Skylight Replacement in Torrance, CA

Skylights do not fail all at once. The dome clouds, the sealant cracks, a stain shows at a corner, and then one wet February it drips. That is when people ask about replacement. This page covers when a swap is the right move, what the options are, and how a replacement day runs. If you are not sure yet, our skylights page starts with the whole picture.

Signs you need a replacement: is your old skylight past repair?

• The plastic dome is yellow, chalky or covered in fine cracks.
• Moisture or film sits between double panes and does not wipe off.
• The frame is bent, or there is daylight showing around the edge.
• The curb or the shaft is stained from repeated leaks, even after resealing.
• Repairs keep failing in the same corner.

A skylight that checks several of these boxes is usually spending your money on patches. The reverse also holds: a unit with clear glass, a sound frame and one dried bead of sealant does not need replacing, and we say so.

In Torrance the usual causes are sun and age. Plastic domes on 1960s roofs have baked for decades, and the caulked flashing from an earlier re-roof tends to let go on the side that takes the afternoon sun and the winter wind. When the same skylight has been resealed twice and still stains the ceiling, replacement is cheaper than a third patch.

One reasonable check is to compare repair cost against the unit's remaining life. The article on skylight replacement cost lists what moves that quote. Our skylight repair page covers the cases where a reseal is enough.

Plastic dome skylight replacement

Acrylic and polycarbonate domes are common on older Torrance homes and flat or low-slope sections. They are cheap and bright, and UV slowly makes them brittle and hazy. When a dome fails, you can replace only the dome if the curb under it is sound, or move to a glass unit that handles sun better and insulates more. A new dome on a rotted curb is money wasted, so we check the curb first.

Curb mount or deck mount?

A curb-mount skylight sits on a raised wood frame built above the roof deck. It is the usual choice on flat and low-slope roofs because it lifts the opening above standing water. A deck-mount unit attaches directly to the deck with a flashing kit and sits lower, which suits steeper shingle and tile slopes. The existing opening often decides: replacing like for like keeps framing changes small. Changing from one style to the other is possible but adds work.

Special-order skylights: measuring, waiting and delivery

Not every opening has a stock unit. Odd sizes, older frames and certain glass options are special order. The process is:

1. We measure the opening from the roof and attic side, and photograph the label and frame.
2. You approve the unit, glass and any venting.
3. The order goes in, and lead time depends on the supplier.
4. On delivery, we inspect the unit before roof work begins.
5. Install proceeds only when the unit checks out.

Plan for a gap between estimate and install. In the meantime we can seal or cover a leaking unit so it holds through any wet spell.

Heated gutter caps and other things at the roof edge

One Google reviewer described a project with an older skylight and heated gutter caps that had to come off. Heating cables, gutter covers and drip edge hardware can sit in the way of roof access near the eave and need removal for flashing and roofing work. We plan for these before the day, and put them back or tell you what will need a separate trade. Our gutter repair page covers that side.

Skylight reinstallation during a re-roof

A skylight in good shape does not have to go to the dump. During a re-roof, we can remove a sound unit, install new underlayment and flashing around the opening, and set the same skylight back. That gives you fresh flashing without paying for a new unit. If the unit is cracked or its seals are gone, it is cheaper to replace during that visit than after the roof is finished. See roof replacement for how that job runs.

What a skylight replacement includes, and how the day runs

A replacement is a small roofing job built around one opening, so it is scoped like one. The old unit does not simply lift out and a new one drop in. The curb or deck framing under it decides whether the new unit will seal, and the flashing around it has to be rebuilt in the right order with the roofing woven back in. That is why we look at the opening from the attic first and photograph what we find when the old unit is out. The scope of a standard replacement includes:

• Removal of the old unit and the roofing around it
• Checking the curb or deck framing, with soft wood replaced and priced as its own line
• New underlayment and flashing, laid bottom to top
• The new skylight, set and sealed
• Roofing woven back in around it, matched to the existing roof as closely as we can
• Cleanup of the roof, shaft, yard and driveway

The day runs in this order:

1. We protect the room below, the attic floor and your yard.
2. The old unit comes out, and the roofing around it is lifted.
3. The curb and deck are checked, and soft wood is replaced.
4. New underlayment, flashing and the skylight go in, bottom to top.
5. The roofing is woven back in. On tile we match as closely as we can.
6. The shaft is cleaned up or finished, and we do a thorough cleanup.

Rain delays happen. A skylight should not be open to weather overnight, so we only start when the forecast gives a reasonable window.

What changes the price of a skylight replacement

We give free estimates and do not post prices. These are the variables:

• Standard or special-order unit, and glass options
• Curb mount or deck mount, and any switch between them
• Roof material and slope
• Rotted deck or curb that has to be rebuilt
• Interior shaft finishing
• Whether it happens at the same time as a re-roof

Most of the difference between two quotes comes from the curb. A dome swapped onto a sound curb is a short job. A rotted curb, soft deck or buried insulation turns the same swap into carpentry, and that only shows once the old unit is out. We photograph what we find and tell you before extra work starts.

Permits, energy ratings and what to check before hiring

Swapping a skylight in the same opening is often treated differently from cutting a new one, but whether a permit is needed is the building department's call. In Torrance, Building & Safety at (310) 618-5910 can answer for your address, and unincorporated areas go through LA County Public Works. The California Energy Commission's energy standards cover skylight glazing, so a replacement unit carries a rating label, and the rules that apply depend on the building and the work. Check any roofer's license on the California Contractors State License Board site at cslb.ca.gov before signing.

Why Crown Trim for skylight replacement

• Reviewers rate us 4.8 stars across 73 Google reviews.
• A repair first when a repair will do, so you are not pushed into a new unit.
• Free estimates and free roof inspections, with photos of what we find.
• Same day or next day service for estimates and leak calls.
• We match existing tile and shingles as closely as we can.

The old skylight stays in place until the new one has been checked, so your roof is never left open while a delivery is late.

We replace skylights in Torrance and in Carson, Redondo Beach and Rancho Palos Verdes. For a new opening instead of a swap, see skylight installation.