Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC 1334537
Skylights in Lauderhill, FL
Skylights for homes in Lauderhill and the surrounding area — from our Sunrise headquarters. Free quote.
Lauderhill's housing stock is dominated by 1960s-1980s concrete block and stucco construction, and the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year (2022) puts the median year built at 1976 — so a skylight on a Lauderhill roof is often sitting in a roof opening that was cut decades ago, in a city where roughly half the homes are owner-occupied. On a roof that age, the original flashing kit, the surrounding roof system and the glazing itself may all be near the end of their service life, and an older unit generally predates today's Florida Building Code impact and wind pressure requirements.
Flat Rate Roofing Inc installs new skylights cut and framed into the roof, replaces failed, fogged or cracked units, and diagnoses leaks at existing skylights. We work with both curb-mounted and deck-mounted units using the correct flashing kit for the surrounding roof system, and we install impact-rated units. You get a free estimate and a written flat rate quote that says what is included, with permits pulled under our own license, inspections scheduled and passed, and the permit closed out.
Lauderhill sits in a hot, humid subtropical zone with near-daily afternoon thunderstorms from June through September, and the city is about eight miles inland from the Atlantic, where easterly sea breezes still carry some salt. That combination is hard on skylights: constant UV dries out sealant that was used in place of proper flashing, wind-driven rain pushes water at the head and side flashings, and humidity shows up as condensation and fogging inside a unit whose seal has failed. Broward County is one of the two counties designated as the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone under the Florida Building Code, so wind-borne debris impact requirements apply to the glazing as well as the flashing details.
Problems to watch for in Lauderhill
Sealant instead of flashing
Caulk smeared around a curb is a common shortcut, and the Florida sun dries it out. A skylight needs a flashing kit compatible with the surrounding roof system, not a bead of sealant holding back rainy-season water.
Leaks at the head and side flashings
Wind-driven rain during a South Florida squall line does not fall straight down. Water gets pushed up and under flashings that were never lapped correctly, and the stain often shows up on drywall well away from the opening.
Fogged or failed glazing
High year-round humidity makes a failed seal obvious: condensation appears between the panes and the unit stays cloudy. Once the seal is gone, replacement of the unit is the fix.
Units that predate current impact rules
A skylight installed on a 1970s Lauderhill roof generally predates the current wind-borne debris and wind pressure requirements. In Broward's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, a replacement unit generally needs a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance.
Skylights on low-slope roofs
Low-slope and flat roofs over additions, carports and Florida rooms are widespread across South Florida housing, and a curb that is too low on a low-slope deck lets standing rainwater reach the flashing.
Deteriorated deck around the opening
Years of slow seepage rots the plywood and framing around a skylight curb. Our scope includes rotten plywood and fascia replacement, so the new unit lands on sound material.
Condo and HOA approval steps
A very large share of South Florida homes sit in condominium or HOA communities where the association controls or must approve roof work, and Lauderhill has many such communities. That approval needs to be sorted out before the roof opening is touched.
What we do
- New skylight installationWe cut and frame the opening into the roof and set the unit with the correct flashing kit for the existing roof system.
- Replacing failed unitsFogged, cracked or leaking skylights are replaced, curb-mounted or deck-mounted, with the flashing renewed rather than re-sealed.
- Leak diagnosis at existing skylightsWe trace where wind-driven rain is entering — head flashing, side flashing, curb or the surrounding roof — before recommending a repair or a replacement.
- Impact-rated unitsWe install impact-rated skylights suited to Broward's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, with product approval documentation for the permit file.
- Skylight work combined with a re-roofIf the roof is already being replaced, that is the cleanest time to install or replace a skylight, because the flashing is integrated into the new roof system.
- Permits and closeoutPermits are pulled under our own license, inspections are scheduled and passed, the permit is closed out, and we handle full cleanup.
Licenses, permits and codes in Lauderhill
In Florida, skylight installation and replacement in a roof is typically performed under a license — usually a licensed roofing contractor, or a general or building contractor, and glazing or window specialty licenses can also apply depending on the scope. There is no widely recognized standalone state 'skylight' license class, so confirm the correct scope with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), through the Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), and with the Lauderhill building department. Adding or replacing a skylight normally requires a permit from the local municipal building department or county building division, especially where the roof opening or framing is altered, and like-for-like replacement may still require a permit in most South Florida jurisdictions. Units must meet Florida Building Code impact and wind pressure requirements; in Broward's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone the unit generally needs a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, and flashing details must be compatible with the surrounding roof system. Flat Rate Roofing Inc holds Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC1334537, a state certification valid in every Florida county and verifiable on the Florida DBPR website, and the company is insured.
When to call
Leak complaints tend to surface during the May-October rainy season and after storms, while replacements and upgrades are commonly scheduled in the dry season, often alongside a re-roof. Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, and in Lauderhill demand generally rises ahead of and during that window, with a secondary bump in the winter snowbird season when seasonal residents return and open up units that sat closed. Our phone at (954) 775-8990 is answered around the clock and the office keeps weekday hours, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm; you can also request an estimate with the form on this page.
We serve Lauderhill including Inverrary, the Lauderhill Mall area, the Central Broward Regional Park area, the Oakland Park Boulevard, Commercial Boulevard and Sunrise Boulevard corridors, the State Road 7 / US 441 corridor, the West Oakland Park Boulevard / Inverrary Boulevard area, the Lauderhill Sports Park area and the NW 56th Avenue corridor, from our office at 9610 NW 24th St, Sunrise, FL 33322.
Skylights in Lauderhill: questions we hear
- Do I need a permit to replace a skylight in Lauderhill?
- Adding or replacing a skylight normally requires a permit from the local municipal building department or county building division, particularly where the roof opening or framing is altered. Even like-for-like replacement may still require a permit in most South Florida jurisdictions. We pull permits under our own license and close them out.
- Does the skylight have to be impact rated here?
- Broward County is inside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone under the Florida Building Code, so the unit generally needs a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, with impact-resistant glazing or approved protection required in windborne-debris areas. Verify the specific requirement with the Lauderhill building department for your address.
- My skylight is on a 1970s Lauderhill house. Repair or replace?
- With a median year built of 1976 in Lauderhill according to the Census, many skylights here are original and predate current impact and wind pressure requirements. If the glazing is fogged or cracked, or the flashing was only sealed with caulk, replacement is usually the sounder outcome. We will diagnose it and give you a free quote either way.
- I live in a condo or HOA community — can you still do the work?
- A very large share of South Florida homes are in condominium or HOA communities where the association controls or must approve roof work, and that is common in Lauderhill. Get the association's approval process started early, and we can work with the documentation the board asks for.
- Should skylight work be done with a re-roof?
- If a re-roof is planned, that is the natural time to install or replace a skylight, because the flashing is integrated into the new roof system instead of being tied into an older one. Replacements and upgrades are commonly scheduled in the dry season for that reason.
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