How long do skylights last, and when should old ones go?
A well-made glass skylight often gives two decades or more of service, and plastic domes usually less in the strong South Bay sun. Age alone is not the deciding factor; condition is. These are the signs we look for when deciding whether to replace old skylights:
- Yellowing or haze that dims the room and no longer cleans off
- Crazing: a web of fine cracks across an acrylic dome
- Fogging between panes on insulated glass, a sign the edge seal has failed
- Corroded aluminum or rotted wood frames
- Leaks that keep returning after reflashing or resealing
- Heat and glare from clear single-pane domes over west-facing rooms
- A reroof on the way, which is the cleanest moment to swap any unit past its prime
If the unit is sound and only the flashing has failed, skylight repair is the cheaper path and we will price it that way.
What a skylight replacement includes
A replacement from us is more than new glass. The quote covers everything from the curb out, so the new unit is not sealed onto old problems:
- Removal and disposal of the old dome or glass unit, its fasteners and any caulk patches.
- Curb inspection and repair, with rotted or short curbs rebuilt and squared.
- New membrane, underlayment and flashing kit, or custom-bent metal where a kit will not fit.
- The new unit, fixed or venting, with the glass package chosen on the estimate.
- Roofing relaid around the skylight, with broken shingles or tiles replaced.
- Interior protection and cleanup, including the shaft and the room below.
Questions about skylight replacement?
Call first for the quickest answer, or request a free written estimate below.
Request a free written estimate
Fastest answer: call (725) 745-8803. Or send the details below and we will call you back.
Acrylic dome skylight replacement on existing curbs
Most older domes sit on a wooden curb built on the roof, a box frame that raises the skylight above the shingles. When that curb is solid and square, the simplest upgrade is a new curb-mounted glass unit sized to it. The opening in the roof deck, the light shaft and your ceiling stay as they are.
When the curb is rotted, out of square or too short for proper flashing, we rebuild it before the new unit goes on. A curb that rises well above the roof surface gives the flashing room to shed water, which matters on low-pitch ranch roofs and on homes where needles and leaves pile up on the uphill side.
Curb-mounted vs. deck-mounted replacement units
| Curb-mounted | Deck-mounted | |
|---|---|---|
| How it sits | On a raised wood box frame | Directly on the roof deck with an integrated frame |
| Best for | Replacing old domes on existing curbs; low-slope and flat roofs | Pitched roofs during a reroof or new opening |
| Interior impact | Usually none if sizes match | May need shaft and drywall adjustments |
| Flashing | Flashing kit or custom metal around the curb | Manufacturer's matched flashing kit |
| Look from the street | Sits higher | Lower, sleeker profile |
Curb-mounted skylight replacement is the most common choice for a straight swap. Deck-mounted units make sense when the roof is coming off anyway or you want a lower profile, though they may mean more interior work.
Can the new skylight be a different size or type?
Yes, within limits. A slightly larger or smaller unit can be fitted by rebuilding the curb. Going substantially bigger means cutting rafters or headers and reframing, which turns the job into a structural change and likely a permit. Going smaller is easier: the extra opening is framed in and decked over.
Changing type is common. A fixed dome over a bathroom can become a venting skylight that lets steam out. A skylight that overheats a bedroom can become a smaller unit with low-E glass and a built-in shade, or be removed and replaced with a solar tube. For a brand-new opening elsewhere, see our skylight installation page.
Code checks before a skylight swap: permit, glazing and CSLB
The callout above covers energy values and the permit question. Two more rules shape most replacements. The California Residential Code requires skylight glazing to be a safety material, which on most residential glass units means a laminated inner pane, and on roofs under a 3:12 pitch the curb must stand at least 4 inches above the roof unless the maker's instructions allow otherwise; that is one reason short site-built curbs get rebuilt. California's 2025 Energy Code took effect on January 1, 2026, so confirm current skylight values with the building department rather than an older handout. Finally, a replacement priced at $1,000 or more needs a contractor holding an active CSLB license, which anyone can look up at cslb.ca.gov.
Multiple skylight replacement in one visit
Homes that had skylights added in one remodel tend to have several of the same age, failing on the same schedule. Replacing them together has practical advantages:
- Ladders, roof protection and setup cost are shared across every unit.
- Matching glass and frames give each room the same light color and look.
- You avoid a second round of leaks from the units you held back.
- Units can be ordered together, which simplifies scheduling.
That said, you do not have to do all of them at once. When one skylight is clearly worse than the rest, we show you the condition of each in photos and price them individually; replace the worst first and schedule the others for a later season if that suits your budget.
Skylight replacement in Campbell, CA: the work day
- Protect the room below with drop cloths and cover the shaft opening from inside.
- Remove shingles or tiles around the old unit and pull the old dome or frame.
- Inspect and repair the curb and surrounding deck; replace any soft wood.
- Wrap the curb with self-adhering membrane and new underlayment.
- Set the new unit and install its flashing in the correct order, apron first.
- Relay the roofing around it and water-test.
- Clean the glass, the shaft and the room below, and haul away the old unit.
A single like-for-like swap on a shingle roof is often finished in part of a day. Several units, tile roofs and rebuilt curbs take longer, and your estimate gives a schedule.
Skylight replacement cost factors
- Size and type of the new unit: fixed, manual venting, electric or solar venting
- Glass package: low-E, laminated, tinted, or an integrated blind
- Whether the curb can be reused or must be rebuilt
- Roof material around the skylight, with tile and shake taking more care
- Any change in size that requires reframing or interior drywall
- How many skylights are replaced in the same visit
On Campbell homes the usual surprises are a site-built 1970s curb too short or soft to reuse, concrete tile that must be lifted and stored around the opening, and a light shaft with old water stains you may want repaired while the unit is out. Each is priced separately, after photos.
For a Velux skylight replacement, or a specific model from another maker, tell us what you prefer and we will price it on the estimate. Product coverage on the unit is the manufacturer's, on the maker's terms, and our workmanship terms appear in writing on the estimate. Our post on why skylights leak and when to replace them covers the decision in more depth.
Cloudy, cracked or leaking skylights? Call (725) 745-8803 to compare repair and replacement options.
Call (725) 745-8803Why homeowners replace skylights with a family-run roofer
A skylight is only as dry as the roof around it, and as roofers we handle both sides of that joint. Ours is a family business: the estimate is free and written, each skylight is photographed and priced on its own line, and we tell you when a reflash is enough to keep a sound unit. One bathroom dome is as welcome as a full set, and crews cover the floor below, clean the shaft and haul away old domes before leaving.
