Replacement windows
Replacement windows installed by a local contractor, not a sales rep
The big window companies send a salesperson with a two-hour presentation and a price that drops if you sign tonight. Josh measures your windows, tells you what they cost, and installs them himself. The windows are the same quality. The experience and the price are not.
In short
A neighbor in Ephrata wrote on Nextdoor that people should stay clear of window companies unless they want to spend a fortune, find a small contractor who can do the same job, and that Fox Gables replaced their windows and wrapped the outside wood with aluminum and did a wonderful job. That review describes the business exactly.
Josh installs vinyl replacement windows from the manufacturers the local suppliers stock, measures each opening himself, and does the installation with the care of someone who will be driving past the house for years. The trim outside gets wrapped in aluminum at the same time, so the window and the frame around it are both done for good.
What Josh installs
Most houses in Lancaster County get double-hung vinyl replacement windows. The options beyond that:
- Double-hung: both sashes tilt in for cleaning. The standard window for most rooms.
- Casement and awning: crank-out windows that seal tighter than double-hungs, good for kitchens over sinks and bathrooms.
- Sliders: for wide openings in ranches and basements.
- Picture windows: fixed glass for the view, often flanked by double-hungs.
- Bay and bow windows: projecting units that need a roof and support, a bigger job Josh does start to finish.
- Basement and egress windows: including cutting a new egress opening for a finished basement bedroom.
- Full-frame replacement: when the old frame is rotted, the whole unit including the frame comes out and a new-construction window goes in with new flashing.
Pocket replacement versus full-frame
Most replacements are pocket (insert) installations: the old sashes and tracks come out, the old frame stays, and the new window is set inside it, shimmed, foamed and sealed. It is faster, cheaper and does not disturb the interior trim or exterior siding. It is the right method when the old frame is sound.
When the old frame is rotted, which is common on the sill of wood windows from the 1950s to 1970s, a pocket install is putting a new window in a bad frame. Full-frame replacement takes the whole unit out to the rough opening, installs new flashing tape and a sill pan, and sets a new-construction window with a nailing fin. It costs more and it is the right call when the frame is gone. Josh checks every opening and tells you which you need.
Glass, energy and the Pennsylvania climate
Every window Josh installs has double-pane insulated glass with a low-E coating and argon gas, which is the standard that meets ENERGY STAR for the northern climate zone Lancaster County sits in. Triple-pane is available for rooms facing the road or the prevailing wind and is worth it there; on the rest of the house the extra cost is hard to justify.
The energy savings from new windows are real but modest. The reasons most people replace windows are that the old ones are hard to open, drafty at the sash, foggy between panes, or rotting at the sill. New windows fix all of that and make the house noticeably quieter.
| Window | Typical installed price each | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl double-hung, standard size | $650 to $1,100 | Double pane, low-E, argon |
| Vinyl double-hung, large or custom | $1,000 to $1,600 | |
| Casement or awning | $800 to $1,400 | |
| Slider | $700 to $1,300 | |
| Picture window | $800 to $1,800 | Depends on size |
| Bay or bow window | $3,500 to $8,500 | Includes roof and support |
| Full-frame replacement, added | $250 to $500 per window | New flashing, sill pan, interior trim |
| Aluminum trim wrap, per window | $120 to $250 | Done at the same time |
Trim wrap: finish the outside
New windows in old painted wood frames look unfinished and the wood keeps rotting. Josh wraps the exterior frames in aluminum coil stock bent to match, in a color that matches the window or the trim. The frame never needs paint again, the seal between window and frame is covered, and the house looks done. See the siding page for more on trim wrap.
Price guide
What this usually costs
Whole-house ranges for Lancaster and Lebanon county homes, 2026, including removal, installation, insulation, sealing, interior stops and exterior trim wrap.
- Ranch, 8 to 10 windows
- $7,000 to $13,000
- Cape Cod or split-level, 10 to 14 windows
- $9,000 to $18,000
- Two-story colonial, 15 to 22 windows
- $14,000 to $28,000
- Single window replacement
- $750 to $1,400
- Egress window cut into a basement wall
- $4,500 to $8,500
Compare these with the quote from a big window company and you will see why the Nextdoor review says what it says.
Signs the windows are due
- Fog or moisture between the panes
- Sashes that stick, will not stay up, or need a stick to hold them
- Drafts you can feel at the sash in winter
- Soft or peeling wood at the sill
- Single-pane glass with storm windows
- Condensation and frost on the inside in January
On the job
Egress window and well cut into a basement wall 
Two new windows on the Womelsdorf laundromat
How a job goes
From the first call to the walkthrough
- 1
Call or send the form
Josh calls back the same day, usually within a couple of hours. Tell him what is going on and he will ask a few questions.
- 2
Josh comes out and looks
On the roof, in the attic, under the deck. He measures, takes photos, and brings samples in the truck. No sales presentation.
- 3
You get a written estimate
Materials named by brand, the scope spelled out, a price that does not expire at midnight. Over $500 it is a written contract, as Pennsylvania requires.
- 4
The work gets done
Materials delivered, the job done by Josh with help as the job needs, the site cleaned every day, permits and inspections handled.
- 5
Walkthrough, then you pay
Josh walks the finished job with you. Anything on the list gets done. Final payment when you are satisfied.
Related projects
This work, on real houses
Womelsdorf · Berks County
New front porch, soffit, gutters and windows for a laundromat
A commercial storefront in Womelsdorf got a new covered porch, soffit, gutters and two new windows.
Ephrata area · Lancaster County
Entry doors, a patio door and a bulkhead door
Decorative glass entry doors with sidelights, a sliding patio door in a brick wall, and a steel bulkhead cellar door.
Questions people ask
How is this different from a window company?
Josh measures, quotes and installs. There is no sales presentation, no price that expires at midnight, and the person at the estimate is the person doing the work.
What brands do you install?
Vinyl replacement windows from the lines stocked by the local suppliers, which change by year. Josh will tell you the brand and line in the written estimate and bring a sample corner.
How long does it take?
About an hour per window for pocket replacements. A whole house is usually one to two days.
Will you replace just a few?
Yes. Many homeowners do the worst ones first, often the north and west sides, and the rest later.
Do you replace the interior trim?
Pocket replacements keep the interior trim. Full-frame replacements get new interior stops or casing to match.
Do you do windows in brick houses?
Yes. The exterior brick mold or frame is wrapped in aluminum, which is standard in Ephrata and Lancaster where so many houses are brick.
Free estimate
Get a number, not a pitch.
Tell Josh what the house needs. He will call back, come out, measure, and give you a written estimate with the materials named.
(717) 598-7728Calls and texts answered seven days a week. Estimates by appointment, Monday to Saturday.
PA HIC #PA125031 · Insured