Recent skylight work
New York Skylight Installers replaces, installs and supplies skylights in Manhattan brownstones, rowhouses and lofts. Official VELUX dealer, LIC# 2084179, skylights only since 2005.
Harlem has the largest stock of brownstones in Manhattan that have not yet been through a full renovation. Mount Morris Park, Hamilton Heights, Sugar Hill, Striver's Row and the blocks off Lenox and Convent have rows of 1880s and 1890s houses with the original stair skylight still up there, often wired glass in a rusted steel frame, sometimes covered with plywood or tar decades ago when it started to leak. Uncovering it and putting a modern unit on the same opening is the single change that brings daylight back into the middle three floors.
Most of these houses are being renovated now, and the skylight goes in while the roof is open. If the roof is being replaced, the curb gets rebuilt on the new roof and the new unit is flashed into the new membrane, which is the right way and the cheapest time to do it. If the roof is staying, we replace on the existing curb after checking it is sound, or rebuild the curb first if it is not. Many of these houses are two and three family, so we schedule around tenants and the house is weathertight every night.
Mount Morris Park, Hamilton Heights, Sugar Hill and the St. Nicholas historic district are all landmarked. The LPC step comes before the DOB permit, and for a stair or bulkhead skylight that cannot be seen from the street it is a staff level Certificate of No Effect. Replacement on the existing curb is $2,079 installed, a new opening is $3,500, and a sun tunnel into a windowless bathroom or hall is $366.
Leaking skylight in Harlem? Start with a professional assessment from New York's original skylight specialists. Skylights are all we have done since 2005: licensed and insured (LIC# 2084179), VELUX Trained & Approved, an official VELUX dealer, 4.8 stars on Google, and a 10-Year No Leak Warranty on every unit we install. Roofers and handymen do skylights on the side; we are the specialists the roofers call. Water dripping from the skylight, a stain on the ceiling under it, a drip that only shows up in a heavy rain: none of that tells you what actually failed. We come out, find the real cause, and give you a straight answer and a price for the right fix, which is usually a new unit. Active leaks go to the front of the schedule.
Usually yes. The original opening and curb are still there under the plywood or tar. We check the framing and the curb, rebuild the curb if it needs it, and set a new VELUX unit on it. Replacement on a sound curb is $2,079 installed.
During the roof job. The curb is rebuilt on the new deck and the unit is flashed into the new membrane, so there is one roof warranty and one flashing detail. We coordinate the day with your roofer.
In the Mount Morris Park, Hamilton Heights, Sugar Hill and St. Nicholas historic districts, yes, before the DOB permit. A stair or bulkhead skylight is not visible from the street, so it is a staff level Certificate of No Effect. We prepare it with the job.
A sun tunnel does that. A small dome on the roof, a reflective tube through the attic or top floor framing, and a diffuser in the ceiling. $366 installed, and it does not need a full opening or a curb.
One day for a replacement on the existing curb. We work from the roof and the top of the stair, cover the stair, and the house is closed up by the end of the day. We agree the date with you and the tenant ahead of time.
Most are close to a standard curb mount size, and where they are not we size the new curb to a standard unit or order a custom size. We measure at the assessment and tell you which before you commit.
Upper West Side · Upper East Side · West Village · Chelsea · Tribeca
We cover every part of the borough. See skylights in Manhattan, our published prices, or NYC permits and landmark rules. Serving 10026, 10027, 10030, 10031, 10037 and 10039.