Windows Costs (2026)
Window replacement and repair costs by city and frame material — the national average adjusted to your local labor, climate, and permit rules.
Nationally, window repair averages $450, and window replacement averages $9,500 — but a national average is the wrong number to budget with. The same window replacement costs about $10,980 in San Francisco, CA and $8,160 in McAllen, TX, a 35% difference for identical work driven by local labor rates, code requirements, and climate. Every price here starts from a researched national base and is adjusted with the federal government's own regional price data for your metro, across 100 US markets.
Windows costs at a glance
National averages before local adjustment. Year-over-year change is anchored to the BLS Producer Price Index for the materials and equipment in each project.
| Project | National average | Typical range | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Window Replacement | $9,500 | $6,000 – $16,000 | ▲ up 5.0% |
| Window Repair | $450 | $150 – $1,200 | ▲ up 4.0% |
What drives windows costs
Count and size of openings drive the total, but the per-window price depends on frame material and glazing. Vinyl is the budget default; fiberglass and wood cost more and last differently; aluminum is mostly a commercial and impact-zone choice. The glass package matters as much as the frame — double versus triple pane, low-E coatings, and gas fill change both price and energy performance. The biggest cost fork is insert versus full-frame replacement: inserts fit inside the existing frame and are far cheaper, but if the frame or sill has rotted, full-frame is the only honest option and the price roughly doubles. In coastal wind-borne-debris zones, impact-rated glazing is required by code and adds meaningfully to every opening.
Where window replacement costs the most — and the least
Across the 100 metros we cover, using the same national base cost adjusted by each metro's BEA price factor.
| Most expensive | Avg. window replacement | Least expensive | Avg. window replacement |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $10,980 | McAllen, TX | $8,160 |
| Miami, FL | $10,850 | Wichita, KS | $8,450 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $10,790 | Jackson, MS | $8,460 |
| New York, NY | $10,700 | Tulsa, OK | $8,470 |
| San Diego, CA | $10,630 | Little Rock, AR | $8,490 |
Windows projects
Tools & guides
Popular window replacement costs by city
See all cities for window replacement →
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a window project cost in 2026?
- It depends on the job. Window Replacement averages $9,500 nationally ($6,000 – $16,000); Window Repair averages $450 nationally ($150 – $1,200). Those are national figures — your city's price will differ, often by thousands.
- Why does window replacement cost more in some cities than others?
- Because labor rates, code requirements, permit fees, and climate differ by metro. We apply the BEA Regional Price Parity for your metro to a researched national base cost, so window replacement runs about $10,980 in San Francisco and $8,160 in McAllen. The work is the same; the local price level is not.
- Which cities are most and least expensive for window replacement?
- Of the 100 metros we track, San Francisco, CA is the most expensive at about $10,980, and McAllen, TX the least at about $8,160. The full city list is below.
- Are window replacement prices going up?
- Yes — window replacement is up roughly 5.0% year over year nationally, based on the BLS Producer Price Index for the relevant materials and equipment plus skilled-trade wage growth. Full trajectories are on our cost-trends page.
- How many quotes should I get?
- At least three written quotes from licensed local contractors, compared line by line rather than on the bottom-line number. Check what each includes — permits, disposal, cleanup, and warranty terms vary between bids and are where apparent bargains usually come from. Our figures are informational estimates to help you sanity-check those bids, not quotes.
Cost factors from the BEA Regional Price Parities; trade wages from BLS OEWS; trends from the BLS Producer Price Index. Full method on How We Estimate. Figures are informational estimates, not quotes.
