- Skylights are a highly cost-effective to bring natural lighting into your home
- Acrylic and tubular are the two main types of skylights
- Costs of the skylight itself can vary significantly, as does installation
Skylights are a relatively cheap and popular addition to a home.
Breathing natural lighting into your home, it is an excellent (and cost-saving) feature to have lighting on during the day, especially in parts of the home that are naturally dark.
While some skylights are expensive, others can be more expensive. Like many home improvement projects, often the most expensive cost is the installation. All skylights should be professionally installed to ensure the roof doesn’t leak.
What are the benefits of a skylight?
A skylight offers homeowners many benefits. These include:
- Providing fresh air for ventilation
- Allowing for natural light
- Reduces dependence on artificial lighting
- Lowering heating bills during winter
- Ventilates to cool rooms during the summer
- More energy efficient
- Increases the value of the property
What types are skylights are there?
There are two main types of skylights – acrylic and tubular.
How much does an acrylic skylight cost?
Acrylic skylights are the least expensive skylights, and are usually domed. They can be easily installed by a professional skylight installer. It is not recommended to do this as a DIY installation, especially on a steeply pitched roof or on a second-storey.
Costs of these can vary; an inexpensive 400 mm x 400m acrylic skylight might set you back between $350 to $430.
A larger one, such as a 750mm x 750mm, will likely cost around $740.
It should be noted that domed and triangular skylight can cost more because of their size, and installation costs tend to be higher as often two to four skylights are installed together.
How much does a tubular skylight cost?
Tubular skylights are ideal for parts of the house such as a hallway, walk-in closet and other small spaces. A tubular skylight simply collects light from the roof and reflects into the house.
It can be a DIY but needs to be sealed correctly.
A tubular skylight consists of three parts: a roof-mounted clear dome, tunnels and an interior cover that allows light into the room.
The cost of a tubular skylight can vary significantly.
A very cheap model might cost between $120 to $450. Mid-range would likely be between $450 to $850. A high-end tubular skylight might cost between $600 to $1,200.
A more expensive light would be better designed to let more light in. For houses, skylights tubular skylights come in 250mm or 400mm diameters. Commercial skylights are much larger and can transfer light up to 10 metres.
What tubular skylight size should I get?
Not all tubular skylights are equal; different diameters illuminate different sizes.
A tunnel with a diameter of 15.5 cm can illuminate a space up to 4 square metres. A 23-25cm tunnel can illuminate up to 10 square metres. Lastly, a tunnel with a diameter of 32-45cm can illuminate a space of up to 15 square metres.
Do note that some larger tunnels may only be sold at specific skylights installers. Some tunnels will be straight, while some can be flexible.
So, how much do skylights cost?
As discussed earlier, skylights can come in square or rectangular forms, with many designed ready for installation.
While many skylights are fixed, there are also manually opening ones along with electric and solar.
For a flat roof, a smaller fixed skylight will typically cost $260, $880 for a manually opening skylight and $2,000 for a solar skylight.
For a pitched roof, a smaller fixed skylight will likely cost $400, $825 for a manually opening skylight, $1,900 for an electric skylight and $2,050 for a solar skylight.
How is a skylight installed?
In order to install a skylight, a roofing contractor will be required to cut a hole into the roof and ceiling, to accommodate the skylight. The system will then need to be waterproofed and sealed into place.
This installation will require the skilled work of a qualified and insured roofing contractor in order to ensure a precise, accurate and safe finish.
How do I hire a skylight installer?
Ideally, it is best to hire a skylight installer rather than do this as a DIY project. Hiring an experienced contractor will increase the chances of a better-quality installation. Contact three or so installers, ask for examples of previous work and if necessary, look online for reviews.
How much does it cost to install a skylight?
Typically, the cost of installation will range between $300 and $3,000.
For tubular skylights, this can cost up to $600 per installation, up to $1,400 for fixed singular installations and typically $1,000 to $4,000 for vented singular skylights (manual, electric and solar).
Factors influencing the cost of labour can include the slope of the roof and design of the skylight.
A small skylight with a simple installation process may take as little as four hours. A larger and more complicated installation may take several days, according to Sydney-based Vertec Roofing.
Are there other additional skylight costs?
There are some other factors that might influence the cost of a skylight.
Some units include pre-tinted or coated glass. The cost of to install sealant or flashing is typically included in a quotation from a skylight installer.
Skylight window glazing usually costs $20 to $50. This helps to seal the edges between both the frame and glass. You can pick up single-glazed or triple-glazed. Low-E glass options can sot around $100 to $250 each. This improves both UV stability and durability.
Some homeowners may wish to add tinting to their windows which will help to reduce the overall sunlight exposure. This costs $100 to $400.
