need
Existing opening, failing unit: replacement. No skylight yet: residential installation. Sound unit with one drip: leak repair first.
Fixed, Venting or Solar: Choosing Your Skylight Type
Fixed for light, venting for airflow, solar for remote control and automatic rain closing. Replacement is the cheapest time to upgrade.
Residential Skylight Replacement Timeline in Toronto: What to Expect Week-by-Week
Assessment in week one, delivery in weeks two to three, replacement in a day. Enlargements add permit time.
Why Homeowners Trust Our Replacement Crews
Honest advice, new flashing everytime and a fresh warranty. That is the whole pitch. We have been replacing skylights across Toronto and the GTA for over twenty years and more than 2,000 installs, certified for both Velux and Fakro since 2004 with in-house WSIB-covered crews and no subcontractors on the roof. Every replacement gets a new flashing kit and ice and water shield, every curb is detailed to OBC 9.26, every quote is itemized with permit as a separate line at cost, and every install carries our written lifetime leak-free warranty.
