Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC 1334537
Skylights in Oakland Park, FL
Skylights for homes in Oakland Park and the surrounding area — from our Sunrise headquarters. Free quote.
Oakland Park's housing stock is dominated by 1950s–1970s concrete block and stucco ranch homes with flat, low-slope or barrel-tile roofs, and Census ACS 5-year (2022) data puts the median year built at 1972. On roofs that age, a skylight is rarely original equipment installed to today's standards — it is often an older curb or a unit added during a past re-roof. With a May–October rainy season bringing near-daily thunderstorms and wind-driven rain, the joint between that unit and the roof is where water finds its way in.
Flat Rate Roofing Inc installs new skylights cut and framed into the roof, replaces failed, fogged or cracked units, and diagnoses leaks at existing ones. We work with both curb-mounted and deck-mounted units using the correct flashing kit for the surrounding roof system, which matters on Oakland Park's mix of flat, low-slope and tile roofs. We are a Florida Certified Roofing Contractor, CCC1334537, a state certification valid in every Florida county and verifiable on the DBPR website, and the company is insured.
Oakland Park sits only a few miles from the Atlantic and is threaded by the tidal Middle River and its canals, so salt-laden air reaches roofs here and accelerates corrosion of fasteners and flashings. That matters at a skylight, where the flashing, screws and counterflashing are doing the waterproofing. Where a previous installer relied on sealant instead of a proper flashing kit, constant UV and heat dry that sealant out, and the next band of wind-driven rain pushes water under the head and side flashings rather than over them.
Problems to watch for in Oakland Park
Sealant used in place of flashing
On older Oakland Park roofs, skylights are sometimes bedded in caulk rather than flashed. Florida sun dries sealant out, and once it cracks there is nothing left holding water back.
Wind-driven rain at the head flashing
Near-daily thunderstorms from May through October drive rain sideways. Water that would run harmlessly off a sloped roof in a dry climate can be pushed up and under the head and side flashings here.
Fogged or failed glazing
Year-round high humidity works against an aging seal. When the seal in a double-glazed unit fails, condensation shows up between the panes and the unit will not clear up on its own.
Curbs on flat and low-slope roofs
Many mid-century Oakland Park homes have flat or low-slope roofs, often over additions, carports and Florida rooms. A curb that is too low, or a membrane termination that has aged out, lets standing water work into the opening.
Units that predate current wind standards
With so much of the city built in the 1950s–70s, a lot of roof openings were made before post-2002 Florida Building Code wind requirements. Older glazing may not meet today's impact and wind pressure rules in a windborne-debris area.
Corroded fasteners and flashing metal
Salt air carried in from the Atlantic a few miles east corrodes exposed metal. Rusted screws and thinned flashing at a skylight tend to fail before the surrounding roof does.
Rotten deck around the opening
A slow skylight leak usually damages the plywood before anyone sees a ceiling stain. We include rotten plywood and fascia replacement in our scope so the new unit lands on sound framing.
What we do
- New skylight installationWe cut and frame the opening into the roof and build it to suit the existing structure, which on most Oakland Park homes means CBS walls with a flat, low-slope or tile roof above.
- Replacing failed, fogged or cracked unitsWe remove the old unit and install a replacement with the correct flashing kit for that roof type, rather than resealing a unit whose glazing has already failed.
- Curb-mounted and deck-mounted unitsBoth are available, and the right choice depends on the roof. We make sure the flashing details are compatible with the surrounding roof system instead of improvising with sealant.
- Leak diagnosis at existing skylightsNot every ceiling stain near a skylight starts at the glass. We trace where water is actually entering — head flashing, side flashing, curb or the surrounding field of the roof.
- Impact-rated unitsBroward County sits in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, so we use units with the approvals that apply here and keep the documentation with the permit file.
- Skylight work combined with a re-roofReplacing a skylight while the roof is open is the cleanest way to get flashing right. If you are already planning a re-roof on an older Oakland Park home, it is worth handling both at once.
Licenses, permits and codes in Oakland Park
Roofing work in Florida must be performed by a licensed contractor, and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), through the Construction Industry Licensing Board, oversees that; Broward County and Oakland Park's municipal building department also play a role. Skylight work 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 apply depending on scope — Florida does not have a widely recognized standalone 'skylight' license class, so confirm the correct scope with DBPR and the local building department. Adding or replacing a skylight normally requires a permit, particularly where the roof opening or framing is altered, and like-for-like replacement may still require one in most South Florida jurisdictions. Units must meet Florida Building Code impact and wind pressure requirements; in Broward and Miami-Dade's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance is generally needed, with Florida Product Approval elsewhere. We pull permits under our own license, schedule and pass inspections, and close the permit out.
When to call
Leak complaints here 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. Oakland Park also sees a bump in the fall as snowbirds return and reopen seasonal homes and condos, which is when a fogged unit or a stained ceiling usually gets noticed. 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. Estimates are free, and you get a written flat rate quote that says what is included.
We serve Oakland Park including Downtown Oakland Park and the Culinary Arts District, Coral Heights, Lloyd Estates, North Andrews Gardens, Oakland Forest, the Middle River area, and the Oakland Park Boulevard and Dixie Highway corridors, along with adjacent Wilton Manors and Coral Ridge in Fort Lauderdale.
Skylights in Oakland Park: questions we hear
- Do I need a permit to replace a skylight in Oakland Park?
- Normally yes. Adding or replacing a skylight usually requires a permit from the municipal building department or county building division, especially where the roof opening or framing is altered, and like-for-like replacement may still require one in most South Florida jurisdictions. We pull the permit under our own license and close it out after inspection.
- Does the skylight have to be impact-rated here?
- Broward County is part of the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone under the Florida Building Code, so units generally need a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, with impact-resistant glazing or approved protection required in windborne-debris areas. Flashing details also have to be compatible with the surrounding roof system. Verify the specific requirement for your address with the Oakland Park building department.
- My skylight leaks only in heavy storms. Why?
- Wind-driven rain during the May–October thunderstorm season can be pushed up and under head and side flashings that handle ordinary rainfall fine. That often points to flashing that has corroded in the salt air, or to sealant that was used in place of a proper flashing kit and has dried out in the sun.
- Can a skylight go on a flat or low-slope roof?
- Yes, and that is common on Oakland Park's 1950s–70s block homes and on additions, carports and Florida rooms. It generally calls for a curb-mounted unit with the curb height and membrane termination detailed correctly, since a flat roof gives water more time to find a weak point.
- I live in a condo or townhome. Who approves the work?
- In South Florida a very large share of homes are in condominium or HOA communities where the association controls or must approve roof work, and in Oakland Park those rules apply mostly to condo, townhome and newer gated developments. Check with your association before scheduling, since approval usually has to come before the permit.
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