Fixed
Does not open. The simplest swap, and the usual choice for hallways, stairs and bathrooms that only need light.
Skylight Replacement in Myrtle Beach, SC
A skylight that fogs between the panes, cracks, or leaks again after a reseal needs a new unit, not more caulk. WeatherShield has repaired and replaced skylights across Horry and Georgetown counties since 2022. We replace the unit, the flashing kit and the underlayment in one job, after a free inspection and a written estimate.
- Myrtle Beach office, Grand Strand crews
- Free inspection, repair-or-replace answer
- GAF Certified Plus roofing contractor
Dripping right now, or not sure it is the skylight?
Call us, and read how to tell a real leak from condensation and where skylights leak from in our skylight leak guide.
Skylight leak repair in coastal South CarolinaThe short answer
Repair the skylight, or replace it?
Most skylight leaks on the Grand Strand come from the flashing or the sealant, and those can be repaired. The unit itself is the problem when the glass seal has failed, the dome has gone brittle, or the wood under it has rotted. Here is how we call it on the inspection.
Repair usually does it when
- The unit is under about 15 years old and the glass is clear.
- The leak is at one flashing joint or one run of sealant.
- The curb and the framing around it are dry and solid.
- A venting unit still opens, closes and latches properly.
Replace the unit when
- Fog or moisture between the panes. The seal has failed and cannot be re-sealed.
- A cracked, chalky or yellowed acrylic dome.
- A leak that came back after the skylight was already resealed or reflashed.
- Soft, stained or rotted wood in the curb or the light well.
- The unit is past 15 years in coastal conditions and more than one part is failing.
- The roof is being replaced anyway. The old unit would sit on new shingles.
24 to 48 hours
How fast the EPA says water-damaged areas should be dried to prevent mold. A skylight that drips after every storm keeps restarting that clock.
20 to 30 years
How long VELUX says its skylights can last with normal wear on the roof. Salt air and summer sun on the Grand Strand push ours toward the short end.
June 1 to November 30
The Atlantic hurricane season, with its peak on September 10. A cracked dome or a loose flashing kit is the wrong thing to carry into it.
4 out of 5
This Old House's difficulty score for replacing a skylight yourself: moderate to hard, because working on a sloped roof is never easy.
What you are paying for
What a skylight replacement includes
The glass is the part you see. The flashing kit and the membrane under it are the parts that keep a Myrtle Beach storm out. A replacement done right includes all of it.
- The new unit: A fixed or venting skylight sized to the opening, or a new dome for an older curb. Glass units come with the maker's insulated glazing.
- The maker's flashing kit: Step flashing, head and sill flashing made for that unit and that roof type. Field-bent flashing is where most skylight leaks start.
- Ice-and-water underlayment: A self-sealing membrane around the opening before the flashing goes on. It is the second line of defense when wind drives rain uphill.
- Matched roofing: Shingles lifted and re-laid or replaced to match, or panel work on a metal roof. The patch should disappear into the roof.
- Curb or deck repair: A rotted curb is rebuilt before the new unit goes on. Soft decking around the opening is cut out and replaced.
- Interior finish: The light well is checked for staining and mold. Trim is reset so the room looks finished, not patched.
Our inspection covers the unit, the flashing, the curb and the light well, from the roof and from inside the room. If a reflash would solve it, we say so and price that instead.
Kinds of unit
Fixed, venting, curb-mount or deck-mount
A replacement is the one chance to change what the skylight does. The opening and the roof decide most of it; you decide whether it opens.
Venting
Opens by hand crank, electric motor or solar motor to let hot air out. Worth considering in kitchens and upstairs rooms that cook in summer.
Curb-mounted
Sits on a raised wood frame. Standard on flat and low-slope roofs and on most older homes. The curb has to be sound or rebuilt.
Deck-mounted
Fastens straight to the roof deck for a lower profile on pitched shingle roofs. Needs the maker's deck-mount flashing kit.
On a standing-seam or screw-down metal roof the flashing is different again, and the panels around the opening are part of the job. If that is your roof, say so on the form and read about our metal roofing work in Myrtle Beach.
Older units
Dome, bubble and sun-tunnel skylights
If your roof carries an acrylic bubble skylight on a wood curb, it was an inexpensive unit to fit, and it is the kind that clouds and cracks first in coastal sun.
- A yellowed, chalky or cracked dome is replaced with a new dome on the same curb when the curb is sound. It is the quickest swap there is.
- A dome can also be changed to a glass unit for a clearer view and better glazing. That may need an adapter curb or a rebuilt curb, which we tell you on the estimate.
- VELUX lists discoloration from sunlight, mildew stains, and leaks or condensation around the panes as the signs an old bubble unit is done.
- Sun tunnels (tubular skylights) are a different product. A failed dome on a tunnel is usually a dome swap; a failed tube is a replacement.
- A rotted curb is rebuilt before anything new goes on it. Putting a new dome on soft wood just moves the leak.
Skylight replacement cost
What moves the cost on the Grand Strand
WeatherShield does not print prices. A skylight job is priced on the roof, after we have seen the unit and the curb, and the number goes in writing. These are the things that move it.
- Size of the opening, and whether it stays the same size.
- Fixed, venting by hand, or venting by motor. Motors and shades add parts.
- Curb-mounted or deck-mounted, and whether the curb must be rebuilt.
- Dome to dome, or dome to glass. A glass unit on an old curb may need an adapter or a new curb.
- Roof pitch and height. Steeper and higher means more staging and more time.
- Roof material. Shingles are re-laid; standing-seam metal needs panel work.
- What the opening shows when the old unit comes out: dry framing, or rot to cut out.
- Whether the skylight is done on its own or as part of a roof replacement.
One thing never appears on our estimate: a price for work the roof does not need. If a reflash would do, that is what we quote.
Timing
During a re-roof, or on its own
VELUX says the best time to replace an old skylight is when you re-roof, because the skylight and roofing warranties then run together and the opening is already exposed. We agree, and a skylight can also be replaced on its own.
- On its own: only the roofing around the unit is opened and re-laid. One trip, one opening, the rest of the roof untouched.
- With a roof replacement: the old unit comes out with the old shingles, new underlayment and flashing go on with the new roof, and nothing is cut into new shingles later.
- Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 and peaks on September 10. A brittle dome or a loose flashing kit is worth dealing with before it, not during it.
- Winter is a fine time here. Skylight work wants a dry day, and we schedule around the forecast.
Horry and Georgetown counties
Why skylights fail faster on the coast
The same unit lasts longer inland. Four things on the Grand Strand shorten its life, and they shape how we flash and seal the replacement.
Salt air on the flashing
Salt corrodes thin flashing metal and fasteners faster than inland air does. A pinhole in a sill flashing is a leak you only see after a storm.
Summer UV on acrylic
Acrylic domes chalk, yellow and craze under years of direct sun. Once a dome goes brittle, a dropped branch or hail finishes it.
Wind-driven rain
Tropical storms push rain uphill under shingles and against the upslope side of the unit. That is why the underlayment and head flashing matter.
Heat and condensation
A single-pane or failed-seal unit sweats on humid mornings. Water on the inside is not always a leak, but it rots trim just the same.
A slow drip is still a deadline
The EPA says water-damaged materials should be dried within 24 to 48 hours, and that mold in most cases will not grow if they are. A skylight that weeps after every storm keeps the light well wet past that window, and the drywall and framing around it pay for it. That is why we treat a stained light well as a reason to open the roof, not to add caulk.
Insurance and the maker's warranty
VELUX notes that a worn-out skylight past its warranty is usually the owner's cost, while storm damage can often be claimed. VELUX's own terms for its systems are 10 years on installation, 20 years on glass seal failure, 10 years on the product and 5 years on shades and controls; those are the maker's terms, not ours, and they come with the unit's paperwork. For a storm claim, our guide covers the South Carolina steps.
Roof leak insurance claim guideThe process
From a stained light well to a sealed roof
- 01
Free inspection
We look at the unit, the flashing, the curb and the light well from the roof and from inside. We tell you if a reseal or reflash would do instead.
- 02
Written estimate
The unit, the flashing kit, the underlayment, any curb or deck repair and the roofing work, all listed. No pressure and nothing you did not ask for.
- 03
The right unit ordered
Sized to the opening and to the roof type. If you want venting or a glass unit in place of a dome, that is decided here.
- 04
Replacement day
Old unit out, opening checked, membrane and flashing kit in, new unit set, roofing matched back. Debris leaves with us.
- 05
Water check and walk-through
Flashing laps and seals are checked, the room is inspected, and you get the maker's paperwork for the unit.
Thinking about doing it yourself? This Old House rates the job 4 out of 5 for difficulty and says working on a sloped roof is never easy. On a two-storey Grand Strand roof in July, we agree. Our inspection is free either way.
Sources used on this page
Each number on this page links to where it came from. None of them is a WeatherShield price, guarantee or warranty term.
Grand Strand service area
Skylight replacement across Horry County and Pawleys Island
WeatherShield replaces skylights in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Garden City, Murrells Inlet, Conway, Carolina Forest, Socastee, Little River and Pawleys Island. The request form accepts the Horry County and nearby Grand Strand ZIP codes we serve, and our office is at 215 Ronnie Ct. Unit F, Myrtle Beach.
Homeowner questions
Skylight replacement FAQ
Can you replace a skylight without replacing the roof?
Yes. A same-size replacement opens only the shingles or panels around the unit. The old skylight comes out, the opening gets new ice-and-water underlayment and the maker's flashing kit, the new unit goes in, and the roofing is re-laid to match. If your roof is near the end of its life, we will say so, because the best time to replace an old skylight is during a re-roof.
How often should a skylight be replaced?
VELUX says its skylights can last 20 to 30 years with normal wear. On the Grand Strand, salt air, summer sun and wind-driven rain shorten that. Our rule from years of skylight calls in Horry and Georgetown counties: under 15 years with clear glass, repair; over 15 years with fogged or cracked glazing, a rotted curb or a repeat leak, replace.
How much does skylight replacement cost in Myrtle Beach?
WeatherShield does not publish prices, because no two openings are the same. What moves the number is the size, fixed or venting, curb or deck mount, dome or glass, roof pitch and height, the roof material, what we find when the old unit comes out, and whether the work is paired with a roof replacement. You get a written estimate after the free inspection.
Do you replace old dome or bubble skylights?
Yes. A clouded or cracked acrylic dome can be swapped for a new dome on the same curb, or changed to a glass unit when the curb allows it. VELUX lists discoloration from sunlight, mildew stains and leaks or condensation around the panes as the signs it is time.
Can a skylight be replaced in winter here?
Yes. Winters on the Grand Strand are mild, and skylight work needs a dry day more than a warm one. Many owners book it in the off-season so the roof is sealed up before the next hurricane season starts on June 1.
Does homeowners insurance cover a leaking skylight?
It depends on why it leaks. VELUX notes that wear-and-tear replacement out of warranty usually comes out of the owner's budget, while damage from a storm can often be covered. Our roof leak insurance claim guide walks through the South Carolina claim steps and what to photograph first.
Which skylight brands do you install?
The brand and model go on your written estimate, chosen for the opening, the roof type and whether you want fixed, venting or a glass unit in place of a dome. VELUX and Fakro both make replacement units with their own flashing kits, and the flashing kit matters as much as the glass.
I need an RV or shed skylight. Can you help?
No. WeatherShield works on homes and buildings in the Myrtle Beach area, not RVs or trailers, and we do not sell parts or kits. For a house skylight, send the form on this page or call us.
Find out if your skylight needs a reseal or a new unit
Call about a skylight, or send the details through the inspection form at the top of this page.
Go to the inspection form