WINDOW REPLACEMENT, MADE CLEAR
Plan Your Window Replacement Before You Call Anyone
Compare window types, frame materials and glazing, see what the job should cost, and read the local rules that change it — then talk to professionals who serve your area.
- No obligation
- Independent of any manufacturer
- We are not a contractor
Start with what the job involves
Read what a replacement estimate should cover before a salesperson sets the terms of the conversation.
See window options →
$450–$1,500
One window, fitted
HomeGuide, 2026
$3,436–$11,839
Where most whole-house projects land
Angi, 13,122 projects, 2026
$7,348
The national average behind that range
Angi, 2026
What kind of project is this?
Pick the closest match — it changes which pages here are worth your time.
Replacing existing windows
Swapping old or failing units in openings that already exist. The most common job, and the one where insert against full-frame decides the price.
New installation
Adding a window where there is none today. This is structural work: the opening has to be cut, framed and flashed before any unit arrives.
Windows and doors together
A combined project. It is usually cheaper per opening than two separate jobs, and worth telling every company up front.
Not sure yet
Start with the cost guide and the window types below. You do not need to have decided anything before you read them.
Common window types
All window types →Each type opens, seals and ventilates differently. The right one depends on the room and the wall.
- Double-hungTwo sashes slide vertically. The most common US replacement.
- CasementHinged at the side, cranks outward against its seal.
- SlidingGlides horizontally. Suits openings wider than they are tall.
- PictureFixed glass. Maximum light and view, no ventilation.
- Bay and bowProjects outward and carries its own roof and load path.
Frame materials, compared
Compare materials in detail →Material drives cost, maintenance, and how the window behaves in your climate.
| Attribute | Vinyl | Fiberglass | Wood | Aluminum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit price, per window | $100–$900 | $500–$1,500 | $150–$1,300 | $75–$400 |
| Maintenance | Very low | Low | Regular painting or sealing | Low |
| Frame conducts heat | Little | Little | Little | Readily unless thermally broken |
| Usually chosen for | Budget-conscious full replacements | Extreme climates and long ownership | Historic homes and interior character | Slim sightlines and modern styles |
Unit prices are Angi's published ranges, read 22 August 2026, and exclude labor. They are national survey figures rather than quotes, and no publisher here prices a material for a named city.
How it works
Work out the scope
Count the openings, decide whether the existing frames stay or go, and settle what the glass has to achieve where you live.
Ask for comparable quotes
Give every company the same scope, then read down the line items rather than across the totals.
Compare and decide
Check the permit, the disposal and whether the warranty covers labor as well as the product. There is no obligation to hire anyone.
What does window replacement cost?
Two of the publishers that survey this market disagree, and the gap between them is instructive.
Cost depends on frame material, window style, glass package, size, how many windows you are replacing and local labor. Angi puts the labor share at $100 to $300 per window, rising past $600 where a window sits above the ground floor or the opening has to be altered — which is why the same unit costs different money in two houses on the same street.
We publish both surveys rather than averaging them, because an average of two surveys is a number nobody surveyed. The full cost guide works through every driver, and what an estimate should contain covers the paperwork side.
Figures read 22 August 2026 from Angi and HomeGuide. Neither company measured your home and neither figure is a quote. We are not the source of these numbers and do not adjust them.
Cost snapshot
- Angi, national average
- $7,348
- HomeGuide, per window
- $450–$1,500
- Biggest cost drivers
- Material · glass · labor
Energy efficiency depends on your climate
Energy ratings explained →The right glass package is the one matched to where you live, not the one with the most layers.
- Hot climates. ENERGY STAR caps solar heat gain in its Southern zone at 0.23, so the coating is doing more work than the pane count.
- Cold climates. In the Northern zone that same figure carries a floor rather than a ceiling, because winter sun through the glass is worth keeping.
- Coastal and storm regions. Impact-rated glass may be required outright, and the approval that proves it belongs on the quote.
Where we can help
All locations →Availability varies by ZIP code. Browse by state, or start with your metro.
Repair, or replace?
Full repair-or-replace guide →Not every failing window is a replacement, and the difference is usually visible from the inside.
Repair usually makes sense when…
- The frame is sound and only hardware or weatherstripping has failed
- A single pane is cracked in an otherwise good window
- The window is newer and still under warranty
Replacement usually makes sense when…
- Frames are rotted, warped or leaking around the opening
- Seals have failed and condensation sits between the panes
- Single-pane windows are driving heating and cooling bills
Common questions
Ready to see your options?
Read what an estimate should cover, then decide who to ask.