The skylight installation cost for a fixed skylight in an existing opening ran about $1,200 to $2,300 installed in 2026, based on Toronto-area prices. A new skylight where there’s never been one costs more. The roof has to be cut and framed, and that work needs a permit.
This guide is designed for Markham homeowners who are considering installing or replacing a skylight. It covers typical cost ranges, factors that influence pricing, and the different types of skylights available, helping you make an informed decision and budget for your project. Understanding skylight installation cost matters because it allows you to make informed decisions and budget accurately, ensuring you choose the right option for your home and avoid unexpected expenses.
I’ve run Edmunds since 1989, and the first thing I tell people is that the glass is the cheap part. Your price depends on several factors, mostly your roof and what sits under it. The full price table is just below.
Skylight Installation Cost at a Glance for Markham Homes
These prices are for replacing a skylight in an existing opening. Adding one where there’s never been a skylight costs more, because the job adds structural framing and interior finishing. Steep, hard-to-reach roofs push the skylight installation cost higher.
Skylight type | Typical installed cost (existing opening, GTA 2026) | Choose it if… |
|---|---|---|
Fixed skylight | $1,200 to $2,300 | You only want daylight, such as in a stairwell or hallway |
Manual venting | $1,500 to $2,600 | A bathroom or kitchen needs venting and you can reach the skylight |
Solar powered venting | $2,200 to $3,600 | It needs venting but sits too high to reach, and you’d rather skip wiring |
Electric venting | $2,600 to $4,000 | It sits too high to reach and power is easy to run |
Sun tunnel (tubular skylights) | $800 to $1,600 | A closet or small interior room has no space for a full light shaft |
Flat roof skylight | $2,000 to $3,500 | You have a flat roof or low-slope addition (uses a curb-mounted unit) |
For a brand-new opening, the price for a new skylight is at roughly $1,000 to $4,000 per unit installed, with complex jobs going higher. That higher total cost covers framing, a light shaft, drywall and paint, plus a permit.
Are Skylights Expensive to Put In?
Yes, compared with the price of the skylight itself, because most of what you pay for is labour. The skylight unit alone runs from a few hundred dollars for a basic fixed model to around $2,000 for an electric venting one. In the table, installation makes up roughly half to two-thirds of the bill. Cost guides put labour costs at about 50% to 65% of a skylight budget.
When we quote a skylight, most of what the installers charge for is roof work. The crew strips the shingles around the opening, cuts or resizes the roof deck, and installs the flashing and underlayment. Then they reshingle and haul away the old unit and debris. Any work inside the house adds to that.
How Much Does a 2x4 VELUX Skylight Cost?
A 2×4 VELUX fixed skylight (size C06) was listed at about $614 at Home Depot Canada in June 2026, before the flashing kit. That’s the FS C06, a deck-mount model with laminated Low-E glass and an outside frame of about 21.5 by 46.25 inches. VELUX sells the flashing kit separately and requires it for the full no-leak warranty.
Prices can change, so check the current listing. Installed, a skylight this size lands in the first row of the table, because labour and flashing come on top of the skylight unit.
Choosing Between a Fixed Skylight, Vented Skylights and a Sun Tunnel
The right type depends on the room and the different styles available. A fixed skylight (A fixed skylight does not open and is the cheapest option.) suits a stairwell or hallway that only needs natural light, while vented skylights belong in bathrooms and kitchens where steam builds up.
In a York Region winter, shower steam condenses on cold glass and drips. Being able to open the skylight lets that damp air escape, and in warmer months it lets in fresh air too, which is why homeowners often compare skylight options by function as much as price.
For a closet or a small inner bathroom, sun tunnels (also called tubular skylights) (Tubular skylights are designed to channel light into small spaces and cost between $500 and $2,100.) carry daylight down a reflective tube to a small lens in the ceiling. They are designed to channel light into small spaces and typically cost about $500 to $2,100. They fit a tight space where a full light shaft doesn’t make sense.
For size, VELUX suggests a skylight area of about 5% to 15% of the room’s floor area, with rooms that have few wall windows at the higher end.
When Solar Powered Skylights Earn Their Price
Solar powered skylights make sense when the skylight is out of reach, like on a high vaulted ceiling, because you open and close them with a remote. A small solar panel runs the motor, so no electricity has to be wired in. Electric models need power, and cost guides put a new circuit at roughly $100 to $450 or more, depending on distance and attic access.
In the table, the solar model runs about a thousand dollars more than a fixed one. That buys a rain sensor that shuts the skylight when rain starts, plus the option of solar powered blinds on the same remote. If you can reach the skylight from a step stool, a manual opener lets in the same fresh air for much less.
Material Choices: Glass, Glazing and Blinds
A skylight in Markham faces more climate exposure than a regular window because overhead glazing takes summer hail and months of snow and cold. The two material choices worth asking about are laminated glass and Low-E coated glass. A Low-E coating cuts heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter.
For glass directly over your head, laminated is generally worth choosing over ordinary glass, because it stays in place if the pane is damaged. Ask which glazing a quote includes and whether the outer pane has a coating that helps rain rinse it clean, which cuts down on water spots. Blinds are worth adding in bedrooms and on south-facing slopes.
What Drives Labour Costs on a Skylight Job
Two houses on the same street can get very different quotes for the same skylight. The roof and the attic under it decide how much work installing a skylight takes. Much of the housing in Markham is two-storey, so installing skylights often means taller ladders or staging before anyone touches a shingle.
Roofing Material and Roof Pitch
Asphalt shingles, which cover most local homes, are the easiest roof to cut a skylight into. The existing roofing material around the opening comes off and goes back over the new flashing. Metal and tile roofs are a more complex process, since the panels or tiles need careful cutting and sealing, and they usually cost more.
A steep roof pitch adds safety gear and slower work. On flat roofs and low slopes, the skylight sits on a curb, a raised frame built on site. A curb-mounted unit costs more than a deck-mounted one because the curb is custom work and may need custom flashing.
Building the Light Shaft and Finishing the Ceiling
With a flat ceiling and an attic above, the crew has to build a light shaft, a short framed tunnel from the roof down to the ceiling. That’s where much of the hidden cost sits. They cut the ceiling, frame and insulate the shaft, then close it in with drywall and paint.
Proper insulation around the shaft is especially important here. A poorly insulated shaft acts like a cold chimney in a Markham January, and moist room air condenses on it and drips. What we see most in older homes with skylight condensation is a shaft that was never insulated properly. Larger skylights need bigger shafts, which means more framing and drywall.
Installing Skylights in a Row to Cut the Overall Cost
If you want multiple skylights in one room, placing them in a row can let them share one light shaft. One shaft needs less framing and drywall than separate openings, which lowers the overall cost. It only works if the layout fits the rafters, so have your roofer check first. Two units side by side can cost less to finish than one skylight at each end of the room.
Replacing an Existing Skylight vs. Installing a New Skylight
Replacing an existing skylight in the same opening is usually the cheaper job, because the framing and light shaft are already there. A new skylight means cutting the roof and building the shaft from scratch, and that also needs a building permit in Markham.
Older acrylic dome skylights often last 15 to 25 years, depending on sun exposure and how well they were installed. Signs one is done include yellowing, cracks, fog between the layers and leaks that keep coming back. Broken glass on any skylight is a safety hazard, so have it looked at right away.
The cheapest time to add or replace a skylight is during a full roof replacement. The shingles are already off, and the flashing goes in with the new roof. If your roof is within a few years of replacement, we usually suggest doing both together so you only pay for flashing once. Our guide to what a roof replacement costs in Markham can help you plan.
Do You Need a Permit for a New Skylight in Markham?
Yes, if the job cuts a new opening into the roof structure; no, in most cases, if you’re swapping a skylight into the same opening. Cutting roof framing is a structural change, so the city requires a building permit. A good contractor handles it, and since the city sets the fee and updates it, ask for the current amount. For other roofing work, here’s when a Markham roofing job needs a permit.
Homes in Markham’s four heritage conservation districts (Buttonville, Markham Village, Thornhill and Unionville) have one more step. The city requires a heritage permit for exterior changes there, including roof work, so a skylight on a street-facing slope may get a closer look. A minor heritage permit has no fee, but call the city’s heritage section before you order anything.
Why Professional Installation Matters in York Region Winters
In York Region, skylight leaks almost always start at the flashing, the metal and membrane where the skylight meets the roof. Freeze-thaw cycles push water into any gap there. Flashing failure lets water into the roof deck and insulation. By the time a ceiling stain shows, the water damage may already reach well past the spot you can see.
Ice dams can also form around a poorly installed skylight and back water under the shingles. One thing homeowners don’t always realize is that a leak can show up metres from the skylight, because water infiltration follows the roof deck before it drips. If the skylight is still in good shape, a small flashing leak can sometimes be handled as a skylight repair instead of a replacement, like any other roofing repair.
Does Home Depot Install Skylights?
Home Depot Canada sells skylights from VELUX, Columbia and Fakro, but its website doesn’t clearly list a skylight installation service, so check with your local store. If a store does arrange installation, ask who does the roof work and whether they’re a roofer.
Buying the unit at a big-box store is fine. Cutting and flashing a roof is roofing work, though, and the VELUX no-leak warranty depends on its flashing kit going in correctly.
Energy Efficiency, Rebates and What a Skylight Does to Your Bills
At the time of writing (September 2026), Ontario’s Home Renovation Savings Program pays $100 per rough opening for an ENERGY STAR certified skylight. You need a home energy assessment before any work starts and at least two qualifying upgrades, and you must own the home. Of the energy efficiency rebates open to homeowners here, it’s the main one that covers skylights.
The program’s terms say it can change or end at any time, so check the official site before booking an assessment. Because it needs two upgrades, the rebate works best when the skylight installation is part of a bigger project, such as new windows or attic insulation.
The natural light from a skylight also cuts daytime electric lighting, though the savings depend on the room and which way the roof faces. Only vented skylights add fresh air.
Do Skylights Add Value to a House?
They can make a home more pleasant and help it show well, but a skylight is not a renovation that reliably pays back its cost at sale. Natural light in a dark hallway or windowless bathroom is the kind of thing buyers notice, while a stained or leaking skylight works against you. There’s no solid resale data for skylights in Ontario homes, so be wary of anyone quoting a return percentage.
In our experience, the homeowners happiest with a skylight bought it for the room and how they use that space, not for resale.
Hiring Roofing Contractors for Installing a Skylight in Markham
The only way to get your actual costs is an estimate from someone who has been on your roof and in your attic. Things like roof pitch and attic framing can’t be judged from a photo.
A written quote for installing a skylight should name the model and size, the flashing kit and other materials, any framing or light shaft work, and the interior finishing. It should also say who pulls the permit for a new opening and what the warranty covers. On a more complex job, some homeowners use a general contractor to coordinate the roofer, drywaller, electrician, and permit process, though the roof opening and flashing still need the right roofing specialist. As with roof repairs or replacing exterior doors, quote details matter because scope, materials, and finishing can change the total quickly. If one quote comes in much lower than the others, check whether it includes the same flashing kit, interior finishing, disposal of the old unit, permit work and warranty.
Before you sign, ask roofing contractors for proof of liability insurance and a WSIB clearance certificate. In Ontario, that certificate protects you if a worker gets hurt on your property. Pick a GTA company with a local address, and use our questions to ask a roofing contractor for the rest of the project.
Get Your Skylight and Roof Checked in Markham by Edmunds
If your skylight is leaking, yellowed or just getting old, Edmunds Home Improvements can check your roof and skylight in Markham and tell you whether it needs a repair or a replacement. Every roof is different, so we look at yours before we give you a price.
Edmunds has served local families since 1947. Whether you’re weighing the skylight installation cost for a new opening or planning a full roof installation in Markham, we can help with any roofing or home renovation issue. Contact us to book an estimate.
Steve Gibson
President & CEO, Edmunds Home Improvements
Steve Gibson has over 35 years of hands-on experience in home renovation across
Markham and the Greater Toronto Area. As President and CEO of Edmunds Home
Improvements — a company serving the community since 1947 — Steve specializes in
roofing installation and repair, siding, window replacement and installation, and
door installation. A longtime local resident, he took ownership of Edmunds in 1989
and has built the company into one of the GTA’s most trusted exterior renovation
contractors. Edmunds is fully insured (WSIB and $5 million public liability) and
is a BBB Accredited Business and ENERGY STAR partner.
