By Gene and Katie Hamilton

Take advantage of Mother Nature by installing a skylight or roof window, and bring natural daylight into a room. A sky window also helps reduce energy bills by providing illumination during the day without turning on the lights. When remodeling in a small room where wall space is at a premium, installing a skylight in a roof instead adding a wall window is a popular solution. That’s why a skylight is often preferred in bathrooms and kitchens where wall space is needed for cabinetry and fixtures.

Acrylic skylights are a popular choice for many remodeling projects because they don’t require painting. Moreover, their improved design and sealants will resist water infiltration and prevent moisture from entering the home.

A window installer will charge $1,061 to install a 30-by-38-inch glass skylight, which includes the labor and material. If you have carpentry experience and tools, you can buy the unit for $675 and install it and pocket a 36 percent saving. This is a project beyond the scope of many homeowners because it involves cutting a hole in the roof, not a job for anyone who lacks the confidence and carpentry experience and tools. If there’s any doubt, hire a pro.

There's an amazing number of accessories to consider when choosing a skylight, everything from optional screening accessories like venetian blinds, pleated or roller shades, and remote control openers. Pay attention to where you site a skylight in a room in relation to its furnishings and avoid over-exposing a room with too much sunlight which will damage the furniture and make it too bright and hot.

See instructions in Popular Mechanics Installing a Skylight.

Sound too complicated and time consuming? Here's a link to Home Advisor, a free referral service that matches homeowners with local window contractors.

Now you know the average cost to install a skylight, which includes the labor and material, and what’s involved, so you can decide to do it yourself or hire a contractor. Don’t forget to adjust the cost to where you live by adding your ZIP Code.

Improvement and Repair Cost Updated 2019

The cost and time data is generated by averaging labor and material data from annually updated cost books used by contractors and refined by the authors' experience remodeling 13 houses. They are authors of 20 home improvement books and Do It Yourself or Not, a weekly column syndicated by Tribune Content Agency. The national cost can be adjusted by ZIP Code.