How Long Does Skylight Installation Take? What Los Angeles Homeowners Should Expect

The installation itself takes one day for most residential projects. The permit takes longer. Here is the full picture from first contact to finished job, with honest timelines for each step.

Step 1: Estimate (1–3 days)

After you contact us, we schedule an on-site visit to assess the installation location, roof condition, structural requirements, and product options. For most projects we can provide a written estimate within 24–48 hours of the site visit.

Step 2: Permit (1–4 weeks depending on jurisdiction)

This is where most of the elapsed time comes from. LADBS and Burbank process standard residential skylight permits over-the-counter, same-day permit issuance when the submittal is complete. Pasadena and Glendale typically run one to two weeks. Beverly Hills runs two to four weeks. If the project requires structural engineering, add one to two weeks for the engineer’s calculations.

For like-for-like replacements in the same opening, permits are often not required. We confirm this for each project before starting the permit process.

Step 3: Scheduling (1–2 weeks)

Once the permit is in hand, we schedule the installation. Lead times vary with the season, spring and early fall are busier. We typically schedule two to three weeks out, though urgent jobs can sometimes be accommodated sooner.

Step 4: Installation Day

Most single-unit residential installations are completed in one day. The sequence: arrive in the morning, cut the opening, frame if required, set the unit, complete exterior flashing, and rough in the interior before leaving. On tile roofs, a full day is the minimum. On composition shingle, straightforward installations can be done in half a day.

Two-unit installations typically take one full day, sometimes running into a second morning for the interior rough-in finish. Custom flat glass systems take two to four days depending on size and complexity.

Step 5: Inspection (1–2 days scheduling)

Most jurisdictions require a framing inspection and a final inspection. We schedule both. The homeowner does not need to be present for most inspections, we handle the scheduling and meet the inspector on-site.

Step 6: Interior Finish (not our scope)

We leave the interior in rough-in condition, a clean, framed opening ready for drywall or plaster. The finish work is your painter or drywaller’s scope. How long this takes depends on your contractor’s schedule, not ours.

Total Elapsed Time

For a standard LADBS-jurisdiction installation with over-the-counter permits: two to three weeks from estimate to installation day. For a Beverly Hills project requiring plan check: five to seven weeks. For a fire rebuild project in Altadena under LA County: three to six months for the permit, then installation once the permit issues and framing is ready.