Our Process
Skylight replacement in Tucson starts with a phone call and ends with a roof that does not leak. Everything in between is what this page covers, because knowing the steps ahead of time makes it a lot easier to tell whether a quote makes sense.
Call (520) 668-9249
Step One, Tell Us What Is Going On
Call us and describe what you are seeing. Water on the ceiling, a lens gone yellow or cloudy, a crack, or a dark room you want daylight in.
You do not need to diagnose anything first. A few details help though, like how many skylights are on the roof, roughly how old the house is, whether the roof is flat or pitched, and whether the problem shows up only during monsoon storms or all the time.
Step Two, The In Home Consultation
We come out and inspect the existing skylights and the roof system around them, including the lens, the curb and the flashing. On a leak call we are looking for where water is actually getting in, which is often not where it shows up inside.
We look at every unit on the roof, not just the one causing trouble. Skylights installed at the same time tend to fail at the same time, so knowing the condition of all of them saves you a second call in eighteen months.
Then you get our read on it, along with a quote for a repair or a replacement and an honest opinion on which one makes more sense long term. If a skylight has years left in it, we say so.
Step Three, The Work
For installation, if the skylight or solar tube is in stock we can schedule right away. Custom sizes get ordered, and we confirm the install date once the unit is built. A lot of older Tucson homes have openings no standard unit fits, so custom is common here.
Most repairs are done in a single visit. Our crews finish the job water tight before they leave.
What Drives The Price
Two skylights that look identical from inside can cost very different amounts to replace. Here is what actually moves the number.
The Roof
Pitch comes first. Flat roofs need units designed with a pitch so water runs off instead of pooling. Steep roofs add cost for safety, scaffolding and manpower. Material matters too, since cutting and notching a Spanish tile roof is far more labor than working on asphalt shingle.
The Location
Where a skylight can go depends on the framing. Some structural beams carry the house and cannot be cut. We inspect the attic and the framing during the consultation to find the right spot before anything gets committed to.
The Size
Bigger openings let in more light, but the space between your ceiling joists and roof rafters sets the practical limits. A walk in closet or pantry is usually well served by a solar light tube. Larger or darker rooms need a traditional skylight.
The Ceiling
Drywall or plaster, flat or cathedral, attic space above or not. A skylight in a cathedral ceiling with exposed beams is straightforward, because the roof deck is the ceiling. A room with a flat ceiling and attic above needs a light shaft built and finished between the two, which is real carpentry and drywall work on top of the roofing.
Why Use A Skylight Specialist
Skylights are a specialty trade. It takes years of hands on experience to diagnose a problem skylight correctly, and most of the failures we find were caused by whoever installed the last one.
Our team has over 50 years of combined experience installing and repairing skylights and solar light tubes, with over 30 years of roofing behind the work. That combination matters, because nearly every leaking skylight we get called out to is not a failed skylight. It is a failed detail in the roof around it.