Having skylight windows added to your home, whether in your kitchen, a converted loft space or elsewhere can provide both functionality and aesthetic value for a space in your property.

Along with increasing natural light and adding a visual flare to the space, skylight windows can increase energy efficiency (by introducing more solar warmth).

While the installation price of skylights can vary based on numerous factors, understanding how much an instalment is likely to cost in your particular case is essential for effective budgeting planning. So, without further ado, let’s look at the cost of a skylight installation!

How Much Are Skylights?

In 2023, the price of a skylight installation in the UK can differ based on a range of factors such as the type of skylights being installed, the type and structure of your roof, material quality and even the price of labour in your region.

The average cost of to have a skylight fitted in the UK is around £750 to £1,400. Of course, prices can differ significantly based on various factors like those listed above. Daily labour rates for a skylight installer (assuming a skilled professional and an additional labourer to assist are required) is likely to land about £180 to £210 per day.

However, for those based in London the price of labour for a skylight installation is likely to end up somewhat higher.

Ultimately, the best approach to take (regardless of where you’re based in the UK) is to secure quotes from 3+ skylight installation services near you and compare each quote based on various details (e.g. pricing, their levels of experience and any reviews or ratings they might have online).

Factors Influence Skylight Installation Costs

Let’s now take a look at some of the key cost factors that shape the total price of having skylight windows installed.

Here is the average cost of different skylight window installations in the UK:

Type of Installation

Skylight Type	Skylight Cost
Centre Pivot Skylight Instalment	£800 to £1,400
Pyramid Skylight Installment	£800 to £1,200
Flat Roof Skylight Instalment	£800 to £1,200
Small Roof Terrace Skylight Instalment	£4,200 to £6,200
Large Roof Terrace Skylight Instalment	£5,200 to £7,200
Top Hung Skylight Instalment	£1,100 to £1,400
Electric Top Hung Skylight Instalment	£1,200 to £2,200
Small Balcony Skylight Instalment	£2,200 to £4,200
Large Balcony Skylight Instalment	£4,200 to £8,200

*The skylight prices listed above take the cost of labour and materials into consideration. Also, you should note, the prices of labour are estimated figures based on the average cost of labour in the UK and approximately how long the work should take (since labour is often charged daily or even hourly).

On average it should take one to two days to have a skylight installation complete although in some cases it may take only half a day or even more than two days.

Skylight Types

The type of skylight being installed matters for a range of reasons. On the one hand, type can refer to the functionality of the skylight being used. While fixed skylight windows are relatively cheap with similar pricing to tubular skylights, ventilating skylight windows are generally quite a bit more expensive.

Roof Type and Structure

The structure and complexity of your roof can also shape installation costs. For example, having skylights added to a sloped roof may end up cheaper than adding to a flat roof, but this can still depend on a range of factors.

Any issues with ease of access to the work area or additional challenges working on your specific roof could add to the overall cost too.

Material Quality

Of course, the quality of the skylight materials (including the amount of material) will also play a role in shaping your final bill.

Plastic/acrylic skylights tend to be relatively affordable as are single-glazed units. Glass skylights and polycarbonate skylights may end up more expensive as would double-glazed skylights.

It goes without saying that the more you pay, the better quality you’ll likely get although that isn’t to say that bargains with good value for money can’t be found.

Labour Costs

The cost of labour is also a major cost factor in determining the overall cost of a skylight installation. While it’s possible to fit a skylight DIY once you have the right skills, knowledge, you should still only do it if it's safe and you know what safety measures to take for that matter. If in any doubt, consult with or hire a professional. Also, a reliable professional can ensure a top-notch installation.

The price of labour, as mentioned, is about £180 to £210 per day (in terms of the national average). However, the cost of labour in itself can be impacted by a host of factors like how long the work takes and how accessible the work area is.

As a side note, the price of labour (and thus overall cost) may cost more if you need them to remove and replace existing skylights.

Types of Skylights

There are many types of roof skylights to choose from. In this guide we’ll focus on three top examples and touch on other options.

Fixed Skylights

These skylights are fixed firmly in place and cannot open or close. These skylights are most prominently in areas like the stairwell.

Along with being a relatively simple option, fixed skylights are relatively less expensive than other more complex options. Fixed skylights are not a good option for areas of your home where ventilation is required. Check with a professional first whether a fixed skylight works for any given space in your home or not as other ventilation may be needed for safety.

Pros:

• ✔ Generally, more affordable than other options
• ✔ May do the job just fine for many people

Cons:

• ✖ Cannot be opened
• ✖ Does not provide ventilation

Ventilating Skylights

These skylight roof windows can be opened or closed. Some (depending on how accessible they are and how safe it would be to use) can be opened manually whereas others are electronic and remote-controlled, allowing you to safely open them even if they are out of physical reach.

Ventilating skylights can not only help ventilate a space but also rid it of excessive moisture. This can help lower the chance of issues such as mould and mildew. Ventilated skylights are arguably best-suited to kitchens, bathrooms and living rooms.

Pros:

• ✔ Ventilating skylights can be opened
• ✔ Some electronic skylights can even be open remotely
• ✔ Well-suited to spaces such as kitchens and living rooms

Cons:

• ✖ Tend to cost more than fixed skylights

Tubular Skylights

For a different approach, you may be interested in having tubular skylights added to your home. These skylights tend to come with a diameter of somewhere in the region of 25cm to 40cm.

The optical methods used by tubular skylights allows sunlight to be direct through a shaft before lighting up the living space below.

If ventilated skylights or even regular fixed skylights won’t work well for your roof, then tubular skylights may still prove a suitable option for you and your home. Whatever the case, you’ll want to verify with a professional ahead of any installation work to ensure a given type of skylight is right in your case.

Pros:

• ✔ Could be a viable option for those whose property (or at the least the areas above where you’d want such installations) are not a good match for fixed or ventilating skylights
• ✔ Potentially low or no maintenance required

Cons:

• ✖ Won’t provide you with a direct look at the sky above
• ✖ As alluded to in the previous con, they are arguably not as aesthetically pleasing

DIY vs. Professional Installation

As mentioned earlier, it is possible to fit skylights DIY but only if you are certain, you have the right skills, knowledge and safety awareness.

Taking all necessary safety measures is essential for any DIY-friendly project. For example, you’d need to know whether a given space is suitable to add a low-hanging manually openable ventilating skylight or whether this would be too hazardous a setup. Also, whether or not a skylight instalment is suited to you as a DIY project will depend on the complexity of the installation task.

To install skylights DIY, the following approximate costs would likely apply (material cost of skylights only):

Supply Only	Supply Cost Only
Centre Pivot Skylight	£600 to £1,200
Pyramid Skylight	£600 to £1,000
Flat Roof Skylight	£600 to £1,000
Roof Terrace Skylight	£4,000 to £6,000
Roof Terrace Skylight	£5,000 to £7,000
Top Hung Skylight	£900 to £1,200
Electric Top Hung Skylight	£1,000 to £2,000
Small Balcony Skylight	£2,000 to £4,000
Large Balcony Skylight	£4,000 to £8,000

As mentioned earlier, the cost of labour in the UK is about £180 to £210 per day. Prices can differ throughout the UK, of course. Prices are generally higher in London while prices tend to be below the UK average in northern England and Scotland.

While you could undertake the work DIY and likely save a few hundred euro, among the benefits of hiring a professional is the quality of their work thanks to their experience levels. Also, it would save you the hassle.

If in doubt as to whether you can undertake the project DIY, either err on the side of caution and hire a professional or at least consult with one to see whether your skills, knowledge and safety awareness are bang on.

Budget-Friendly Tips

Money is tight for many of us these days. So, taking budget-friendly approaches to skylight installation can prove essential to staying within your budget. This is also true when it comes to maintenance considerations.

Cost-effective Skylight Options

For starters, you should look into the various cost-effective skylight products on the market. This is true whether you are undertaking the work DIY or wish to hire a professional but source the skylights yourself. Alternatively, you could ask a professional (who you’ve hired to install the skylights) to specifically find affordable skylights without sacrificing on quality.

Whatever the case, some of the best ways of finding cost-effect skylights on the market are:

• Search for affordable yet quality brands or models.
• Adding to the above point, look at online reviews (although watch out for any signs of fake reviews if its brand/model you’re unfamiliar with).
• Consider types/materials of skylights that are relatively affordable while searching for specific products within these categories that are still highly-rated and likely offer solid value for money.
• Look at various reliable and trustworthy skylight sellers online and see if any offer particularly good value for money or discounts on skylights of at least a sufficient quality (if not simply high-quality).
• Shop around stores in person and see if you can find any good deals and skylights that offer great value for money without breaking the bank.

Energy-efficient Choices

Some skylights are more energy-efficient than others. That is to say, certain skylights are more effective at letting heat in and keeping this heat and any other heat in the room in general in.

If you are keen on having energy-efficient skylights installed, some of the top options to consider include double-glazed skylights and triple-glazed skylights. Ultimately, more energy-efficient skylights can help keep your heating bills down and save you money in the long-run.

Maintenance Considerations

Before discussing the benefits of proper maintenance, it’s important to consider that the type of skylights you opt for and how they’re installed can shape their durability. Therefore, to keep long-term maintenance costs down, consider opting for durable choices like suitable tempered-glass skylights.

It’s best to hire a professional to clean and maintain your skylights at least twice a year to prolong their lifespan. Once in a while they may need to even fix a broken part (perhaps if damaged by weather conditions). In some cases, a broken skylight may need replacing, particularly if it is beyond economical repair but hopefully that scenario would be some time away.

While it might cost somewhere between £750 and £1,400 to have skylights installed, as you’ve seen in guide, the cost can vary substantially based on a host of factors.

Of course, thankfully there are ways of keeping your costs down (both upfront and over time). To secure good value for money and hopefully keep your costs down for the installation itself, it’s best to obtain quotes from three or more skylight installation services.

This way you can compare their pricing and other factors like experience levels and any online reviews or ratings they might have.

Ultimately, you’ll want to weight the benefits against costs to decide what skylight installation is for you based both on your preferences and budget.

FAQs

Q: How are skylights installed?

A: The exact process of installing a skylight will vary depending on the type of skylight and roof structure. Whether as a DIY instalment or a professional installation, the manufacturer’s instructions must be followed to a T.

In order to install skylights, broadly speaking, an opening must be created by removing a suitable section of the roof before various steps are taken to lay down the skylight and fit it in place. Other aspects of the process can include (but are not limited to) framing the opening and adding any necessary weatherproofing measure.

Q: What are solar skylights?

A: Solar-powered skylights generally involve using a solar panel to power LED lighting which in turn lights up the space below. Along with being relatively easy to maintain solar skylights often come with a dimming feature. The obvious downside is that they may not be your cup of tea since they do not work like conventional skylights.

Q: How long do skylights generally last?

A: Skylights usually last somewhere in the region of 10 to 15 years but this will depend on the type of skylights you have, how well maintained they are, how harsh weather conditions can be in your region and other factors.

Q: How do skylights affect the value of properties?

A: Skylights often add value to a property. However, in order for this to happen in practice they need to be sold well to potential buyers. In theory, skylights could add 10% or even more added value to a property but in some cases, they may add a little or none depending on factors like how the selling process goes.

Q: Are skylights and Velux windows the same thing?

A: Velux is a specific brand which sells skylight windows. Therefore, skylight windows are a general type of skylight windows while Velux windows (in the context of skylights) refers to Velux skylights.

Sources

https://prsnottingham.co.uk/roof-skylight-cost/
https://cambridgeskylights.co.uk/blogs/news/opening-vs-non-opening-skylights-understanding-the-differences
https://www.ibexroof.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-skylights/
https://gosmartbricks.com/different-types-of-skylight-and-how-to-choose-the-right-one/
https://gogreendaylightsystems.com/tubular-skylights-pros-and-cons/
https://elitehomedaylighting.com/tubular-skylights-pros-and-cons/
https://toughenedglasssystems.co.uk/are-rooflights-energy-efficient