Skylight decision guides
Reflash if the unit is sound and the leak traces to the metal around it. Replace if the glazing is fogged or cracked, the frame is damaged, or the unit is old - VELUX suggests professional inspection around 30 years and lists fogging, cracks and staining as replacement signals. Replace with the roof if the roof is due, since doing both at once saves an access and flashing bill and aligns the warranties. Remove and roof over if you never liked it and the room doesn't need the light.
The decision usually turns on one question: is the failure in the unit or in the installation? A fogged pane or a cracked dome is the unit. A stain that appears after wind-driven rain, with clear glazing, is more often the flashing. Contractors report that a large share of skylight leaks come from installation and flashing issues rather than defective units, so "you need a new skylight" is a claim that deserves evidence.
Age tilts the decision. On a 25- to 30-year-old unit, spending real money on a reflash is defensible only if the glazing is genuinely fine. Otherwise you'll be paying for roof access twice within a few years.
Removing a skylight is a legitimate option nobody offers you. If the room is too hot, the unit has leaked repeatedly, and you don't value the light, framing and roofing over the opening is often cheaper than replacement and permanently ends the risk. Ask for that price too.
Whatever you decide, don't let the decision be made in the driveway by the person who profits from it. Get a written diagnosis with photos, then get a second opinion if replacement is being pushed on a unit that isn't fogged, cracked or old.
Choosing skylights between the options
The judgement calls that decide the bill, before anyone quotes you.
- Demand photo evidence of the failure Fogged glass, cracked flashing, rusted pan. If nobody can show you the failure, nobody has diagnosed it.
- Let age break the tie Near 30 years, replacement usually wins over an expensive repair. Under 10 with clear glazing, look hard at the flashing first.
- Check the roof's remaining life If the roof goes in two years, wait and do both together unless the leak is active.
- Price removal as a real option Framing and roofing over an unwanted skylight is a valid, permanent answer. Get that number for comparison.
- Get a second opinion on any replacement pitch Especially if the first company that says "replace" is the company that sells the units.
All skylights decision guides
Skylights Repair vs Replace
Skylights DIY vs Pro
Skylights Budget vs Premium
Where these figures come from
Sources last checked
- VELUX - How Often Do Skylights Need to Be Replaced? · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Cityside - Proper Skylight Flashing: Preventing the Most Common Leak Point on the Roof · retrieved 2026-07-26
You know more than the last homeowner they quoted.
That is worth something only while you are still choosing. Tell us what is going on and we will match you with a few skylights pros whose licence and insurance we have already checked - free, no obligation.
Free · No pressure · Only your matched pros get your details