• By Liam Ridings
• In Blog, Metal Roofing, Renovation
• Tags roof repairs

How Much Does Skylight Installation Cost?

Skylight Installation Costs – Simple Guide for 2023

Installing a skylight in your home can breathe new life and light (literally) into a tired or dark space.

But for most, the question of whether or not to install a skylight doesn’t come back to aesthetics, it comes back to cost.

So then, what goes into the cost of skylight installation and what are the most important things to weight up when weighing up the cost to install a skylight in your home? In this article, we’ll tackle all of your most pressing questions so that you can make an informed skylight purchasing and skylight installation decision in 2023.

What Exactly is a Skylight?

A roof skylight, also known as a roof light, is essentially a glass pane or window built within a roofing structure to provide a building with daylighting and ventilation. Skylights allow natural light to enter a home and are generally useful in areas where natural lighting is insufficient, such as a bathroom, hallway, or a room without windows.

If you’re looking to brighten up your house, a skylight, for example, a tubular skylight, is a cost-effective and attractive option to allow natural light to enter the house. Not only will skylights brighten up a room with daylight, but skylights can also add significant ventilation to an area of a house. Supplying an aesthetically pleasing touch, skylights can be installed in both new and existing homes and can significantly increase the value of a property.

The Timeless Appeal of Natural Light

Skylights are a popular way to brighten rooms up, increase exposure to natural light, and create an illusion of space in smaller rooms. Additionally, skylights can provide ventilation in stuffy kitchens or bathrooms. Making your home feel light and inviting, having extra sunlight inside is also proven to increase the moods and well-being of those inhabiting the space.

Benefits of skylight installation include:

• Allows for natural light
• Provides fresh air for ventilation
• Reduces dependence on artificial lighting
• Lowers heating bills during winter
• Ventilates to cool rooms in summer
• Makes property more energy efficient
• Increases overall value of property

To install a skylight, a roofing contractor will need to cut a hole into the roof and ceiling, fit the skylight in place, waterproof the system, and seal it in place. This process requires the skilled work of a qualified and insured roofing contractor, to ensure precise, accurate and safe installation. One of the critical aspects of a professional installing a skylight is that they will ensure that the skylight does not leak.

How Much Does Skylight Installation Cost?

Skylight costs in Australia will range from $250 to $1600 for a skylight, while the costs of actually installing a skylight will range between $300 and $3000 depending on the scope of the job.

Skylight installation cost will come down to two major components: the type of skylight you choose, and the installation process. Within those two components, there is a myriad of factors for the skylight installer to take into consideration.

For the purpose of providing average price bracket for skylight installation cost, here we’ve put together

For singular skylight installations you can expect to pay:

• Tubular singular skylight installation costs between $250 and $600*
• Fixed singular skylight installation costs between $400 and $1400*
• Vented singular skylights (manual, electric and solar) costs between $1000 and $4000*

*Keep in mind that these prices are based off averages only and will primarily be influenced by the nature of the job. Project consultation and assessment for skylight costs are necessary for an accurate and reliable quote.

It’s difficult to put a price on skylight installation, as every job will vary. Installing the same tubular skylight can cost two different prices, depending on many other factors. Asking how much a skylight will cost is a lot like asking how much a house will cost. Each house does not come at the same price, as several major considerations influence the value of the house. For example, a small house is not going to cost the same as a large house. A house in rural New South Whales is not going to cost as a house in the centre of Sydney. Much like the installation and purchase of a skylight, costs will vary enormously based on a number of factors.

Factors Influencing Skylight Costs:

Types of Skylights

Tubular

A tubular skylight uses a small rooftop dome to capture the sun’s rays. The light is then transferred indoors through a highly effective tube-shaped duct. A diffuser mounted in the ceiling disperses the natural light through the tubular skylights into the room below. Essentially, tubular skylights help to light your room through light collected from the roof permanently.

Tubular skylights are particularly useful for small rooms with no existing natural light, such as hallways, walk-in wardrobes and other small spaces. Tubular skylights are typically inexpensive as they require fewer materials and less labour than other types of skylights.

Fixed Skylights

Fixed skylights are the most basic types of skylights. A fixed skylight functions to simply provide extra light to a room and do not open or close in any way. Given they are the most basic model of skylights, installation of a fixed skylight will be considerably cheaper than that of a ventilated skylight cost.

The simplest choice, fixed skylights are ideal for properties that simply require added natural light. In saying that, the added exposure of sunlight can heat the room up, with no added ventilation. Those thinking about installing a fixed skylight should consider their location; if you’re in an area that is particularly warm in summer, a skylight may require ventilation to prevent trapped hot air and provide fresh air.

Ventilating Skylights

Three types of skylights offer ventilation (that is, they can be opened). Ventilating skylights include: Manually opening skylights, Electric skylights, and Solar skylights.

Manually opening skylights will be the most cost-effective and straightforward ventilating skylight solution, as they will only require a latch system for people to open and close when they want.

Electric Skylights are more complicated as they rely on the installation of an electrical system to open and close the skylight window, which will require a more complex installation process and will come with remote control for operation.

Solar skylights feature a solar panel that captures the available daylight and uses it to recharge a highly efficient, fully concealed battery powered operator and control system. The battery operator is the power source they will work to open and close the skylight. Connecting to a cable that passes through the building, a solar skylight operates with a remote control to open and close the skylight. Relying on the sun’s rays, solar skylights are the most energy-efficient but most expensive skylights to install.

Size & Design of Skylight

Two significant factors that can increase the cost of skylight installation, fixed, ventilating, and tubular skylights, are the size and complexity of its design. Skylights are available in a wide range of sizes and designs. Unsurprisingly, relatively straightforward, small, and simple designs are going to be cheaper to install in comparison to larger, more complicated skylight designs. Large skylights may require complex structural modifications to your roof before going ahead with installation – this will require more labour, and therefore, will cost more.

Replacement Skylight or New Skylight?

Naturally, skylight replacement will cost a lot less than installing a brand new one, regardless of tubular skylights or ventilating skylights. In terms of replacement, the holes and equipment are already in place, and the roofing contractor will just need to take the old one out and replace it with the new one. There is a lot less labour and material required for a replacement.

Roof Pitch

The pitch of your roof and where you wish to have the skylight installed can also significantly impact the overall skylight installation cost. If the area is slightly inclined and easily accessible like a flat roof, the skylight installation should be relatively straightforward. However, if the area in which the skylight is to be installed on is a very steeply pitched roof and challenging to work with, this can inflate skylight installation cost.

Skylight Installation Materials

The main skylight itself will either be made from acrylic plastic or glass. You will need to consider which is best for your home as plastic will not provide UV protection and tempered glass is usually only one layer, which means it can break with substantial force. Double pane glass will provide exceptional insulation and security; however, will be the most expensive.

Quality skylights come with several framing options. You can get a skylight made from vinyl, wood, metal, or a combination of materials. The materials surrounding the skylight can also impact the overall installation costs.

Another material to consider is flashing. Flashing seals away condensation, and depending on your skylight’s location, it may require flashing. Depending on the type, some skylights will come equipped with flashing, others will require flashing as an additional skylight material which can increase the overall costs.

And finally, any added elements to a skylight installation will inflate the overhead costs. This includes insect screens, impact glazing, the installation of solar panels, toughened safety glass, manual control rods, electric opening systems, and blinds. Essentially, any accessories or added components to the skylight itself will naturally increase the costs of the installation and materials involved.

Labour Costs

One of the major factors of skylight installation cost is the installation process itself. An exterior and an interior phase of installation will be required to ensure accurate and precise fitting. Once the roofing contractor has cut and measured the hole into the roof, the skylight will be fitted in from both sides, from exterior components to interior pieces. The amount of time the professional skylight installer will need for this process depends on the scope of the project, the slope of the roof, and the design of the skylight.

Small designs with simple installation processes will take as little as four hours altogether. If this is the case, you will face costs for the materials used as well as an hourly rate for the labour. Larger and more complicated designs will require a labour-intensive installation that can take up to three or four days of work. In this case, you can expect the labour costs of the skylight installation to increase.

How Long Does It Take to Replace A Skylight?

The amount of time it takes to replace a skylight will depend on the design of the skylight itself. If it is a simple replacement or upgrade, it should take as little as a few hours from start to finish. A larger or more labour-intensive skylight replacement or installation can take closer to two or three days overall.

Professional Skylight Installation

Skylights can add significant value to your home. Bringing in natural light, breeze, and space, skylights are a great addition to any room or area. Relying on a professional to install your skylight means depending on someone experienced, skilled, and qualified to use high-quality materials and ensure a perfect installation.

Hiring a professional to install your fixed, ventilating or tubular skylight means saving money and avoiding having to pay for repairs or hire another skylight installer to get the job done correctly. Professional skylight installation is crucial to the waterproofing and security of a skylight – Vertec Roofing can ensure that job is done correctly the first time around.

The leading experts in all things Sydney roofing, Vertec specialise in skylight installations on all types of roofs. Get in touch with our team of qualified specialists to discuss your skylight project today.