Skylight Installation in Torrance, CA
- 4.8★ from 73 Google reviews
- Free estimates
- Same day or next day service
- Photos of what we find
The first thing to settle with a new skylight is not the glass. It is whether the roof and attic can take an opening where you want one. Our skylights overview explains the types, and this page walks through a new install, from picking the spot to the finished shaft. If you already have a unit that is tired, see skylight replacement, and for leaks go to skylight repair.
Adding a skylight: what the roof and attic must allow
A good light location is one where the attic cooperates. We climb up and look at four things:
- Framing. Conventional rafters can take an opening with doubled headers on either side. Engineered trusses are a different matter and usually need an engineer's input.
- Obstructions. Ducts, wiring, plumbing vents and exhaust fans sit in many attics.
- Slope direction. A west-facing unit gets hotter afternoon sun than north or east.
- Roof features. Valleys, chimneys, ridges and skylight spacing all need clearance for the flashing to lap correctly.
Many post-war South Bay homes have rafter framing and a straightforward attic, though earlier work, solar conduit or added ducting can complicate it.
Rooms that tend to gain the most from a new skylight:
- Interior hallways and stairwells with no window at all
- Kitchens where the only window faces a fence or a side yard
- Bathrooms and laundry rooms that stay dark and damp
- Additions and converted garages with a single small window
Which skylight type? Fixed, vented or tubular
Fixed is the simplest unit. It lights a room and nothing else. Vented opens by crank, electric or solar operation and moves hot or steamy air out. Tubular units, also called solar tubes, are a round dome on the roof and a mirrored tube to a ceiling diffuser.
For a hallway that never gets daylight, a fixed or tubular unit is plenty. For a kitchen where cooking heat and steam gather, a vented unit earns its extra cost.
Kitchen skylight placement
Over a counter or island, a skylight puts light where you chop and read. Over a stove, think twice. Grease and heat dirty the glass, and a range hood duct may take the same attic space. A spot offset from the cooking zone, on the side of the room with the weakest window light, works best. A vented kitchen skylight lets steam escape, but a proper range hood still does the heavy work.
Bathroom skylight and solar tube options
Bathrooms mix moisture with low light. A tubular skylight over the vanity or shower area gives a bright, flicker-free glow and avoids the larger opening. In a bathroom with roof access above, a vented unit pulls humid air out and cuts the condensation that causes mold-prone corners. Frosted glass or a diffuser lens keeps privacy intact.
A solar tube installation usually needs only a round opening, ordinarily no bigger than a dinner plate to a bit larger, and the tube bends around rafters. It is the least invasive way to add light to an interior room.
Does a new skylight need a permit or energy review?
New openings change the roof structure, so expect the city to take an interest. In Torrance, call Building & Safety at (310) 618-5910 and describe the work. The California Energy Commission's energy code sets requirements for skylight glazing and area, so confirm the rules for your address and building type. In fire hazard zones, glazing material rules can also apply. We handle permit details on re-roofs, and for a stand-alone skylight we tell you what the counter is likely to ask for. The blog post on re-roofing permits and Title 24 explains how the city's counter works.
What a new skylight installation includes, step by step
A full installation is more than the unit. On a shingle or tile roof the flashing is built to lap with the roofing around it, not caulked on top, because that overlap is what keeps a Pacific storm out of the shaft. We cover the attic floor and the furniture below before anything is cut, and we check the forecast before opening the roof. Drywall finishing and paint are scoped at the estimate, since many owners hire their own painter. The scope of a standard installation includes:
- Attic and roof survey, with photos, before the spot is chosen
- The roof opening, with headers or a curb framed to carry the unit
- The skylight and its flashing, lapped into the roofing
- A framed, insulated shaft down to the ceiling
- Protection of the attic, interior, landscaping and driveway
- Cleanup of the roof, yard and street, with a magnet sweep for nails
The steps run in this order:
- Attic and roof survey. We pick the location, check framing and measure the shaft path.
- Unit choice. You choose size, glass and fixed, vented or tubular, with the sample specs in front of you. Special-order units take longer.
- Protection. We cover the attic floor, furniture below and landscaping.
- Opening. The roofing is cut back, and the deck is opened between framing.
- Framing. Headers and a curb or deck frame are installed.
- Flashing. Underlayment and flashing are laid in order, bottom to top, and tied into the roofing.
- Unit and shaft. The skylight is set, and the shaft is framed and insulated down to the ceiling.
- Finish and cleanup. Drywall, paint and a thorough cleanup of the roof, yard and driveway.
One Google reviewer said they worked with a Torrance roofing company to get new skylights installed. Finish work such as drywall texture and paint is a separate trade in many cases, and we say so at the estimate.
Should a skylight go in with a new roof?
If a re-roof is coming, schedule the skylight during it. The flashing goes in at the same time as the new roofing, which means no cuts in a finished roof and fewer seams to watch later. See roof replacement for the wider process.
What drives the cost of a new skylight
We give free estimates and do not publish prices. These factors move the quote:
- Unit type, size and glass specification
- Roof material, with tile and flat roofs needing special flashing
- Framing work, shaft length and attic access
- Special-order lead time
- Interior finishing: drywall, paint and trim
- Permit requirements for your address
A fixed unit on a shingle roof with a short shaft sits at the simple end. A vented unit on a tile roof with a long shaft and fresh drywall sits at the other. Two quotes for "a skylight" can differ widely because one includes shaft finishing and the other does not, so compare scope line by line.
Why Crown Trim for a new skylight
- Reviewers rate us 4.8 stars across 73 Google reviews.
- Free estimates and free roof inspections.
- We show you photos from the attic and roof, and explain trade-offs in plain terms.
- Thorough cleanup, with landscaping and driveways protected.
- Same day or next day service for estimates and leak calls.
We would rather tell you a spot will not work than cut a hole in the wrong place. The attic survey comes first, and you see the photos before anything is opened.
We install skylights in Torrance and in nearby Carson, Redondo Beach and Rancho Palos Verdes.
Where we do skylight installation around Torrance
Each place brings its own version of this job.
- Manhattan Beach: Hill Section and Tree Section remodels often add daylight to deep floor plans, and rooftop-deck rebuilds in the Sand Section can fold a skylight in.
- Redondo Beach: North Redondo townhomes and South Redondo bungalows have dark interior baths and halls that tubular units suit, with salt-resistant flashing near the water.
- Palos Verdes Estates: A new opening in a red clay tile roof means cut and reset tile, and the Art Jury reviews visible exterior changes, so the position matters.
- Rancho Palos Verdes: View homes with long single-story rooflines suit wide fixed skylights, and Peninsula wind makes upslope flashing detail important.
- Rolling Hills Estates: Ranch homes on large lots have long roof runs and open attics, which gives room to place a skylight and frame a clean shaft.
- Lomita: Compact post-war bungalows with dark hallways and baths are natural candidates for solar tubes that avoid cutting into rafters.
- Carson: 1950s-60s tract homes have simple rafter framing and straightforward attics, which keeps a new skylight opening predictable.
- Hermosa Beach: Tight beach lots and shared walls limit where an opening can go, so the attic survey comes before any choice of unit.
- Gardena: Post-war homes with older roofing often get a skylight during a re-roof, so the flashing is new from the first day.
- North Tustin: Large custom homes in the Lemon Heights-area hills have long ridge lines and big roof planes with room for a new skylight.
What customers say about this work
Crown Trim Roofers holds 4.8 stars from 73 Google reviews. Read all reviews
“i reached out to a local roofing company to replace a damaged skylight.”
“I decided on the tune-up, and they installed collars on all the vents, checked the flashing, and sealed the vent areas and ridge vent sealant to help prevent future leaks.”
“I had already used a temporary sealant to help stop more leaking, and they clearly understood the situation and focused on the repair that was actually needed.”
Skylight Installation: common questions
Does adding a skylight need a permit in Torrance?
Usually yes, because a new skylight opens the roof and often changes the framing. Like-for-like swaps are treated differently from new openings. Rules depend on your address and the work, so confirm with Torrance Building & Safety at (310) 618-5910 before work starts. We handle permit details on re-roofs and tell you what we expect the city to ask for.
Is a tubular skylight a better fit for a small bathroom?
Often yes. A tubular unit needs a round opening instead of a full shaft, fits between rafters and carries light around obstacles. It lights a small bathroom or closet well, but it does not open for ventilation, and a larger fixed or vented skylight gives a wider spread of light in bigger rooms.
Can a skylight go on any part of my roof?
No. We check the framing, the attic layout, the direction the slope faces and what sits underneath. Trusses can't be cut like rafters, ducts and wires may be in the way, and valleys, chimneys and ridges need clearance. We look in the attic first, then suggest the spot that works for both the room and the roof.
Can you add a skylight to a tile roof?
Yes. Tile needs flashing that follows the tile profile, and the tiles around the opening are cut, lifted and reset. We match existing tile as closely as we can. Tile roofs can be hard to walk, so we plan access and protect the surrounding pieces.
How long does a skylight installation take?
Many single-unit installs take a day or two on the roof, more if the framing is complicated or the shaft needs drywall and paint. A special-order unit adds waiting time before the work begins. We explain the schedule at the estimate and keep the opening protected from weather at the end of each day.
Will a new skylight leak?
A properly flashed skylight should stay dry, and the order of the flashing layers is what matters. Most leaks start from flashing that was caulked instead of lapped. We show you photos of what we find on the roof, and on an existing roof we also check the age of the roofing around the opening.
Related services and guides
Skylight Replacement
Skylight Repair
Skylight Replacement Cost: What Changes the Quote
Skylight Leaks: Flashing, Seal or Condensation?
Skylight Maintenance: A Simple Seasonal Checklist
Where we work: Carson, Redondo Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes, Gardena and the rest of our service areas.
Want daylight in a dark room? Start with a roof look.
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