How a Residential Skylight Gets Installed in a Toronto Home
Every residential install has two halves. Up top, the roof gets cut, framed, curbed, wrapped in ice and water shield and flashed with a factory kit matched to your shingles, metal or slate. Below, the light shaft gets framed, insulated, vapour-sealed and boarded so the daylight actually reaches your room.
Most companies are good at one half. Roofers can flash but leave you a raw hole in the ceiling. Renovators can drywall but should not be cutting your roof. We do both in one visit, with one crew, so nobody points at the other trade when something is off.
The 6 Rooms Toronto Homeowners Most Often Add Skylights To
After 2,000+ installs, the same six rooms keep coming up. Here is what works in each.
1. Kitchens
The number one request. A skylight over the island or sink puts light where you work, and a venting unit pulls cooking heat out at the ceiling. We did the Thompson family in Rosedale, three Velux VSS solar skylights over the kitchen, completed in one day with OBC permit coordination. A splayed shaft spreads the light across the whole counter run.
2. Bathrooms
Overhead light without giving up privacy. A Velux VS manual or VSS solar unit clears shower steam fast and laminated glass is standard over wet areas. Interior bathrooms that are too far from the roof for a shaft are perfect for a sun tunnel instead.
3. Bedrooms and Nurseries
Bedrooms need control as much as light. We almost always pair bedroom skylights with a Velux blackout blind, manual or motorized, so mornings start when you want them to.
4. Attics and Lofts
Attic conversions in Leaside, East York and the Beaches often have one gable window and dark knee walls. Two or three skylights along the slope make it a usable room. Attic installs can add around 10% to labour because of access and tighter framing.
5. Hallways and Stairwells
Upstairs halls are the darkest part of most two-storeys. A single Velux FS over the stair landing is one of our fastest installs and one of the biggest visual changes.
6. Garages and Workshops
No finished ceiling to protect, so garages are quick. Our Scarborough garage double-skylight install ran $4,200 and took a day.
Additions and Renovations
On new additions we frame the openings with your contractor before the roof is sheathed, which saves cutting later. Four-unit addition installs run $9,500 to $18,000.
Heritage and Older Homes
Rosedale, Forest Hill and Cabbagetown homes have plank sheathing, irregular rafters and sometimes slate. We open the ceiling on the assessment to see what is really there before quoting.
Residential-Style Skylights in Commercial and Multi-Unit Buildings
Some of our “residential” installs happen in buildings that are not houses.
Top-Floor Condo Units
Penthouse and top-floor townhouse units can add skylights with board approval. We supply the COI, WSIB clearance and a method statement for the condo board.
Rental Properties and Duplexes
Landlords add skylights to brighten basement-to-attic duplex conversions. We keep to schedules that work for tenants.
Laneway Suites
New laneway suites often have flat or low-slope roofs. We use raised-curb units from our flat roof range.
Home Offices Above Garages
Detached garage offices are a growing request. Fixed or venting units both work, and we coordinate with your electrician if you want a motorized model.
Specialty Residential Options
Solar-Powered Venting (Velux VSS)
No wire runs through your ceiling. The solar panel charges a battery, the remote opens it and the rain sensor closes it. See solar-powered skylights.
Sun Tunnels (Velux TGR)
For closets, halls and interior bathrooms where a full shaft will not fit, from $1,800 installed.
Curb-Mount Units for Low Slopes
Bungalows below a 3:12 pitch need a curb-mount Velux FCM, not a deck-mount.
Blinds and Smart Controls
Blackout, light-filtering and heat-reducing blinds, plus rain sensors and keypads. See Velux blinds and accessories.
Materials and Brands for Residential Installs
| Model | Type | Best for | Installed price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Velux FS | Fixed, deck-mount | Kitchens, halls, garages | $2,500 to $3,500 |
| Velux VS | Manual venting | Bathrooms, kitchens | $3,200 to $4,500 |
| Velux VSS | Solar venting, rain sensor | High ceilings, bedrooms | $4,500 to $7,500 |
| Fakro FTT | Thermal fixed | Energy-focused homes | $2,800 to $4,200 |
| Velux TGR | Sun tunnel | Interior rooms | $1,800 to $2,900 |
Every unit ships with Low-E glass, gets a factory flashing kit (Velux EDL for shingles, EDW for tile and metal) and sits on Grace Ice & Water Shield. Shafts get Roxul batt insulation and a 6-mil poly vapour barrier to keep condensation off the drywall.
Our Residential Expertise
We have seen plank sheathing that splits, rafters that are not on 16-inch centres, ductwork right where the shaft wants to go and wiring nobody knew about. That is why the assessment includes an attic check. Surprises become line items on the quote, not mid-job phone calls.
Nine times out of ten, when we are called to fix someone else’s residential skylight, the problem is an uninsulated shaft or a missing head flashing detail. Both are cheap to do right the first time.
What Actually Stops Toronto Homeowners From Adding a Skylight
“I’m worried it will leak.”
In our opinion, a skylight installed with a factory flashing kit and ice and water shield is less likely to leak than the chimney flashing on the same roof. Our lifetime leak-free warranty on install flashing says we mean it.
“It will be too hot in summer.”
Low-E 272 glass and a venting unit solve most of it. On south slopes, a heat-reducing blind finishes the job.
“My ceiling will be wrecked for weeks.”
One day for the install, usually one short visit for drywall finish. Dust wall, drop sheets, vacuum.
“I don’t know what it will cost.”
Our published price list covers every model, and your quote separates unit, labour, permit, flashing and disposal.
Residential Skylight Installation Timeline
Assessment Week
Free visit, attic and roof check, model and shaft plan. You recieve the written quote within two business days.
Permit Window (2 to 6 Weeks)
Only if framing is cut. We file and track it while the unit is ordered.
Install Day
Roof cut to roof closed, plus shaft framing and insulation, in one day for most single units.
Finishing Visit
Drywall mud, sanding and primer if you want us to handle it, warranty registration and walk-through.
Residential Skylight Cost in Toronto: What Drives the Price
Model Choice
Fixed units cost least. Solar VSS units cost most because of the motor, battery, panel and rain sensor.
Roof Pitch and Access
Steep pitches over 9:12 and three-storey roofs need more staging and add labour.
Framing: Truss Bay vs Cut Rafter
Fitting between trusses is the cheapest framing. Cutting and heading off a rafter adds labour and a permit.
Shaft Depth and Shape
Deep attics and splayed shafts take more lumber, insulation and drywall.
Roof Material
Slate, cedar and metal roofs take more care than asphalt shingles and sometimes a different flashing kit.
Number of Units
Two on one roof run $4,800 to $8,500 because setup is shared. Four-unit additions run $9,500 to $18,000.
Residential Skylight Installation vs Replacement vs Repair: Which Service You Need
If there is no skylight now, you need installation. If there is an old one in the right place, residential skylight replacement is faster and often skips the permit. If your current unit is sound but drips at the corner, leak repair may be all you need.
Fixed, Venting or Solar: Choosing Your Skylight Type
Choose fixed (Velux FS, Fakro FTT) where you just want light. Choose venting (Velux VS) where you can reach the handle and want airflow. Choose solar (Velux VSS) for high ceilings, bedrooms and anyone who wants automatic rain closing.
Residential Skylight Timeline in Toronto: What to Expect Week-by-Week
Week one is the assessment and quote. Weeks two to six cover the permit if needed and ordering. Install day is one day per unit for most homes, and finishing wraps the following week.
Why Toronto Homeowners Keep Recommending Us
Two decades, 2,000+ skylights and the same in-house crew doing the roof and the shaft. Trust us, you’re in good hands.
