Rosedale Heritage Home Case Study: $18,400 Custom Skylight Project

Last month our Toronto skylight installation crew finished a $18,400 CAD custom skylight project for a Rosedale heritage home renovation. We installed three Velux VSS solar-powered opening skylights with laminated glass across the kitchen ceiling, flashed to OBC 9.7 standard, and the architect signed off on first inspection. This case study walks through how the project came together, what made it tricky and what it cost, line by line.

The Project at a Glance

Detail	Summary
Location	Rosedale, Toronto (M4W)
Home	Early 1900s brick house inside a Heritage Conservation District
Scope	3x Velux VSS solar-powered opening skylights, laminated glass, kitchen ceiling
Price	$18,400 CAD
On-site time	2 days
Outcome	Flashed to OBC 9.7 standard; architect signed off on first inspection
Completed	August 2026

The Brief: Daylight Without Changing the Character

The owners were renovating a rear kitchen in a house that is more than a century old. The kitchen faced north, sat under a deep second floor and needed the lights on at noon, even in July. Their architect wanted daylight over the full length of a new island, ventilation to clear cooking heat, and nothing that would look out of place from the street or upset the heritage review.

We recommended three Velux VSS solar-powered venting skylights in a row over the island. Solar meant no wiring had to be run through a newly finished ceiling, the built-in rain sensors would close them automatically, and the remote let the owners open them from anywhere in the kitchen. Laminated interior glass was specified because the units sit directly over a work surface.

The Challenges

Heritage Review

Rosedale is a Heritage Conservation District. Because the skylights were on the rear slope and not visible from the street, the review was simpler, but we still prepared drawings showing the low-profile units and flashing details so the heritage planner and building department had everything they needed in one package.

Old Framing

Century homes rarely have rafters on neat 16-inch centres. When we opened the ceiling during the assessment, we found irregular rafter spacing and plank sheathing. That meant the three openings had to be laid out around the existing framing, with doubled headers above and below each one and rafters sistered on the sides. Finding that during the assessment, not on install day, is why there were no change orders.

Slate and Copper Details

Part of the rear roof was slate with copper details. Velux flashing kits are designed for standard roofing, so where the units met the slate we added hand-formed copper pieces to match the existing roof and lapped everything over Grace Ice & Water Shield. Nothing was caulked in place of flashing.

How the Two Days Went

Day one: dust protection inside, roof opened, three openings framed with doubled headers and sistered rafters, ice and water shield laid and the first two units set and flashed.

Day two: third unit set, copper transitions formed and installed, roof closed and hose-tested, light shafts framed, insulated with Roxul batt and sealed with a 6-mil poly vapour barrier, remotes paired and rain sensors tested.

The drywall contractor on the renovation finished the shafts afterwards, and the architect did the final walk-through with the inspector.

Where the $18,400 Went

Every quote we issue is itemized, and this one broke down into five familiar parts:

• Units: three Velux VSS solar skylights with laminated glass
• Install labour: framing three openings in irregular rafters, setting units, two days on site
• Flashing: Velux flashing kits plus hand-formed copper transitions and ice and water shield
• Permit and drawings: building permit and heritage submission package, at cost
• Disposal: old roofing, sheathing offcuts and packaging

For context, a single solar Velux VSS runs $4,500 to $7,500 installed on our published price list. Three units with laminated glass, heritage paperwork and copper details on slate landing at $18,400 is right where we expected.

The Result

The kitchen now gets clean daylight down the full length of the island from morning to evening, and the owners open the skylights on warm afternoons to let cooking heat out at the ceiling. The rain sensors have already closed them during two surprise summer showers.

The architect signed off on first inspection. For us, that is the real measure. In our opinion, the best custom skylight is one that looks like it was always meant to be there, and on a Rosedale house that means getting the framing, the flashing and the paperwork right before anyone ever sees the glass.

What This Means for Your Project

If you own an older home in Rosedale, Forest Hill, Cabbagetown or the Annex, a few lessons carry over:

1. Open the ceiling on the assessment. Old framing will surprise you otherwise.
2. Plan heritage paperwork early. It is not hard, but it adds time.
3. Choose solar for finished ceilings. No wiring runs, no patching.
4. Insist on real flashing. Kits where they fit, hand-formed metal where they do not.

Planning a heritage renovation? Explore our custom skylight design and installation service or book a free on-site assessment.