Window replacement in Fort Wayne

Signs a window is done

• Fog or moisture between the panes that won't wipe off (the seal has failed)
• A draft you can feel at the sash with the window locked
• Sashes that won't stay up, stick shut, or rattle in the wind
• Soft or crumbling wood at the sill, or paint that keeps peeling there
• Frost building up on the inside of the glass on January mornings

One foggy pane can often be fixed with new glass for $75 to $250, and we'll tell you when that's the smarter fix. When several windows show two or more of these signs, it's usually time to replace.

Insert or full-frame?

Window installation comes in two kinds. An insert (also called a pocket or retrofit window) fits inside the old frame. The interior trim stays, the job is quicker, and it costs less. A full-frame install takes the window out down to the rough opening, so the installer can see and fix rot, add insulation and flash the opening again. It costs more and usually means new trim inside and out.

Inserts suit frames that are square and solid. Full-frame is the answer when the sill is soft, the frame is out of square, or you're re-siding at the same time. We'll tell you which one your house needs once we've looked at the frames.

How much window replacement costs in Fort Wayne

Nationally, most replacement windows cost $300 to $2,100 each, installed, with about $850 typical. Whole-house jobs are priced by the count:

Job	Typical installed cost
One window	$300 to $2,100 (about $850)
5 to 10 windows	$2,250 to $12,000
Single-story house, 10 to 15 windows	$8,000 to $12,000
Two-story house, 15 to 30 windows	$12,000 to $24,000

Frame material is one of the biggest factors in the price per window:

Frame	Per window, installed	Notes
Vinyl	$350 to $800	The most common replacement window; no painting
Fiberglass	$400 to $1,500	Stiffer frame, can be painted, moves little with temperature
Composite	$300 to $2,500	Wood fiber and resin; wide price spread by brand
Wood	$600 to $2,000	Matches older homes; needs paint or stain outside unless clad

Labor is usually $150 to $300 a window, more for bays and bows. Changing an opening's size or cutting a new one can need a permit, which adds $50 to $300.

What to look for on the label

Fort Wayne sits in ENERGY STAR's Northern climate zone, along with the rest of Allen County. The usual way to qualify there is a U-factor of 0.22 or lower with a solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.17 or higher. Lower U-factor means less heat lost through the glass on a winter night.

Every certified window carries a white NFRC label with both numbers, and we list them on your quote window by window. Our guide to window ratings for Fort Wayne homes explains what each number means.

Fort Wayne's historic districts

In Fort Wayne's local historic districts (West Central, Williams-Woodland Park, Shawnee Place and Columbia Avenue), windows visible from the street can't be replaced until the Historic Preservation Commission grants a Certificate of Appropriateness, and no permit is issued without one. The application is free. Replacing all of a house's windows, or its sashes, brings a site visit from staff and the commission's window committee, and the guidelines limit which replacement windows qualify. To see whether a house falls inside one, look it up on the "Local Historic Districts" layer of Allen County's iMap.

Older Fort Wayne houses and lead paint

Nearly two in three Fort Wayne homes were built before 1980, and in the central city's Wayne Township it's 83%. Window replacement on a home built before 1978 is always covered by the EPA's lead-safe rule, however small the job. The firm doing the work has to be EPA Lead-Safe Certified, set up plastic and containment, and clean up with a HEPA vacuum. EPA runs this program directly in Indiana and Ohio, and its certified-firm locator lists every certified company. Our guide to lead-safe work on older Fort Wayne homes shows what the setup looks like and how to check a contractor.

Window replacement questions