“How much do new windows cost?”
You might be asking yourself that exact question right now if your home is desperately in need of replacement windows. And the answer is…it really all depends.
On average, most homeowners face a window replacement cost of somewhere between $300 and $700 per window. But it’s also not that uncommon for people to pay well over $1,000 per window when working their way through a window replacement project.
There are a number of different factors that you’re going to have to consider when it comes to the cost to replace windows. You should make sure that you keep each and every one of them in mind when you’re shopping for replacement windows for your home.
If you’re in the market for new windows at the moment, you should find out about these factors and think about how they’ll affect the price you’re going to pay for window replacement. Learn about them below.
The Materials You Want Your New Windows to Be Made Out Of
For a long time, wood was one of the only materials used to manufacture new windows. Just about all of the windows that were installed in homes 100 years ago were made exclusively out of wood.
But in this day and age, you’re going to find that there are all kinds of different materials that are used to create replacement windows. And each of them is equipped with a slightly different window replacement cost.
The main materials used to make windows these days are:
- Wood
- Vinyl
- Fiberglass
- Aluminum
If you decide that you want to go with something like vinyl windows, you’re going to find that they are very cost-effective. But if you choose to go with traditional wood windows, you might have to pay substantially more for them depending on what type of wood they’re made out of.
You should look around at different window materials to see which ones offer the benefits you need. You could slash your window replacement prices dramatically by going with one of the more affordable materials on the market today.
The Types of New Windows You Want
Outside of considering what materials you want your windows to be made out of when trying to come up with a window replacement cost, you should also think about what types of windows you want.
Most people opt to go with either single-hung or double-hung windows. These are the types of windows that you open and close by sliding them up and down. They’re easily the most popular type of windows, and they’re found in most homes.
But you might also decide that you want to go with one or more of the other types of windows. You’ll have the option of going with:
- Sliding windows
- Casement windows
- Awning windows
- Bow window vs bay window
- Picture windows
- And more
You can mix and match the different types of windows almost any way you want throughout your home. But it’s worth noting that the price that you pay for new windows in the end could go up or down quite a bit based on which types of windows you choose.
Single-hung and double-hung windows are usually going to be your best bet since they fall on the lower end of the spectrum with regards to price. Others, like bay windows, might look great, but they’re going to send your window replacement cost skyrocketing in many cases.
The Sizes You Need Your New Windows to Be
In many instances, almost all of the windows inside of a home will be the same size. This makes it very easy for homeowners to replace their windows since they don’t have to account for a bunch of windows that are all different sizes.
If you fall into this category, it’ll be super simple for you to get a window replacement cost estimate. A replacement window company should be able to count the number of windows that you have, crunch a few numbers, and provide you with a quote almost on the spot.
But if you have all different size windows in your home, figuring out how much it’s going to cost to replace them is going to be a lot more challenging. This is going to be especially true if you have several larger windows in your home that are going to be harder to replace than average size windows.
It’s a good idea to walk around in your home and see what sizes your windows are. If you have any that are abnormally big or small, you should mentally prepare yourself to pay a little extra to have them replaced. You might even need to consider going with custom windows in some cases.
The Special Features You Want Your New Windows to Have
Do you need to have windows in your home with special tint on them? Do you need to have windows in your home that are strong enough to stop burglars in their tracks? Or do you need to have windows in your home that can withstand hurricane winds without getting damaged?
These are just a few of the special features that homeowners will request when speaking with a replacement window company about installing new windows in their houses. And while most companies won’t have any issues getting homeowners what they want, it’s obviously going to come at a cost to them.
Let’s say, for example, that you need to install a house full of windows that can withstand the winds that a hurricane might throw at them. There are many homeowners in Florida who look to have these kinds of windows put into place in their homes.
It won’t be difficult for you to find windows that can stand up to almost anything that Mother Nature throws at them. But you’re going to have to pay more for these windows than you would have to pay for regular old windows for your home.
You shouldn’t let that stop you from installing them in your home anyway. But you should be sure that you adjust your budget accordingly so that it accounts for whatever special features you might need when shopping for replacement windows.
The Number of Windows You Need to Replace
Are you going to replace all of the windows throughout your home at one time? Or are you going to replace several windows at a time until you’ve gotten around to replacing them all?
You might think that going with the second option will help you save money on your window replacement cost. But in reality, you could end up paying a whole lot more for replacement windows when you take that approach as opposed to replacing all your windows at once.
When you replace every window in your home at one time, a replacement window company will typically extend a much better deal to you. You could pay a lot less per window than you would if you were to only buy a few windows at a time.
You could also pay a lot less to have each of your windows installed since a replacement window company won’t have to make multiple trips to your home. It’s a great reason to plan to install all new windows throughout your entire home.
You might have to tinker with your window shopping budget when you do this. You might even have to put off window replacement for a little while so that you can save up enough money to pay for it. But it could be well worth the extra effort you’ll have to put in to make it happen.
The Replacement Window Company You Want to Hire
When you go to have the windows in your home replaced, you’re quickly going to discover that there is no shortage of options when it comes to window replacement companies. There are well over 25,000 of them scattered throughout the country at this time.
Most of them will be able to supply you with the same kinds of windows for your home. But not all of them are going to carry windows from the same manufacturers since some haven’t earned the right to provide windows from the top manufacturers.
You should always work with a company that’s going to be able to set you up with top-of-the-line windows for your home. But you should also always work with a company that’s going to give them to you for the right price.
With this in mind, you’re going to want to touch base with at least a few replacement window companies in your general area to get quotes for your window replacement project. This will help you to sift through your options and find the one that’s going to provide the most competitive prices to you.
Whatever you do, you shouldn’t just go with whichever replacement window company you come across first. This is one of the worst mistakes you can make when looking for new windows for your home. You should instead do your homework on your local companies and pick the one offering the best windows at the right window replacement cost.
The Urgency With Which You Need to Have New Windows Installed
Are you in a huge hurry to have replacement windows installed in your home? Maybe your current windows are literally falling apart on you, or maybe you want to have new windows put into place prior to putting your home up on the market so that you can sell it.
If this is the case, then you can usually expect to pay more for replacement windows than you might have to otherwise. A replacement window company shouldn’t have any issues springing into action and setting you up with new windows. But it is going to come at a cost to you.
By the same token, you might be able to save some money on window replacement if you’re able to be more flexible as far as when you need to have new windows installed. If you aren’t in a rush to install replacement windows, a window replacement company will often be more likely to provide you with a better deal on them.
You should try to plan ahead for window replacement so that you don’t put yourself into a position where you have no choice but to install new windows quickly. This is one of the easiest ways to cut your new windows cost down to size.
The Warranty You Want to Come With Your New Windows
Once you’ve gone through the process of installing new windows in your home, you’re not going to want to have to do it again for a long, long time. To that end, you should make sure that your replacement windows come with a great warranty attached to them.
Most major window manufacturers extend a lengthy warranty on their windows these days. Some will even give homeowners a lifetime warranty on their windows for as long as they own their houses.
These warranties usually come on windows that are slightly more expensive than some of the other ones with limited warranties on them. But you might not care once you realize that you’re going to be able to get your new windows repaired or replaced if anything ever goes wrong with them.
That could result in huge savings over time and make the extra window replacement cost that you’ll have to pay worth every penny.
Get Quotes to See What Your Window Replacement Cost Might Be Today
As you can see, there are tons of factors that are going to play a role in your window replacement cost. It’s impossible to tell you exactly what new windows cost without knowing how these factors will affect you.
But you can find out for yourself by contacting several replacement window companies in your area now to get quotes. They’ll be more than happy to provide you with an estimate for new windows based on the factors we just discussed.
Would you like to learn about how much some other home improvement projects might cost you? Browse through the articles on our blog to find out.