Bilco Roof Hatches and Smoke Vents: Installation and Replacement

Summary

Bilco manufactures roof hatches and UL-listed automatic smoke vents for commercial buildings, products that wear differently under Arizona sun and heat. Sky Design Concepts installs, repairs, and replaces the full Bilco line across Phoenix, Arizona, matching hatch type to access needs and smoke vents to fire code requirements.

Key Takeaways

Bilco manufactures roof hatches for maintenance access and automatic smoke vents that release heat and smoke during a fire, two distinct products serving different purposes.
Bilco roof hatch types include Type S and E (ladder access), Type NB (ship stair), Type L (service stair), and Type D/F (equipment access).
Automatic smoke vents, including the Type DSH, SV, and ACDSV, open via a fusible link that melts in the heat of a fire.
The International Fire Code, Section 910, requires smoke and heat vents listed to UL 793 or FM 4430.
Common failure signs include sticking hatch covers, corroded hinges, failed gaskets, and smoke vents that don’t open fully during testing.
Smoke vents typically require replacement after about 20 years as fusible links, gaskets, and springs wear out.
Sky Design Concepts is a Phoenix-based installer representing Bilco alongside VELUX Commercial, Sunoptics, and Kingspan Light + Air.

A roof hatch and a smoke vent solve two different problems, one gives maintenance crews safe access to the roof, the other releases heat and smoke automatically during a fire, and Bilco is our primary source for both. Sky Design Concepts installs, repairs, and replaces the full Bilco line across Phoenix and the Southwest, matching hatch type to how a crew actually reaches the roof and sizing smoke vents to what a building’s fire marshal requires.

Arizona’s sun wears these products out in predictable ways, gaskets harden, hinges corrode, lift-assist springs weaken, and the flashing around the curb opens up and leaks. A smoke vent that hasn’t been tested in years may not open when a fire starts, which is why every job begins with a free on-site evaluation rather than a guess from the ground.

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What Bilco Makes

Bilco makes roof access hatches and automatic smoke vents for commercial buildings. A roof hatch gives maintenance crews a safe way onto the roof, and an automatic smoke vent opens in a fire to release smoke, heat, and gases from the building.

If you manage a warehouse, factory, school, or retail building in Arizona, you probably have both on your roof. Roof crews use the hatch to reach rooftop equipment, and the smoke vent sits ready to open if a fire starts below. Both products wear out in the Arizona sun, and both affect safety, so they need inspection and replacement on a schedule.

The Bilco Company, based in New Haven, Connecticut, has served the building industry since 1926. Sky Design Concepts is a commercial skylight contractor in Phoenix, and Bilco is one of the manufacturers we represent alongside VELUX Commercial, Sunoptics, and Kingspan Light + Air.

Bilco is the main source for the roof hatches and smoke vents we install. For a general overview of these products, see our smoke vents and roof hatches page, which covers hatch and vent types by brand. This page focuses on the Bilco lines.

Hatches and vents are also openings in the roof deck, so fall protection applies. OSHA’s fall protection rule for construction covers falls through holes and openings from 6 feet or more, and Bilco sells a hatch railing system for this reason. Read the manufacturer’s own product details before you specify a unit.

Bilco Products We Install and Service

Bilco sells many hatch and vent types, and the right one depends on how often crews use the hatch, what they carry through it, and what the building needs for fire safety. The table below matches each Bilco product to the use it serves and to the Sky Design Concepts service that covers it.

Bilco Roof Hatches

Bilco roof hatches fall into three access styles. Type S and Type E hatches serve crews who reach the roof by an interior ladder. Type NB hatches use a ship stair, which suits openings that crews use often. Type L hatches use a service stair. Type D and Type F hatches are larger equipment access hatches, and Type GS and GSS pair a hatch with a dome cover that lets daylight in.

Bilco offers its ladder access hatches in galvanized steel, aluminum, and stainless steel, and offers copper on some models. In Arizona, heat and sun load the hinges, gaskets, and covers every day, so we match the material and size to how the building uses the hatch.

Bilco Automatic Smoke Vents

An automatic smoke vent removes smoke, heat, and gases from a burning building and helps firefighters bring the fire under control. Bilco builds mechanical smoke vents that open when a fusible link melts, and offers options that open the vent from a smoke detector or fire alarm. Bilco says these vents suit large unobstructed spaces such as factories, warehouses, auditoriums, and retail buildings.

Bilco makes several models, including the Type DSH, Type SV, and Type ACDSV, plus thermally broken versions. The Lumivent adds daylight to the vent opening. We select the model against the building’s fire protection plan and your fire code official’s requirements.

The International Fire Code covers smoke and heat vents in Section 910 and calls for vents listed to UL 793 or FM 4430. Your jurisdiction decides which code edition applies, so confirm the requirement with your local fire code official before you order.

Signs You Need Bilco Roof Hatch or Smoke Vent Replacement

Roof hatches and smoke vents work only when they open and seal correctly. Arizona sun, heat, and dust wear down hinges, gaskets, covers, and release mechanisms, and a hatch or vent that looks fine from the ground may fail when someone needs it.

Look for these signs on your roof and at the hatch ladder:

Hatch covers that stick, bind, or need force to open, which usually point to worn hinges or a bent cover.
Water stains at the hatch curb or ceiling below, which point to a failed gasket, damaged flashing, or a cracked curb.
Rusted or corroded hinges, latches, and cover panels, especially on older galvanized units.
Cracked or hazed domes on a hatch-and-skylight unit.
Smoke vents that fail a test or do not open fully, which means the release mechanism or springs may need replacement.
Missing or damaged fusible links or release components on an automatic smoke vent.
An aging smoke vent. Smoke vents typically need replacement after about 20 years.
A hatch or vent opening with no railing or guard, which is a fall hazard.

Not every sign calls for a new unit. Our commercial skylight repair crews stop leaks at the curb, and our skylight restoration and wet sealing service reseals openings that are otherwise sound. Our guide on repair, restore, or replace explains how we decide, and when a unit has reached the end of its life we move to commercial skylight replacement.

How We Install and Replace Bilco Products

Every project starts with a free on-site evaluation and ends with a documented close-out.

Evaluate the roof: We inspect each hatch, smoke vent, curb, and flashing detail, photograph defects, and tell you whether to repair, restore, or replace.
Identify and measure: We identify the existing Bilco unit, measure the curb and roof opening, and confirm the model, size, and material you need.
Quote and order: You receive a written scope. We order the units and confirm the delivery schedule with you.
Install: Our crew removes the old unit, repairs or replaces the curb, installs the new hatch or vent to manufacturer instructions, and flashes and seals the opening.
Test and close out: We confirm that hatches open and close correctly and that smoke vents are set to operate as designed.

For distribution centers and manufacturing buildings, see our warehouse and industrial skylight page.

Why Choose Sky Design Concepts

Bilco is our main source for hatches and vents: You buy and install through one contractor who works with these products regularly.
In business since 1985: We have worked on commercial roofs in the Southwest for decades. Read our company history.
Licensed in Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico: We hold contractor licenses in all three states and travel to West Texas for projects.
Commercial work only: Our crews, quotes, and schedules are built around warehouses, schools, healthcare buildings, and other commercial roofs.
One contractor for skylights, hatches, and vents: We install skylights, roof hatches, and smoke vents, so one crew handles every opening on the roof. See every brand on our manufacturers hub.
Free on-site evaluation: We inspect your hatches, vents, and curbs at no charge before we quote. Schedule your evaluation.

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✦ What customers say

Customers describe Sky Design Concepts as professional from start to finish, with a courteous, efficient installation team that goes above and beyond. Reviewers say the installers clean up after the job is done, call the company a local Arizona business, and say they would use it again for future skylight work.

Professional installers Clean job sites Efficient work Local Arizona company Would hire again

AI-generated summary of customer reviews, updated November 3, 2026.

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Amazing efficiency! Professional installation team! Arizona local and family owned/operated. Couldn’t ask for a better all around group. Always willing to go above and beyond!

Alfred Dorantes
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Courteous & Professional staff. Installers clean up after they’re finished with the projects. Highly recommend

Connor Smith
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SkyDesign was great to work with start to finish! Very professional and do great work! Will definitely use this company again for any skylight needs

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Monday: 7AM – 4PM
Tuesday: 7AM – 4PM
Wednesday: 7AM – 4PM
Thursday: 7AM – 4PM
Friday: 8AM – 12PM
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed

Proudly Providing Bilco Roof Hatch & Smoke Vent Service in Phoenix & Across Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and West Texas

Sky Design Concepts installs and services Bilco roof hatches and smoke vents for contractors, developers, school districts, and property owners throughout Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and West Texas. Find your city below, or contact us if your location isn’t listed.

We are proud to provide Bilco roof hatch and smoke vent service in Phoenix, AZ, Scottsdale, AZ, Tempe, AZ, Tucson, AZ, Mesa, AZ, Chandler, AZ, Glendale, AZ, Goodyear, AZ, Tolleson, AZ, Gilbert, AZ, Peoria, AZ, and Avondale, AZ, as well as Las Vegas, NV, Henderson, NV, and Reno, NV; Albuquerque, NM, Santa Fe, NM, and Las Cruces, NM; and El Paso, TX, and Midland–Odessa, TX. For a full view of our coverage, see our service area page.

Schedule Your Bilco Hatch and Smoke Vent Inspection Today

A hatch spring that’s weakened or a fusible link that’s never been tested won’t show up as a problem until the exact moment the building needs it to work. Sky Design Concepts inspects every roof hatch and smoke vent in one visit, matches the right Bilco type to your crew’s access needs, and confirms your smoke vents still meet their fire marshal’s requirements before documenting what’s covered and what’s at risk.

Call us at (602) 276-5001 to schedule your free on-site evaluation today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Bilco roof hatch and a smoke vent?

A roof hatch gives people access to the roof, and a smoke vent releases smoke and heat from the building in a fire. Some Bilco units combine functions, such as the GS and GSS hatch with a dome cover, but most buildings need each product for its own purpose. Our smoke vents and roof hatches page explains both.

Which Bilco roof hatch do I need?

Choose the hatch by how crews reach the roof and what they carry through it. Type S and Type E use an interior ladder, Type NB uses a ship stair, Type L uses a service stair, and Type D and Type F suit equipment access. Our free evaluation matches the model to your building.

Can you replace an old Bilco hatch or smoke vent?

Yes. We identify the existing unit, measure the curb, and match the replacement to it. When the curb is cracked, rotted, or out of square, we replace it as well, because a new unit on a failed curb leaks.

How does a Bilco automatic smoke vent work?

A Bilco mechanical smoke vent opens when a fusible link melts in the heat of a fire. Bilco also offers options that open the vent from a smoke detector or fire alarm. Confirm which activation method your building and fire code officially require before you order.

Do you install roof hatch safety railings?

Yes. We install guards and railings on roof openings, including new and existing hatches and smoke vents. Bilco’s Bil-Guard 2.0 railing system is made for this use, and our skylight fall protection and guards service covers the installation.

How often should smoke vents be tested or inspected?

Your local fire code and fire marshal set the schedule, but smoke vents generally need replacement after about 20 years as fusible links, gaskets, and springs age. We test existing units during the free on-site evaluation.

Does installing a Bilco hatch or smoke vent require a permit?

Often, yes. Smoke vent work can require a fire department permit, and hatch or curb replacement may fall under standard building permits. We confirm requirements with your jurisdiction during the free evaluation.

How do I get a quote for a Bilco roof hatch or smoke vent?

Call (602) 276-5001 or send a request through our contact page to schedule a free on-site evaluation. After we inspect the roof, you receive a written scope and quote.

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Getting your commercial skylight project underway is simple, no pressure, no guesswork, just a clear path from inspection to installation.