Skylight Repair Starts With Finding the Real Problem
A drip under a skylight can come from at least five different places: the head flashing, the side step flashing, an ice dam above the unit, a failed glass seal or plain condensation from warm house air hitting cold glass. Each one has a different fix. Guess wrong and you pay twice.
That is why every repair starts with a diagnosis. We test from the bottom of the skylight up with a hose so we know exactly where water gets in, use infrared thermal imaging to find wet insulation and cold spots, and check the shaft for missing insulation or vapour barrier. Then you get the cause in writing, with a CAD price to fix it.
The 4 Skylight Repair Services We Offer
- Skylight leak repair for winter ice dam leaks, failed flashing, condensation and post-reroof leaks, $500 to $1,500.
- Skylight glass replacement for cracked, fogged and failed-seal panes, $450 to $2,000.
- Skylight flashing repair with factory kits or hand-formed step flashing, $400 to $1,200.
- Emergency skylight service 24/7 for storm leaks and broken glass, from $650.
Residential Skylight Repair
Kitchen Skylight Leaks
Steam and heat make condensation worse here, especially on older single-pane glass over islands and sinks. Often the fix is shaft insulation and a 6-mil vapour barrier, not new flashing at all, and the diagnostic visit sorts the two out with sequenced hose testing before we quote any work. Honest pricing on this is what keeps callbacks down.
Bathroom Skylight Drips
Shower humidity condensing on cold glass is the number one bathroom “leak” we get called to, and the drip shows up on the sill long after the shower is off. Venting Velux VS or solar Velux VSS units plus a sealed vapour barrier in the shaft fix it, and the same visit usually catches a missing piece of step flashing if one is there too.
Bedroom and Hallway Stains
Usually head flashing pulling away from the curb or an ice dam pushing water uphill under the shingles, and the two are easy to mix up because both leave a stain on the uphill side of the shaft. Sequenced hose testing starting at the bottom of the unit confirms which one is the actual culprit, and the fix is different for each.
Attic and Loft Skylights
Deep shafts with no insulation drip in January because the warm house air hits the cold glass and condenses, and the water runs down the shaft onto the bedroom ceiling. Roxul batt insulation plus a 6-mil poly vapour barrier inside the shaft fixes it, and a venting upgrade is the long-term answer for the worst cases.
Fogged Glass Anywhere
A failed thermal seal lets humid air between the panes, and the fog will not wipe off because the moisture is trapped inside the unit. Pane replacement from $450 if the frame is sound, and we size and order the new Low-E laminated glass to your exact frame so you are not stuck with whatever the warehouse has on the shelf.
Post-Reroof Leaks
New roofs sometimes reuse old skylight flashing because the roofer did not want to disturb the unit, and the old flashing is rarely the right height for the new shingle course. We re-flash with a Velux EDL factory kit matched to the new roof and add Grace Ice & Water Shield around the full curb so the leak stops and stays stopped.
Heritage Homes
Slate and copper details need careful hand-formed repair because factory kits do not always match the existing roof profile on Rosedale, Cabbagetown or The Annex houses. We carry copper stock in the truck for those calls and form step and counter-flashing on site so the heritage committee paperwork is not held up waiting on a metal shop.
Commercial Skylight Repair
Office and Retail Domes
Cracked acrylic domes and failed curb tie-ins repaired on the spot when the frame is sound, or flagged honestly for replacement when the dome is at the end of its life. We stock commercial-grade Velux FCM curb-mount units on the truck so most office and retail dome swaps happen the same visit we diagnose them.
Warehouse Bays
Patching membrane tie-ins and resealing curbs between replacement cycles so the warehouse stays dry until the budget allows a full re-glaze. Most warehouse bay repairs land between $400 and $1,200 per bay depending on the membrane system, and we batch them so the swing-stage only mobilizes once for the whole roof.
Atrium Glazing
Resealing wet glazing seals and replacing individual failed sealed units in atrium glazing, which is the bulk of commercial leak calls after the original install is more than 15 years old. We match the glass thickness and tint so the new panes do not read as patches from the lobby floor, and we work off interior swing stages when the atrium does not allow roof access.
Restaurants
Quick fixes scheduled outside service hours so the dining room is open for the lunch and dinner rushes, with a tarp on by last call and the permanent repair done before the next prep shift. Restaurant skylights tend to be small Velux FS units over the bar, and most repairs land between $500 and $1,200 with the flashing kit and ice and water shield included.
Specialty Repairs
Ice Dam Solutions
Saddle crickets, extended ice and water shield up-slope, and attic ventilation advice so the snow does not melt and refreeze at the cold curb in the first place. Crickets are essential on wide skylights over kitchen additions, and most ice dam repairs land between $900 and $1,500 with a re-flash and a written leak-free warranty on the rebuild.
Condensation Fixes
Shaft insulation, vapour barrier and Low-E glass upgrades to stop warm humid air from condensing on cold glass, which is the cause of about half the January “leak” calls we get. The fix is usually Roxul batt in the shaft, a sealed 6-mil poly and, on the worst cases, a venting upgrade so the humid air can leave through the skylight instead of dripping down the drywall.
Venting Unit Repairs
Motors, rain sensors and remotes on Velux VCS electric and Velux VSS solar units, with the parts we need for both stocked on the truck for same-visit fixes. Most venting unit problems are a dead battery on the remote or a rain sensor that needs cleaning, both of which we can sort in under an hour without putting a new motor on the quote.
Blind Replacements
New Velux manual or motorized blinds for damaged or faded ones, sized to your existing frame so there is no guessing at the install. Most blind replacements take under an hour and pair well with a flashing repair visit so the truck roll covers everything at once.
Materials and Brands for Repairs
| Repair | Materials |
|---|---|
| Flashing | Velux EDL / EDM / EDW kits, aluminum step and cap flashing, copper for heritage |
| Underlayment | Grace Ice & Water Shield, Grace Vycor |
| Glass | Laminated, tempered Low-E 272, warm-edge spacers |
| Shaft | Roxul batt, 6-mil poly vapour barrier |
Our Repair Expertise
After 20 years we can usually guess the cause from the stain location and the weather. But we test anyway, because guessing is how homeowners end up with three repairs on the same skylight. Nine times out of ten, the leak we are called to is on a skylight someone else already caulked.
What Actually Stops Homeowners From Calling for Repair
“It’s only a small drip.”
In our opinion, small drips are the cheapest ones to fix because the water has not yet travelled into the framing or saturated the insulation. Wait, and you are usually looking at replacing drywall, insulation and maybe a section of curb, which is the bill most people were trying to avoid by waiting. Honestly, an early repair is the cheapest repair.
“They’ll just tell me to replace it.”
We tell people to repair all the time, and the diagnostic visit ends with a written cause and a short-lived repair quote before anyone talks about replacement. If repair will outlast the next ten years and the unit is under about 20 years old with clear glass, that is exactly what we recommend, and we will say so on the call.
“Repairs never last.”
Caulk never lasts, and that is the repair most contractors default to. Proper flashing and a real diagnosis do, which is why our leak repairs carry a written workmanship warranty and any flashing we rebuild gets our lifetime leak-free guarantee on top of the manufacturer coverage. The repair holds because we test it twice before we sign off.
“I don’t know who to call.”
Us. Velux and Fakro certified since 2004, in-house WSIB-covered crews, and the diagnostic visit is the first step on every repair so you know the cause before the quote lands. We are the crew Toronto homeowners have been calling for twenty years because the answer is the same whether the unit is twenty days or twenty years old.
Skylight Repair Timeline
Call or Message
Same-day or next-day appointment in most of the GTA, with our 24/7 emergency line answered by a person (not a machine) for active storm leaks after hours. When you describe the symptom and the weather, our dispatcher can usually tell you on the phone whether it is urgent or can wait for the next regular slot.
Diagnostic Visit
Testing, imaging, written cause and price. The crew lead runs sequenced hose testing from the bottom of the skylight up with someone watching inside, uses thermal imaging to find wet insulation and cold spots, and writes up the cause in plain language with a CAD price to fix it before any work starts. Honest pricing on this is what most callbacks are about.
Repair Visit
Often the same day as the diagnostic if the parts are on the truck and the cause is a flashing or seal issue. Glass orders take a few days because each pane is sized and ordered to your exact frame, and we re-test the unit before we leave so you see proof it is dry, not just our word for it.
Follow-Up
Re-test and photos emailed to you within a day of the repair, and we hold the photos on file for warranty and insurance purposes for as long as you own the house. If a leak comes back inside the warranty window, we come out at no charge to find out why and fix it.
Skylight Repair Cost in Toronto: What You Are Paying For
Diagnosis
Included in minor repair pricing, so the diagnostic fee disappears the moment you go ahead with a flashing or seal fix. If the unit ends up needing full replacement instead of repair, we credit the diagnostic toward the new skylight quote and put it in writing.
Flashing Parts
Factory kits (Velux EDL, EDM or EDW) or custom-formed metal when the existing roof or heritage detail needs hand-formed step and counter-flashing. We match the kit to the roofing material on the quote so you are not paying for a flashing detail that does not actually fit your shingles, tile, slate or membrane.
Glass Units
Sized and ordered to your exact frame so the new pane seals properly and matches the glass on the rest of the unit. We use laminated or tempered Low-E 272 with warm-edge spacers, and most replacements arrive within one to two weeks of the measurement visit, with the install slotted into the next available crew day.
Labour
Mostly roof time, more on steep or tall roofs and on units where the staging has to come off the truck rather than off the driveway. Every crew is in-house and WSIB-covered with no subcontractors, so the person tracing your leak is on our payroll and our insurance, not a day rate off Kijiji. Honest pricing on labour is what most callbacks are about.
Interior Repair
Drywall and insulation where water got in, quoted separately so the leak fix and the cosmetic repair do not get bundled into one mystery number. We bring a drywall finisher on repair days where the ceiling has been stained, so the room is back to paint-ready before we leave and you are not booking a separate trade for a 4x4 patch.
Emergency Premium
After-hours and weekend callouts only, line-itemed as its own row on the quote so you can see what is the actual repair and what is the urgency charge. Emergency pricing is $650 to $1,200 plus $150/hr after hours and $750 to $1,500 on holidays, which is the rate sheet we publish on the site and on the quote, so the bill does not surprise you at 2 a.m.
Skylight Repair vs Replacement vs Installation: Which Service You Need
Unit sound, one problem: repair. Old, fogged and leaking: replacement. No skylight yet: installation.
Fixed, Venting or Solar: Choosing Your Skylight Type
If a repair turns into a replacement, it is the right time to choose between fixed, venting and solar. Venting and solar units also solve many condensation problems by letting humid air out.
Skylight Repair Timeline in Toronto: What to Expect Week-by-Week
Most repairs are done within a week of your first call. Glass replacements may take one to two weeks for the pane.
Why Toronto Homeowners Trust Our Repair Crew
We have been tracing and fixing skylight leaks across Toronto and the surrounding GTA for over twenty years, certified for both Velux and Fakro since 2004. Every repair starts with sequenced hose testing and thermal imaging instead of a guess and a bead of caulk, every crew is in-house and WSIB-covered with no subcontractors, and every quote lists parts and labour on separate lines with no padding. CSA A440-rated glass, factory flashing and a written workmanship warranty round out what you are actually paying for. Trust us, you’re in good hands.
