model

Replacement Window Cost (2026): Insert vs Full-Frame, Vinyl to Wood, by Style and Size, With Labor Hours

What one replacement window costs in 2026 by type, style and size, insert and full-frame, with the labor hours behind each line, the code and lead rules, and ten windows priced line by line from Clamp's catalog.

By Clamp ResearchReviewed by Emmanuel ForgePublished Nov 3, 2026✓ Reviewed Nov 2026

Direct answer: A mid-grade vinyl replacement window about 36 x 60 in costs $858 in job cost before markup as an insert, a ballpark price range of $1,116 to $1,717, and $1,114 job cost before markup full-frame. By type, an insert runs $718 job cost before markup for builder vinyl to $1,633 for aluminum-clad wood. Ten double-hung inserts come to $9,253 job cost before markup, a ballpark price range of $12,029 to $18,507.

The assumptions

This model assumes

One window about 36 x 60 in unless stated
Exterior trim wrapped in aluminum coil; no interior casing unless full-frame
Job cost before markup: labor at the sub's price and materials, no markup, tax or permits
Prices from Clamp's catalog on November 3, 2026

The model, step by step

1What one window costs, by type

One window about 36 x 60 in, priced through Clamp's catalog on November 3, 2026: the unit, setting it, aluminum coil over the exterior trim, foam, caulk and flashing, and disposal. No interior trim, no staging. Job cost before markup. A mid-grade vinyl insert is $858 job cost before markup, a ballpark price range of $1,116 to $1,717; Pella publishes $800 to $1,600 installed for vinyl.

One window by type, job cost before markup, Clamp's catalog
Type	Unit	Insert	Full-frame
Builder-grade vinylBallpark price range: $934 to $1,437 insert	$285	$718	$974
Mid-grade vinylBallpark price range: $1,116 to $1,717 insert	$425	$858	$1,114
Premium vinylBallpark price range: $1,408 to $2,167 insert	$650	$1,083	$1,339
FiberglassBallpark price range: $1,473 to $2,267 insert	$700	$1,133	$1,389
Impact-ratedBallpark price range: $1,538 to $2,367 insert	$750	$1,183	$1,439
Wood-cladBallpark price range: $1,408 to $2,167 insert	$650	$1,083	$1,339
Aluminum-clad woodBallpark price range: $2,123 to $3,267 insert	$1,200	$1,633	$1,889

One mid-grade vinyl window, insert, ballpark price range

$1,116 to $1,717

$858 job cost before markup; full-frame $1,114 job cost before markup

The unit column is the contractor's cost for the window itself, delivered. Pella's own online prices on November 3, 2026: $431.49 for an Encompass vinyl double-hung, $787.23 for Impervia fiberglass, $647.16 for Lifestyle wood, each at a configuration Pella's page did not size. The rows assume a factory-finished interior; staining and finishing a wood interior adds about $248 and 1.75 hours a window in Clamp.

2Insert or full-frame

An insert (pocket) window goes inside the old frame; the frame, the exterior trim and the siding stay. A full-frame replacement strips to the rough opening and replaces the head, jambs and sill, with new flashing. Full-frame is the call for a rotted or damaged frame, a frame that won't take a square unit, or a change in size or shape.

Insert

Comes outThe sashes, the parting stops and the balances

StaysThe frame, the exterior trim, the interior casing and the siding

TimePella: about an hour a window; a crew of two does 8 to 10 a day

In Clamp$858 job cost before markup for one mid vinyl window

Full-frame

Comes outThe whole window and frame, to the rough opening

NewSill pan and flashing, the frame, often interior casing and jamb extensions

TimePella: about 4 to 6 hours a window

In Clamp$1,114 job cost before markup for the same window, about 30% more

Pella puts full-frame at 20% to 30% more than an insert. That is the bare swap. Once the interior casing comes off and the jambs need extending, the gap widens: on the ten-window job in step 7 it is 56%.

3What one window costs, by style

The same mid-grade vinyl, each style at its usual size. Garden, bay and bow windows project from the wall and go in full-frame; the rest are inserts.

One mid-grade vinyl window by style, job cost before markup
Style	Unit	Installed
Double-hung36 x 60 in; insert; a ballpark price range of $1,116 to $1,717	$425	$858
Single-hung36 x 60 in; insert; a ballpark price range of $1,031 to $1,587	$360	$793
Slider60 x 36 in; insert; a ballpark price range of $1,116 to $1,717	$425	$858
Casement30 x 60 in; insert; a ballpark price range of $1,217 to $1,872	$520	$936
Awning36 x 24 in; insert; a ballpark price range of $995 to $1,530	$385	$765
Picture48 x 48 in; insert; a ballpark price range of $1,127 to $1,734	$425	$867
Garden36 x 36 in box; full-frame, a projecting unit; a ballpark price range of $2,362 to $3,634	$1,200	$1,817
Bayabout 72 x 60 in; full-frame, a projecting unit; a ballpark price range of $5,985 to $9,208	$2,400	$4,604
Bowabout 96 x 60 in; full-frame, a projecting unit; a ballpark price range of $7,038 to $10,828	$3,200	$5,414

A bay or bow line in Clamp is the factory unit, a kit (head and seat boards, support cables, insulation, flashing) and about 14 person-hours to set, support and trim it out. Not included: a new header for a wider opening, or a roof over the bay.

4What one window costs, by size

Mid-grade vinyl double-hung, by the window's area. The unit carries most of the change; setting a big window takes longer too.

One mid-grade vinyl double-hung by size, job cost before markup
Size	Insert	Full-frame
6 sq ftA bath or basement window, about 24 x 36 in	$593	$816
9 sq ftAbout 30 x 43 in	$649	$876
12 sq ftAbout 30 x 58 in	$755	$997
15 sq ftAbout 36 x 60 in, the common double-hung	$858	$1,114
20 sq ftAbout 48 x 60 in	$1,034	$1,313
24 sq ftAbout 48 x 72 in	$1,173	$1,471
30 sq ftAbout 60 x 72 in; past this, check the unit is a stock size	$1,379	$1,705

No maker or retailer we read publishes a price table by size; the area scale is Clamp's. Stock sizes cost less than custom ones, and a replacement window is made to the opening, so measure the frame, not the old sash.

5The labor, line by line

What Clamp's catalog carries for each piece of a window job, in person-hours, beside what the makers publish.

Window labor, Clamp's catalog, November 2026
Task	Hours	Per
Set an insert windowRemove the sashes, set, shim, foam, caulk, stops; 1 to 2 hours for a crew of two	3.0	window
Set a full-frame windowTo the rough opening, sill pan, flashing, set; x1.85 of an insert	5.6	window
Coil wrap the exterior trimBend and fit aluminum coil over the old casing and sill	1.5	window
Check the sillProbe for rot before the new unit goes in	0.4	window
Interior casing, off and on0.4 h to pull, 1.25 h to case it new	1.6	window
Jamb extensionsWhen the new frame is shallower than the wall	0.6	window
Bay or bow windowSet, hang on cables, insulate, head and seat boards	14	window

Pella's hour is elapsed time on a simple insert, not person-hours, and they leave out the coil wrap and the sill check. A crew of two at Pella's pace spends about 2 person-hours setting each window; the catalog's 3.0 includes the shims, foam, sealing and stops.

6Code, energy and lead

What changes the price or the scope before the first window comes out.

The rules

EgressA bedroom's escape window needs 5.7 sq ft clear (5.0 at grade), 24 in high, 20 in wide, sill no more than 44 in up (2021 IRC R310.2; R319 in the 2024 IRC). A replacement may be the maker's largest standard size that fits the opening, of the same operating style or one that opens as wide, with no change of occupancy (2024 IRC R319.5).

Safety glassTempered or laminated glass in hazardous locations: near doors, wet areas and stairs, and a pane over 9 sq ft with its bottom under 18 in, its top over 36 in and a walking surface within 36 in (R308.4; R324 in 2024).

EnergyA replacement unit, insert or full-frame, meets the energy code's U-factor and SHGC. Under the 2024 table the U-factor is 0.30 in zones 3 and 4 (except marine), 0.28 in marine 4 and zones 5 and 6, and 0.27 in zones 7 and 8. ENERGY STAR v7 is tighter: 0.22 in its Northern zone.

LeadBefore 1978, window replacement is never minor repair under EPA's RRP rule: a certified firm, containment and cleaning verification. Clamp adds a $650 lead-safe line when the house is marked pre-1978.

PermitsThere is no national rule that a same-size window needs no permit. Ask the building department.

Tax creditThe 25C credit, up to $600 for windows, ended for windows placed in service after December 31, 2025 (Public Law 119-21).

Check which code edition the town adopted. The 2024 IRC renumbered the window sections, and the energy table tightened for zones 5 to 8.

7The worked example: ten double-hung inserts

Ten double-hung windows on a 1990s two-story house with vinyl siding, about 30 x 54 in, four of them upstairs. Mid-grade vinyl, insert, aluminum coil over the exterior trim, staging for the second floor. Priced line by line from Clamp's catalog: $9,253 job cost before markup, about 45 person-hours on the labor lines, with staging setup in the rental line. Full-frame with new interior casing and jamb extensions: $14,397 job cost before markup, about 91 hours.

Ten windows, job cost before markup by line
Line	Insert	Full-frame
Ten mid vinyl double-hungs10 ea	$3,214	$3,214
Set the windows10 ea; 26.6 h insert; 49.3 h full-frame	$1,642	$3,037
Wrap exterior trim in coil10 ea; 15.0 h insert	$1,250	$1,250
Coil and trim stock150 lf	$488	$488
Foam, caulk, flashing tape10 ea	$480	$480
Check each sill10 ea; 3.8 h insert	$280	$280
Haul the old windows10 ea	$200	$200
Staging, two weeks2 week	$1,700	$1,700
Sill pans and full flashing10 ea		$980
Pull the interior casing10 ea; 3.8 h full-frame		$380
New interior casing10 ea; 12.5 h full-frame		$900
Casing stock150 lf		$488
Jamb extensions, labor10 ea; 6.2 h full-frame		$550
Jamb extension stock10 ea		$450

Ten windows, insert, ballpark price range

$12,029 to $18,507

$9,253 job cost before markup; $925 a window

Full-frame ballpark price range: $18,715 to $28,793. In a pre-1978 house, the lead-safe line adds $650, making the insert job $9,903 job cost before markup. Not included: a permit, rot repair the sill check finds, and paint on new interior casing. The cost page for this job (linked below) shows the catalog before November 3, 2026, when the window unit priced higher.

8The same words in Clamp

Paste the windows the way you'd describe them to a sub. Clamp reads the count, the style and size, the type, insert or full-frame, the trim and whether any windows are upstairs, and prices every line from its own rates with labor hours on each.

Clamp's Generate from description screen with the ten-window scope typed in

The scope

The ten-window estimate in Clamp at $9,253 job cost, by trade

Every line priced

The ten-window scope in Clamp, and the estimate it prices: $9,253 at job cost, by trade. Illustration of the Clamp app.

Read the window unit line first on any estimate, this one included: it is most of the job. Then the staging, the trim and the sill check.

What it means

What to doPick insert or full-frame from the frame's condition, price the unit by type and style, then add what the house adds: staging upstairs, coil or new trim, the sill check, lead-safe work before 1978, and the permit.

One mid-grade vinyl insert: $1,116 to $1,717 ballpark price range on $858 job cost before markup. Ten: $12,029 to $18,507 on $9,253 job cost before markup.

Every window line, with the hours

Clamp reads the windows the way you describe them: the count, style, size, type, insert or full-frame, the trim and whether any are upstairs. It prices every line from its own rates, with labor hours on each.

Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play

The window is most of the price. Get its type, style and size right before anything else.

Questions

How much does it cost to replace a window?

A mid-grade vinyl double-hung about 36 x 60 in costs $858 in job cost before markup as an insert, a ballpark price range of $1,116 to $1,717. Full-frame is $1,114 job cost before markup. Pella publishes $800 to $1,600 installed for vinyl and $1,100 to $2,200 for fiberglass and wood.

Is insert or full-frame window replacement cheaper?

Insert. The same mid-grade vinyl window is $858 job cost before markup as an insert and $1,114 full-frame in Clamp's catalog, and Pella puts full-frame at 20% to 30% more. New interior casing and jamb extensions widen it: ten windows run $9,253 insert and $14,397 full-frame.

How long does it take to replace a window?

Pella says about an hour a window for an insert, with a crew of two doing 8 to 10 in a day, and about 4 to 6 hours for full-frame. Those are elapsed hours. Clamp's catalog carries 3.0 person-hours to set an insert and 5.6 for full-frame, plus 1.5 to wrap the exterior trim in coil.

Is there a tax credit for replacement windows in 2026?

No. The federal 25C credit, which covered 30% of qualifying windows up to $600 a year, does not apply to property placed in service after December 31, 2025, under Public Law 119-21. A window installed in 2026 does not qualify even if it was ordered in 2025.

Does a replacement window have to meet egress code?

A bedroom's escape window needs 5.7 sq ft of clear opening (5.0 at grade), 24 in of height and 20 in of width, with the sill no more than 44 in up. A replacement in an existing opening may instead be the maker's largest standard size that fits, of the same operating style or one that opens as wide, with no change of occupancy (2024 IRC R319.5). Confirm with the local building department.

Sources & provenance

How Much Do Replacement Windows Cost? Pella (research)
Cost to Replace Windows in a House Pella (research)
Window Installation: What to Expect Pella (research)
Shop Double-Hung Windows Pella (research)
Replacement Solutions Catalog 2024 Marvin (research)
2021 International Residential Code, Chapter 3 International Code Council (official source)
2024 IRC Preface and Relocation Table International Code Council (official source)
2024 IRC Table N1102.1.2 International Code Council (official source)
ENERGY STAR Residential Windows, Doors and Skylights Version 7.0 ENERGY STAR (official source)
Small Entity Compliance Guide to Renovate Right US EPA (official source)
FAQs for modification of sections 25C, 25D, 25E, 30C, 30D, 45L, 45W and 179D under Public Law 119-21 IRS (official source)
26 USC 25C Office of the Law Revision Counsel (official source)
Clamp's catalog, priced by script Clamp (research)

Changes: Nov 3, 2026: Published: one window by type, style and size, insert and full-frame, with labor hours from Clamp's catalog; code, energy, lead and the end of 25C; ten double-hung inserts priced line by line.; Nov 5, 2026: Customer prices labeled as ballpark price ranges; costs labeled as job cost before markup.