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The 5 Types of Skylights You Can Add to Your Home

January 8th, 2024 | 6 min. read

The 5 Types of Skylights You Can Add to Your Home

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A skylight is a great way to add more natural light to your home. Even better, a skylight can be much more, depending on what you’re looking to get out of it. 

However, this requires you to make some decisions. Well, you can’t make the right decision without knowing the different types of skylights and what they offer. 

For over 30 years, the team at Bill Ragan Roofing has helped homeowners make the right choices with unbiased and transparent information. That’s why I’ll break down the 5 types of skylights, what they offer, and how much they cost. 

This article covers the following:

  • 5 Types of skylights and how much they cost
  • What impacts the cost of skylight?

5 Types of skylights and how much they cost

The five types of skylights are fixed, manual vented, electric vented, solar-powered vented, and sun tunnel. Each is a great option for your home, but it depends on what you want from your skylight.

Below, you’ll learn more about each type and how much it’ll cost to replace a current skylight or install a brand-new one. Keep in mind that the links and cost numbers are based on VELUX skylights.

They are the leading manufacturer in the industry, and there’s a high probability you’re getting this brand if you use a professional to install your skylight.

1. Fixed skylight

Fixed skylights are pretty much sealed windows installed directly on your roof. While they don’t open, fixed skylights provide plenty of natural light while offering a low profile that doesn’t obstruct your roofline. 

You won’t get much out of this skylight except for the natural light, but there are plenty of size options to control how much is let in. You can add blinds as an accessory, which also comes with a remote to open and close them. 

If you get solar-powered blinds, you’ll qualify for the Federal Solar Tax Credit for 30% off (as of 1/8/24) the product and installation. You can expect a fixed skylight to cost around $1,800-$3,300 for a replacement and around $2,800-$4,700 for a new install. 

2. Manual vented skylight 

A manual vented skylight manually opens and closes by hand to let fresh air in. It opens and closes with a handle or operating hook, depending on if you can reach it. 

A manual vented skylight also comes with an insect screen to prevent pests from getting into your home while open. However, there’s no way to close it without physically being there if you accidentally leave it open. 

Like fixed skylights, a manual vented skylight qualifies for the Federal Solar Tax Credit if you add solar-powered blinds. You can expect a manual vented skylight to cost around $1,900-$3,600 for a replacement and around $2,900-$5,600 for a new install.

3. Electric vented skylight

An electric vented skylight opens and closes (with a remote or app) using electricity with a connection to a power source. This skylight comes with an insect screen and a standard remote to open and close it.

However, the remote can be upgraded to add voice control, automatic control, and smart home automation. Like the previous two skylights, an electric vented skylight qualifies for the Federal Solar Tax Credit if you add solar-powered blinds. 

You can expect an electric skylight to cost around $3,000-$4,900 for a replacement and around $4,000-$6,900 for a new install. 

4. Solar-powered vented skylight 

A solar-powered vented skylight is pretty much like an electric vented skylight but uses the sun’s power to open and close (with a remote and app). So, it also comes with an insect screen and a standard remote that can be upgraded to add voice control, automatic control, and smart home automation.

What sets VELUX’s solar-powered vented skylight apart from the electric version is the rain sensor. The acoustic sensor detects anything that sounds like rain and automatically closes the skylight if it’s open. 

Unlike the other skylights that need solar-powered blinds added, this skylight automatically qualifies for the Federal Solar Tax Credit because it uses solar power to open and close. You can expect a solar-powered vented skylight to cost around $2,900-$4,800 for a replacement and around $3,900-$6,800 for a new install.

5. Sun tunnel skylight (also called solar tube)

A sun tunnel (also called solar tube) skylight is made of an acrylic dome mounted on your roof with a tube (rigid or flexible) running down to a light diffuser installed on your ceiling like a normal light. It works by capturing light with the dome, magnifying it, and sending it down the tube into the diffuser.

sun tunnels installed over kitchen

There are multiple diffusers to choose from, but you can also add upgrades like an electric light kit, diffusion enhancer, and a daylight controller. For a rigid sun tunnel skylight, VELUX also offers a solar night light that provides light when natural light isn’t available, which qualifies for the Federal Solar Tax Credit. 

While a sun tunnel won’t provide as much light as a normal skylight, it won’t cost nearly as much. You can expect a flexible or rigid sun tunnel skylight installation to cost around $850-$2,250.

What impacts the cost of skylight?

If you’re like most homeowners, you experienced some sticker shock when you saw the prices. However, multiple things make a skylight cost what it costs.

Below are the factors that impact the cost of getting a new skylight:

  • Type, size, and number of skylights
  • The number of accessories added
  • The complexity of the project 
  • Curb-mounted or deck-mounted installation
  • The roofing contractor you hire

While the above factors play a huge role in why a skylight is expensive, installing a new one from scratch takes it to another level. This is because installing a new skylight is an actual construction project. 

It requires cutting drywall and a hole through your roof, framing for the new drywall, framing the skylight, putting new drywall to enclose the area, flashing the skylight, and painting the drywall to put the finishing touches. 

As you can see, it’s labor-intensive, with multiple trades (carpentry, roofing, and painting) on one project. That’s why it’s important to keep this in mind when you see the high-cost number on your skylight installation estimate. 

What do you need to know before getting a skylight? 

Now you know the types of skylights, how much they cost, and why getting one is so expensive. After reading this article, I’m confident you can choose the right skylight that fits your budget. 

But before picking up the phone to call a professional, there’s more you need to learn about getting a skylight. The last thing you want is to have questions after signing a contract instead of having the answers before thousands of dollars exchange hands. 

That’s why I wrote another article breaking what every homeowner needs to know about getting a skylight. 

Check out 6 Things You Need to Know About Getting a Skylight to learn what you need to know before calling a roofing contractor for a skylight estimate.

roofing contractor questions checklist

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