Skylight Repair in Orange and Essex County, NJ
R&E Roofing repairs leaking skylights on houses across Essex County from its office at 573 Valley Street, Orange, NJ 07050. A wet skylight is not always a leak, so the first job is finding where the water comes from: the flashing, the seal around the frame, the glass, the roof just above, or condensation from inside the house. Then you get a plain answer, reseal, reflash or replace, and a written, itemized estimate before any work.
- • How to tell a leak from condensation before you call anyone
- • When a reseal or new flashing is enough, and when the skylight should go
- • What skylight repair costs, from published 2026 figures
- • Warranty, winter, new-roof and permit questions, answered
What an R&E skylight repair includes
R&E Roofing works from an office in Orange and installs fixed skylights, skylights that open and tubular skylights, with the flashing that keeps water out around them. A repair starts by finding the water’s real source, because sealing the wrong spot only moves the leak.
Hear what you are seeing, and when
Drips during or right after rain point outside. Water on cold, dry days with nothing falling points to condensation. Fog between the panes points to a failed glass seal. That first answer decides where we look.
Look from inside
The light well, the drywall and trim around the opening, stains and their shape, and whether the skylight is a fixed unit, one that opens, or a tube.
Look on the roof
The flashing around the skylight, the shingles above and beside it, the curb or frame, the seal between frame and glass, and any cracks in the glass or dome.
Name the source and the fix
Reseal, reflash, a repair to the roof around the skylight, or a new skylight with new flashing, explained in plain words before any work starts.
Written, itemized estimate
The skylight work, any roof or decking repair, and any inside patching on separate lines, so you can see what each part costs.
Work is scheduled when weather and crew capacity allow. The roof around a skylight has to be dry and safe to stand on, so a repair after a storm or a snowfall waits for that; an active leak in the meantime can be covered with an emergency tarp.
What to have ready when you call
- Your town and street, and which room the skylight is in.
- When the water shows up: during rain, after snow, or on cold, dry days.
- Whether you see fog between the panes or a crack in the glass or dome.
- Roughly how old the skylight and the roof are, and whether the roof was replaced around it.
- Any brand name or label on the frame; on a VELUX unit, the serial number for the warranty check.
Leak or condensation? Check this before you call
A wet skylight in winter is often not a roof problem at all. VELUX, the skylight maker, says condensation is more noticeable on skylights because warm, moist air rises to the ceiling, and that the cause is usually the extra moisture in the room, not the skylight (VELUX Help Center). VELUX also describes a “leak that isn’t a leak”: when no felt and insulation were packed between the frame and the opening, warm room air reaches the cold underside of the flashing, condenses, and drips back into the room between the frame and the drywall (VELUX condensation guide).
| What you see | When | Usual cause | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drips or a growing stain during or after rain | Rain, or melting snow | Flashing, the seal around the frame, or the roof just above the skylight | Reseal or reflash; repair the shingles above |
| Water beads on the inside glass and runs down the well | Cold days, showers, cooking, a full house; no rain needed | Condensation from moist indoor air | Ventilation and humidity first, not a roof repair |
| Water drips between the frame and the drywall on cold days | Cold weather, often with no rain | Warm indoor air reaching the cold underside of the flashing because the gap around the frame was never insulated | Felt and insulation added between the frame and the opening |
| Fog or streaks between the two panes that cleaning does not remove | Any time | The seal of the insulated glass has failed | Check the glass warranty; usually a new skylight |
| A crack in the glass or the plastic dome | Any time, often after a storm or falling branch | Broken glazing | Tarp if it is leaking now; then replace |
| Yellow or brown stains on the drywall around the well | Builds up over seasons | Moisture reaching the drywall, from a leak or repeated condensation | Find the source first; patch the drywall last |
Fog between the two panes is its own problem: VELUX says it happens when the inner seal between the panes breaks (VELUX Help Center). No amount of sealant on the roof fixes that. For more on reading a ceiling stain, see ceiling water stain diagnosis.
If it is condensation, try these first
- Run bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans longer in winter.
- Run a ceiling fan so warm air does not sit against the glass.
- Use a dehumidifier in damp weather and through the heating season.
- Open a window for a few minutes each day to let moist air out.
These steps are from VELUX’s condensation guide. If the water keeps coming after the humidity is down, or it shows up when it rains, it is a leak.
Reseal, reflash or replace: which one your skylight needs
Reseal
The skylight and flashing are sound but the sealant at the frame has dried, cracked or pulled away. The smallest job.
Reflash
The metal that carries water around the skylight has lifted, rusted or was put in wrong, or the shingles were replaced around an old skylight without new flashing. The shingles around the skylight come up and go back down with it.
Replace
The glass or dome is cracked, the panes have fogged, the frame or curb has rotted, or the skylight is old enough that a new one with new flashing costs less over time than another repair.
Signs the skylight itself has had it
- Age. VELUX says its skylights last 20 to 30 years and recommends updating after about 30 (VELUX replacement).
- Cracks. VELUX calls any crack, big or small, an immediate sign the skylight will need replacing (VELUX).
- Fog between the panes. Streaks that stay after cleaning mean the seal has failed (VELUX).
- Yellow stains on the drywall around the well. VELUX reads these as moisture getting through and settling in the drywall (VELUX).
- An old plastic bubble dome that has discolored. VELUX lists discoloration from sun, mildew stains and condensation around the panes as signs it is time to switch (VELUX replacement).
VELUX says a single skylight replacement typically takes a couple of hours: the old skylight and its flashing come out and both are replaced, sometimes with paint and trim touch-ups at the top of the light well (VELUX). For new-skylight pricing, see the skylight installation cost guide.
What skylight repair costs
Angi reports that skylight repair costs a national average of $961 in 2026, based on 2,786 projects, with most homeowners paying $454 to $1,514 (Angi). These are published national market figures, not an R&E price.
| Repair | Published range | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Resealing | $150 - $400 | New sealant where the old seal has dried or cracked |
| Flashing repair | $200 - $600 | Fixing the metal that carries water around the skylight |
| Glass replacement | $300 - $900 | Cracked or fogged glass |
| Frame repair | $250 - $700 | Wood, metal or vinyl frames |
| Hardware or opener repair | $100 - $350 | Hinges, openers and locks on skylights that open |
What moves the price
- What failed. Sealant is the cheapest fix; glass is the most expensive repair, per Angi.
- Damage around it. Angi says roof repair, insulation work or ceiling patching can add $100 to $1,000.
- Size and type. Angi lists fixed skylights at $200 to $600 to repair and skylights that open at $300 to $900; tubular skylights at $150 to $400.
- Warranty. A covered part can bring the cost down; see the next section.
R&E prices each skylight after seeing it. The written estimate lists the skylight work, any shingle or decking repair, and any inside patching on separate lines, and can serve as documentation for an insurance claim.
Check the skylight’s warranty before paying for a repair
If the skylight is a VELUX, look for the serial number on the frame before anyone works on it. VELUX says every unit made after January 1, 2000 carries a 20-year warranty on the glass seal, and that you call VELUX at 1-800-888-3589 to check whether it is still in effect (VELUX Help Center).
- VELUX says a warranty claim starts with whoever installed the skylight, who confirms it was installed to VELUX’s instructions (VELUX warranty).
- VELUX also says not to attempt repairs or replacement without first contacting VELUX and getting written permission, and that it is not responsible for damage from unauthorized repair attempts.
- Its warranty excludes condensation, ice damming that lets water in, and re-roofing without re-wrapping the skylight with VELUX adhesive underlayment and VELUX flashing.
- A repair or replacement does not restart the warranty clock; the start date stays the original purchase date.
Other brands publish their own terms. When R&E sees a skylight that may still be under warranty, the estimate says so before any work starts.
Skylights in an Essex County winter
The weather station at Newark Liberty International Airport averages 79.9 days a year with a low at or below 32°F but only 14.5 days that stay below freezing all day, plus 31.5 inches of snow and 46.6 inches of total precipitation (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). That is roughly 65 days a year when it freezes overnight and thaws by day. Sealant and flashing at a skylight go through that cycle every time.
- Cold glass. The colder the glass, the more condensation on the inside, which is why winter is when most “leaks” turn out to be condensation.
- Ice dams. University of Minnesota Extension explains that heat from the house melts snow on the upper roof and the water refreezes lower down, so melt water backs up under shingles (UMN Extension). VELUX’s warranty does not cover water that gets in that way.
- Snow melt. A leak that shows up only as snow melts, with no rain, still points outside: to the flashing, the shingles above the skylight, or ice.
Late fall, before the first hard freeze, is a good time to have a skylight that has leaked before looked at. The attic side of ice dams is covered in how to prevent ice dams in NJ.
Getting a new roof? Decide about the skylight first
VELUX recommends replacing skylights when the roof is replaced, and tells roofers why: when the old roof comes off and the new one goes on, the skylight gets jostled, which more often than not leads to leaking (VELUX Professional). Doing both at once also avoids a second day of tearing up new shingles around the opening.
- Keep a skylight that is only a few years old, has no fog, no cracks and no leak history, and have its flashing checked while the roof is open.
- Replace one that is near the 20 to 30 years VELUX gives as a skylight’s life, has fogged, or has been patched before.
- On a VELUX skylight that stays, VELUX’s warranty expects the skylight to be re-wrapped with VELUX adhesive underlayment and VELUX flashing as part of the re-roof.
If your roof was replaced around an old skylight and the leak started after, ask what was done at the skylight: VELUX’s warranty is void on a re-roof that did not re-wrap the skylight with new VELUX underlayment and flashing (VELUX warranty).
Do you need a permit to repair a skylight in New Jersey?
New Jersey’s construction code lists work that counts as ordinary maintenance and needs no permit, no inspection and no notice to the town (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7). The list does not name skylights. What it does say:
- The repair or replacement of existing roof covering on detached one- and two-family homes is ordinary maintenance.
- So is replacing glass in any window or door, with glass that meets the code, and replacing a window or door in the same opening without changing its size or framing.
- Cutting any structural beam or bearing support, or any work affecting structural safety, is not ordinary maintenance.
So resealing or reflashing a skylight is roof work, while making the opening bigger, adding a new opening, or rebuilding rotted framing is structural work. Ask your town’s construction office before that kind of job starts.
Skylight leaking right now
- Put a bucket or towels under the drip and move furniture, rugs and anything electrical out of the way.
- Take photos of the water, the ceiling and the skylight from inside, with the date, for your records and any insurance claim.
- Do not climb onto a wet, icy or snow-covered roof.
- Call R&E at (667) 204-1609. R&E takes emergency calls on nights and weekends, and an active leak can be covered with an emergency tarp until the repair is made.
If the water is coming through the ceiling away from the skylight, it may be the roof itself; see roof leak repair.
Skylight repair questions from Essex County homeowners
How much does skylight repair cost?
Angi reports a 2026 national average of $961 for skylight repair, with most homeowners paying $454 to $1,514. By repair type, Angi lists resealing at $150 to $400, flashing repair at $200 to $600 and glass replacement at $300 to $900, and says roof repair, insulation or ceiling patching can add $100 to $1,000. Those are national market figures, not an R&E price. R&E prices each skylight after seeing it, and the written estimate lists the skylight work and any roof or ceiling repair on separate lines.
Is my skylight leaking, or is it condensation?
Watch when the water shows up. Water that appears during or after rain is usually a leak. Water that beads on the inside of the glass on cold, dry days is usually condensation: VELUX says condensation is more noticeable on skylights because warm, moist air rises to the ceiling, and that the cause is usually the moisture in the room, not the skylight. Fog between the two panes is different again: VELUX says that means the seal between the panes has broken.
Can a leaking skylight be repaired, or does it have to be replaced?
Many leaks come from the flashing or the seal around the frame, and those can be resealed or reflashed while the skylight stays. Replacement makes sense when the glass or dome is cracked, the insulated glass has fogged between the panes, the frame or curb has rotted, or the skylight is near the end of its life: VELUX says its skylights last 20 to 30 years and recommends updating after about 30.
Should I replace my skylights when I get a new roof?
Usually, if they are not new. VELUX recommends replacing skylights when the roof is replaced, and tells roofers that the old skylight gets jostled when the old roof comes off, which more often than not leads to leaking. Doing both at once also saves a second day of roof work around the opening. A skylight installed in the last few years with no fogging, cracks or leaks can stay; have it checked while the roof is open.
Is a fogged skylight covered by warranty?
It may be. VELUX says every VELUX unit made after January 1, 2000 carries a 20-year warranty on the glass seal, and that you find the serial number on the skylight and call VELUX at 1-800-888-3589 to check it. VELUX also says not to attempt repairs or replacement before getting its written permission, so check the warranty before paying anyone to touch a VELUX unit that might still be covered.
Does the VELUX warranty cover condensation or ice dam leaks?
No. VELUX's published warranty excludes condensation and water damage from humidity, ice damming that results in water getting in, and re-roofing without re-wrapping the skylight with VELUX adhesive underlayment and VELUX flashing. That last one matters if a roofer replaced your shingles around an existing skylight.
Do I need a permit to repair a skylight in New Jersey?
The state code's ordinary maintenance list, which needs no permit, does not name skylights. It does list the repair or replacement of existing roof covering on detached one- and two-family homes, and the replacement of glass or of a window in the same opening without changing its size or framing. The same rule says that cutting any structural beam or bearing support, or any work affecting structural safety, is not ordinary maintenance. Making a skylight opening bigger, or rebuilding rotted framing, is a question for your town's construction office before the work starts.
Why does my skylight only leak in winter?
Three common reasons: condensation on cold glass, condensation behind the frame where the gap was never insulated, and ice. University of Minnesota Extension explains that ice dams form when heat from the house melts snow on the upper roof and the water refreezes lower down, so melt water can back up under shingles. Newark averages 31.5 inches of snow a year, according to NOAA's 1991-2020 normals.
What should I do if my skylight is leaking right now?
Put a bucket or towels under the drip, move furniture and anything electrical out of the way, and take photos of the water and the ceiling for your records. Do not climb onto a wet or icy roof. Call R&E: it takes emergency calls on nights and weekends, and an active leak can be covered with an emergency tarp until the repair is done.
Do you repair skylights that open, and tubular skylights?
R&E installs fixed skylights, skylights that open and tubular skylights, so it works on all three. On a skylight that opens, a leak can also come from a worn seal or a sash that no longer closes tight, and the opener or hardware is a separate repair from the flashing.
Skylight repair near you: Essex County towns served from Orange
R&E’s office is at 573 Valley Street, Orange, NJ 07050, and its service area is Essex County. East Orange, West Orange, South Orange, Montclair and Glen Ridge share a border with Orange; Maplewood, Bloomfield, Newark, Irvington, Livingston and Millburn are the next ring out.
Sources
All sources read November 2, 2026. Manufacturer statements are VELUX’s own published words about its own products and warranty. Cost figures are Angi’s national figures, not R&E prices.
- Angi, How Much Does Skylight Repair Cost? (updated September 15, 2026; read November 2, 2026)
- VELUX USA Help Center, Why is there condensation on my VELUX skylight?
- VELUX, Condensation (When a leak isn't a leak)
- VELUX USA Help Center, clouding or fogging between the panes of glass
- VELUX USA, The VELUX Warranty for Glass Skylights and Flashing Explained (May 28, 2026)
- VELUX USA, Skylight Replacement Options
- VELUX USA Professional, Skylight Replacement
- VELUX USA, How Often Should Skylights Be Replaced?
- NOAA NCEI, 1991-2020 annual climate normals, Newark Liberty International Airport (USW00014734)
- N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7, Ordinary maintenance (New Jersey Uniform Construction Code)
- University of Minnesota Extension, Dealing with and preventing ice dams
Tell R&E about your skylight
Give the address, which room the skylight is in, and when the water shows up. R&E uses that to plan the first visit and to rule condensation in or out before anyone goes on the roof.
Call (667) 204-1609Our office is at 573 Valley Street, Orange, NJ 07050 and open Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, and emergency calls are taken on nights and weekends. Use the form any time and we follow up during office hours.
Request a skylight repair estimate
Pick Roof Repair in the service list and mention the skylight in the message.