Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC 1334537
Skylights in Miramar, FL
Skylights for homes in Miramar and the surrounding area — from our Sunrise headquarters. Free quote.
Miramar's humid subtropical climate puts a skylight to work every day of the year. The May–October rainy season brings near-daily thunderstorms and wind-driven rain, summer heat indexes climb above 100°F, and salt-laden air drifting in from the Atlantic a few miles east accelerates rust on exposed metal even though the city sits inland. According to the Census (ACS 5-year, 2022), the median Miramar home was built around 1995, so many houses here are old enough that an original skylight, its glazing seal and its flashing have already spent decades in that sun and rain.
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 on Miramar's tile, architectural shingle and low-slope roofs. We set curb-mounted and deck-mounted units with the correct flashing kit for the surrounding roof system, offer impact-rated units, and frequently handle skylight work as part of a re-roof. You get a free estimate and a written flat rate quote that says what is included.
Miramar sits in Broward County, one of the two counties designated as the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone under the Florida Building Code, so a skylight here is not just a light well — it is a rated opening in a wind-exposed roof. Eastern Miramar's 1950s–1960s single-story concrete-block-and-stucco ranch homes, often with low-slope additions and Florida rooms, tend to have older roof openings where sealant was used in place of proper flashing; that sealant dries out and cracks in the Florida sun, and wind-driven rain then finds the head and side flashings. West of the Turnpike, the two-story CBS homes built from the 1990s through the 2000s usually have tile or architectural shingle roofs, where the flashing detail has to be matched to the roof system rather than caulked over.
Problems to watch for in Miramar
Sealant instead of flashing
A bead of caulk around a curb will hold for a while, then dry out and crack under constant Florida sun and UV. Once it opens, the next wind-driven rain goes straight into the opening.
Head and side flashing failures
Wind-driven rain during the May–October rainy season can drive water uphill at the head flashing and sideways along the side flashings. Water often shows up on the drywall well away from the skylight itself.
Fogged or failed glazing
Condensation and fogging between panes mean the unit's seal has failed. With very high year-round humidity in Miramar, a failed seal usually stays cloudy and does not clear up on its own.
Corroded fasteners and frames
Salt air and high humidity accelerate corrosion of fasteners and flashings across South Florida. On an older eastern Miramar roof, rusted fasteners at a skylight curb are a common starting point for leaks.
Rotten decking around the opening
A slow skylight leak can soften the plywood and framing around the curb before anyone notices a ceiling stain. Our scope includes rotten plywood and fascia replacement, so the deck is sound before a new unit goes on.
Units that no longer meet current code
After Hurricane Andrew, codes in Broward and Miami-Dade became much stricter, so replacing a pre-1990s skylight in Historic Miramar is rarely a like-for-like swap. Current windborne-debris requirements generally point to impact-resistant glazing or approved protection.
HOA and association approval
HOA-governed and gated master-planned communities are extremely common west of the Turnpike, and a very large share of South Florida homes are in communities where the association controls or must approve roof work. That approval usually needs to be in hand before the permit.
What we do
- New skylight installationWe cut and frame the opening into the roof and set the unit with the flashing kit made for your roof covering, whether that is tile, architectural shingle or a low-slope section over an addition or carport.
- Replacing failed unitsFogged, cracked or leaking skylights get replaced with a unit that suits the roof and meets current approval requirements. Curb-mounted and deck-mounted options are both available.
- Leak diagnosis at existing skylightsWe trace water at the head and side flashings, the curb and the surrounding field of the roof rather than simply adding more sealant. That matters most during the rainy season, when leak complaints surface.
- Impact-rated unitsIn Broward's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, a skylight generally needs a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance. We specify units with the documentation the building department will ask to see.
- Skylight work with a re-roofReplacements and upgrades are commonly scheduled alongside a re-roof, which is when the flashing can be integrated properly into the new roof system instead of patched into an old one.
- Permits and closeoutWe pull permits under our own license, schedule and pass inspections, close the permit out, and clean up fully when the work is done.
Licenses, permits and codes in Miramar
Roofing work in Florida must be performed by a licensed contractor. Skylight installation and replacement in a roof is typically handled by a licensed roofing contractor, or by a general or building contractor, and glazing or window specialty licenses can also apply depending on scope; Florida does not have a 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, and with the Miramar 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 that generally means 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 license CCC1334537, a state certification valid in every Florida county and verifiable on the DBPR website, and the company is insured.
When to call
Demand in Miramar spikes in late spring as residents prepare for the June 1–November 30 hurricane season, again after each named storm, and during the cooler dry season when seasonal residents open up homes. Skylight leaks tend to announce themselves during the May–October rainy season, while replacements and upgrades are commonly scheduled in the dry season, often alongside a re-roof — so if you noticed a stain last summer, the dry months are a good time to deal with it. Our phone is answered around the clock at (954) 775-8990 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 skylight work throughout Miramar, including Historic Miramar (East Miramar), Silver Lakes, Sunset Lakes, Riviera Isles, Vizcaya, Monarch Lakes, Huntington, the Miramar Park of Commerce and the Town Center / Miramar Civic Center area.
Skylights in Miramar: questions we hear
- Do I need a permit to replace a skylight in Miramar?
- Normally yes. Adding or replacing a skylight usually requires a permit from the local municipal building department or county building division, particularly where the roof opening or framing is altered, and even like-for-like replacement often requires one in South Florida. We pull permits under our own license and close them out after inspection.
- Does my new skylight have to be impact-rated?
- Miramar is in Broward County, part of the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone under the Florida Building Code, so a skylight generally needs a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, with impact-resistant glazing or approved protection required in windborne-debris areas. Verify the specific requirement for your address with the Miramar building department.
- Can an old skylight on a 1960s East Miramar roof just be swapped out?
- Rarely like-for-like. Codes in Broward and Miami-Dade tightened considerably after Hurricane Andrew, so pre-1990s equipment usually has to be replaced with a currently approved unit and a proper flashing kit. We also check the decking and framing around the opening before setting anything new.
- My skylight is fogged but not leaking. Is that a problem?
- Fogging between panes means the glazing seal has failed, and with Miramar's very high year-round humidity it will not clear. It is not an emergency, but a failed unit is worth replacing before the next rainy season, and it is a good candidate to combine with a planned re-roof.
- Do you need HOA approval first?
- In many cases yes. HOA-governed and gated master-planned communities are extremely common west of the Turnpike in Miramar, and associations in South Florida frequently control or must approve roof work. Getting that approval in hand early keeps the permit and scheduling on track.
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