Skylight Installation & Repair in Pittsburgh, PA

Ireland Contracting installs, replaces, and repairs skylights across Pittsburgh and Western PA. We install VELUX fixed, manual-vented, and solar-powered skylights, and because we're a roofing contractor first, every unit is flashed into the roof system by the same crews that install the roof, which is the difference between a skylight that brings in light and one that brings in water.

Skylights add daylight and ventilation to the rooms that need it most: the dark center of a rowhouse, a Cape Cod's upstairs bedrooms, a kitchen or bath on the back of the house with no good wall for a window. The key to a leak-free skylight is the flashing kit and how it's woven into the shingles, underlayment, and ice-and-water shield around the curb, not the glass. That's roofing work, and it's why we treat a skylight as part of the roof rather than a hole in it.

Replace the skylight when you replace the roof. Manufacturers recommend it, and so do we: a 20-year-old skylight reflashed into a brand-new roof is the first thing on that roof to leak, and taking the roof apart again in three years to swap it costs far more than doing it during the tear-off. When we replace a roof with skylights in it, we quote the replacement units alongside so you can decide with the numbers in front of you.

Skylight leaks: nine times out of ten the problem is the flashing, the seal between the glass and the frame, or condensation dripping off cold glass in January rather than the skylight itself failing. We find the actual source, often the step flashing uphill of the unit, and repair it. When the unit is old, fogged between the panes, or the seal has failed, we replace it rather than patching it, and we'll tell you which is which.

We install VELUX skylights: fixed units for light only, manual-vented units you open with a rod, and solar-powered vented units with rain sensors that close themselves, plus solar-powered blinds and shades. VELUX backs the units with a 10-year installation warranty and 20-year glass warranty when installed with their flashing kit, which is how we install them.

Replacing the roof? That's the right time to replace the skylights too. See our Pittsburgh roof replacement .

Leak that isn't the skylight after all? Our Pittsburgh roof repair team .

Skylights in Pittsburgh homes

Pittsburgh is one of the cloudiest metros in the country, and the housing stock makes it worse: rowhouses and duplexes with windows only front and back, Cape Cods with knee-wall bedrooms upstairs, and split-levels with a hallway that never sees daylight. A single skylight in the right spot changes how those rooms feel, and a vented unit in a bathroom or kitchen pulls out moisture that otherwise ends up in the attic.

Our winters are the test. Snow load, ice at the curb, and the freeze-thaw that works at every roof penetration are why the flashing and the ice-and-water shield around a skylight matter more here than in a dry climate, and why the skylights we install go in with the full manufacturer flashing kit rather than a bead of sealant.

What's included

VELUX fixed, manual-vented, and solar-powered skylights
Flashed into the roof by our own roofing crews
Skylight replacement during roof replacement
Leak-source repair: flashing, seals, and condensation
Solar-powered shades and blinds
Licensed and insured under PA #026195, family-owned since 1994

Skylights products we install

We install premium, manufacturer-backed product lines. Here are the brands we trust.

VELUX Skylights
Weathertight skylights engineered for performance, with built-in solar-powered shades.
- Tested against heavy rain, strong winds, and intense heat
- Pre-installed solar-powered shades for built-in light control
10-year installation, 20-year glass, 10-year product, 5-year shades & controls

Our skylights process

1 Consultation. We look at the room, the roof pitch and framing above it, and the rafter spacing, and help you choose the size and type: fixed, vented, or solar.
2 Estimate. A written, itemized estimate for the unit, the flashing kit, the roof work around it, and the interior finish, with a replacement quote if the roof is being done at the same time.
3 Installation. We cut and frame the opening or remove the old unit, set the skylight, and weave the flashing kit into the roofing, underlayment, and ice-and-water shield.
4 Finish & walkthrough. We finish the interior light shaft where needed, test operation on vented units, and clean up.

Skylights across Western PA

We provide skylights throughout the Greater Pittsburgh area and Western Pennsylvania, including:

Skylights FAQs

How much does a skylight cost to install in Pittsburgh?

It depends on the size and type of unit (fixed costs less than vented, solar-powered costs more), whether it's a new opening or a replacement, the roof pitch, and how much interior light shaft has to be built. We give a free, itemized estimate for your roof and room.

Should I replace my skylight when I replace my roof?

Almost always, yes. An old skylight reflashed into a new roof is the first thing likely to leak, and replacing it later means opening the new roof again. We quote replacement units with every roof that has skylights so you can decide.

Why is my skylight leaking?

Usually the flashing around it, the seal between the glass and the frame, or condensation dripping off cold glass in winter, not the skylight failing. We trace the source, which is often the roofing uphill of the unit, and repair that.

Do you repair skylights or only replace them?

Both. Flashing and seal problems are repairs. A unit that's fogged between the panes, cracked, or past 20 years is replaced, because a repair on a failed unit doesn't last.

Can you add a skylight to an existing roof?

Yes. We cut and frame the opening between the rafters, set the unit with its flashing kit, and build the light shaft to the ceiling. It's a one- to two-day job on most homes.

Fixed or vented skylight?

Fixed is the value choice for light alone. A vented unit makes sense in a bathroom or kitchen to let moisture and heat out; solar-powered vented units open with a remote and close themselves when the rain sensor gets wet.

Do skylights leak?

A skylight leaks when it is poorly flashed or installed, or when it's simply worn out. Installed with the manufacturer's flashing kit and integrated into the roofing system, a modern skylight is as watertight as the roof around it.