St. Joseph Window Replacement Specialists handles window replacement in St. Joseph, Missouri, for houses of every age: brick Victorians and foursquares on the old blocks near downtown, bungalows with wide porches, and ranch homes in the newer neighborhoods on the east side of town. We replace whole windows, bay and bow units, patio doors and basement windows. Every opening gets measured in person, and you get the options and the price in writing before anything is ordered.
Windows, bay units, patio doors and basement windows
We replace whole windows, never just the glass or a single sash, and we don't work on car windows. Most go in as inserts, set into the existing frame. Where a frame is rotted or badly out of square, it comes out too and the window gets a full-frame replacement. Here is what we replace:
- Vinyl Replacement Windows
Double-hung, casement and slider windows in vinyl frames, fitted to openings that are often a century old.
- Bay and Bow Window Replacement
Projecting bay and bow units replaced whole, with the seat, roof and support looked at before anything is ordered.
- Patio Door Replacement
Sliding glass and hinged French patio doors replaced as complete units, frame and all.
- Basement Window Replacement
Rusted steel frames, old hoppers and glass block swapped for sealed units in the existing foundation opening.
- Window Replacement Cost
Published price ranges, what raises or lowers the price on an older house, and what a written estimate should show.
How a window replacement job goes, start to finish
- A visit to measure. We look at each window or door you want replaced, check the frames and sills for rot, and take our own measurements. Old openings are rarely square, so no two windows get assumed to be the same size.
- Options in writing. You get each opening listed with its style, glass, install method and price. Most openings take an insert set into the existing frame; any that need a full-frame replacement are marked, with the reason.
- Ordering. Replacement windows are made to order, so there is a wait between signing and install day. We give you the lead time with the order.
- Install day. Most of the old windows come out first. The new ones go in room by room, several at a time, each shimmed level and square and sealed with low-expansion foam. Then the inside trim is finished while the outside trim is wrapped in metal, matched to the house or in an accent color you choose. Old windows leave with us.
- A walk-through. We open, close and lock every new window with you before we call it done.
Replacing windows in an older St. Joseph house
A large share of St. Joseph's houses were built before World War II, and their windows tell you so. Most are tall, narrow double-hungs, two-over-two or one-over-one on the Victorian houses and six-over-one on many bungalows, hung on sash cords and iron counterweights hidden in pockets beside the frame. When the cords break, the sash won't stay up. When the glazing putty cracks and the paint goes, water gets into the wood.
Those houses need a little more care than a new build. Plaster walls crack if trim is pried off carelessly. Weight pockets are hollow, so a full-frame install is a chance to fill them with insulation. And many front windows have a leaded or stained-glass transom above them. We work around a transom like that and leave it in place.
Signs a window needs replacing, not just a tune-up
- Fog between the panes of a double-pane window. The seal has failed, and on most older insulated units the practical fix is a new window.
- Sashes that won't open, won't stay up, or won't lock, including ones painted shut for decades.
- Soft or rotted sills and frames, especially on the sides of the house that take the weather.
- Drafts and frost on the inside of the glass on cold mornings, or rooms that never stay comfortable in July.
- Storm damage that cracked a frame or broke an insulated unit beyond a simple fix.
If a window just needs new weatherstripping or a balance spring, that is a repair, and it isn't the work we do.
Where we work
We replace windows across St. Joseph, from Museum Hill, Hall Street and the blocks around downtown to the ranch houses and newer subdivisions toward the edges of town. We also take jobs in nearby Country Club, Agency, Easton, Gower, and across the river in Elwood and Wathena, Kansas.
Window replacement questions
What is the average cost of replacing a window?
It swings with size, style, how the window goes in and what is behind the old frame. Our window replacement cost page has published averages and what changes the price on St. Joseph houses.
Should I replace all my windows at once?
Doing them together usually costs less per window, since measuring, ordering and setup happen once. If the budget won't stretch, start with the worst ones and the rooms you use most. The cost page has more on phasing a job.
Is it worth replacing 20 year old windows?
If they still open, lock and seal, maybe not yet. Fog between the panes, drafts you can feel and sashes that won't stay up are the usual signs a unit has reached the end. See vinyl replacement windows for what a new unit changes.
What is the best time of year to install windows?
Any time of year works. Most of the old windows come out at the start of the job, then the new ones go in room by room, several at a time, and each is foamed in as soon as it's set, which seals it against wind and rain. Even in January the house is closed up again quickly, and the trim is finished afterward. Request an estimate whenever you are ready.
Do I need approval to replace windows in Museum Hill or Hall Street?
Usually, yes. Those are the city’s two local historic districts, and exterior changes there need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Landmark Commission before work starts. Windows that can’t be seen from a street, park or other public place are the exception.
Get a written estimate
Tell us which windows or doors you're thinking about. Someone from our team will reach out to set up a time to measure.
Request an estimate