If you are planning a re-roof in the North Shore, it is the cheapest time to add or replace skylights, because the roofing is already open. Replacing an old unit usually means removing the existing flashing too, since a new skylight on a tired flashing is a common cause of repeat leaks.
Skylights on the North Shore: villa hallways, coastal flashings and old domes
The North Shore has three kinds of homes that need skylights for different reasons. Villas on Devonport and Northcote Point have long, dark central hallways where a skylight or sun tunnel can bring in daylight. Post-bridge 1960s and 1970s homes in Glenfield and the East Coast Bays often have concrete tile or decramastic roofs, which need a flashing kit that suits the profile. Homes from the 1990s and 2000s, including many around Albany, may have plastic dome skylights, and older domes of that kind are often near the end of their life.
Near the sea, the flashing matters more than the unit. From Devonport to Browns Bay, wind-driven rain off the Gulf pushes water hard against the upslope side of a skylight, and salt attacks flashings and seals. We choose a flashing kit and fixings that suit the roof and the exposure, and turn the roofing and underlay into the flashing so water runs around the skylight rather than into it. An opening roof window with a rain sensor closes itself if the weather turns while you are out.
On decramastic roofs, we test for asbestos before cutting a new opening. On villas, adding a skylight means checking the rafters and sarking, and where a structural member has to be cut, the work may need consent. If you are planning a re-roof, it is the cheapest time to add or replace skylights, because the roofing is already open.
Local tip: If your North Shore home has an old plastic dome skylight, check it for crazing or yellowing, as those are signs it is nearing the end of its life.
Skylights in the North Shore: Local Conditions
Devonport villas often have deep hallways that benefit from a skylight or sun tunnel. Near the coast and on exposed East Coast Bays ridgelines, wind-driven rain makes the flashing detail even more important, and an opening unit with a rain sensor avoids coming home to a wet floor.
Roofs in the North Shore
Devonport and Northcote Point villas mostly started with corrugated iron, and many are now on longrun corrugate. The post-bridge suburbs of Glenfield, Browns Bay and the East Coast Bays have a high share of 1960s and 1970s homes with concrete tile or decramastic roofs, which are the most common tile to metal conversions we see. Albany's 1990s and 2000s houses often combine metal tile or longrun roofs with monolithic cladding, parapets and internal gutters, where the junction details matter more than the roof sheets.
How We Handle Skylights in the North Shore
We measure on site in the North Shore and check the roof structure inside, so the skylight sits where the rafters or trusses allow. Where a new opening means cutting a structural member, the framing is trimmed properly and we check whether consent applies.
Pricing: every roof gets a free on-site measure and an itemised written quote, with a fixed price agreed before any work starts.
Skylights Jobs We Do in the North Shore
- Leaking skylight repairs
- Flat-roof skylights on upstands
- Skylight flashing kits
- Skylight replacement
- Roof window installs
Skylights North Shore FAQs
Can you install a skylight in a Devonport villa with a corrugate roof?
Yes. We position the skylight between the rafters, fit a flashing kit made for corrugate and turn the roofing and underlay into it. If a rafter needs cutting, the opening is trimmed properly and we check whether consent is needed.
What warranty do skylights come with?
It depends on the brand. VELUX NZ, for example, states a 10-year warranty on skylights and flashings, 7 years on sun tunnels and 3 years on blinds and electronic components.
How much does a skylight cost in the North Shore?
It varies from a like-for-like swap to a new opening with a lined light well. The main factors are the product and size, whether it opens and how it is powered, the roof profile and flashing, any framing work, the light well and access. Your quote lists each part.