During World War I, were built some temporary wooden lighthouses (e.g., in Paralepa, Norrby in Vormsi) which had to be replaced in a couple of decades. A number of lighthouses had suffered in war (Ruhnu, Ristna, Sõrve etc.) -- so, the young Republic of Estonia had a lot do in order to ensure navigation safety in its waters. In the first years of independence main attention was given to restoration and repair of the existing aids to navigation. Thus, in 1920 the lighthouse of Ristna was covered with concrete, in 1924 were restored the lighthouses of Virtsu and Kübassaare as cylindrical concrete towers. In addition to that several reinforced concrete lighthouses were built.

Until the year 1933 it was private companies that built the lighthouses and actually earned substantial profits. In 1933, this policy changed as Estonian Maritime Administration took over all responsibilities connected with lighthouse construction under supervision of the engineer Armas Luige. Until 1940, a construction team consisting of men mostly coming from the islands and Haapsalu region built 25 concrete lighthouses and about 10 wooden light beacons.
Their first light beacon was built in Manilaid in the summer of 1933. In 1934 followed the lighthouses of Paralepa and Paslepa (Ramsi), Hobulaid, Sõru, Lõu, the lower lighthouse of –Emmaste and Norrby lighthouses in 1935. The following year, 1936 the lighthouses of Vergi, Letipea, and the two towers of Prangli were built, in 1937 those of Juminda and Mehikoorma, in 1938 that of Neeme (the Ihasalu Bay), in 1939 the Viimsi upper tower and the lighthouse of Pööriotsa near Varbla, and in 1940 the lighthouses of Harilaid and Rukkirahu were completed. Repair and reconstruction of the stone lighthouse of Keri carried out according to Armas Luige’s methodology was a remarkable achievement in the history of Estonian lighthouse construction. The work was completed in 1937.

As of 1 January 1941 all lighthouses, aids to navigation, and light vessels together with their supporting vessels were taken over by the Hydrographical Service of the Navy of the USSR and were thus turned into military objects. Due to the evacuation of civilian population from the vicinity of military bases the Swedes of Osmussaar were forced to leave their native island. On 12 July 1940 they settled on Vormsi island and at Põõsaspea.

In 1950 a programme for construction of lighthouses and aids to navigation in the framework of which special-purpose technical facilities were erected near lighthouses was started in the Soviet Union. Since the year 1960 lighthouses were powered exclusively by automatic diesel-electric drives. The early 1960s also witnessed the construction of the new reinforced concrete lighthouses. The new technology made it possible to build cylindrical, pyramidal, and conical towers of varied diameters and heights.
New lighthouses were erected at Letipea (1951), Osmussaar (1954; the tower 35 m), Naissaar (45 m) and Sõrve (52 m, 1960). On an experimental basis, a prefabricated reinforced concrete tower was put up at Narva-Jõesuu in 1959.
A great majority of the lighthouses built at that time are quite similar concrete tetrahedral towers (see, e.g., the lighthouses of Virtsu, Anseküla, Hiiessaare, Letipea, Kaavi etc.).

The lighthouse built on Tallinn bank in 1970 was the first fully automatic lighthouse powered by nuclear isotopes. Nuclear power was applied in many other lighthouses at the end of the Soviet period.