We pull out leaky or fogged-up windows and set new units in the same openings, re-flashed and trimmed, in 1978-or-newer houses across Cedar Mill, Bethany, Beaverton and the nearby west side of Portland. Around Portland one replacement usually lands between $450 and $1,800, unit included, $825 in the middle (market data, November 2026) . Text the window's picture to to get started.
The installs are Slava's, backed by 7 years of hands-on experience setting windows and doors.
What does a replacement window cost around Portland?
| Job | Low | Middle | High | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New window unit set in, with flashing and trim | $450 | $825 | $1,800 | per window, materials included |
That row is regional market data, not a figure from Cedar Mill Property Repair billing so far . The unit itself makes up a bit over half of a typical bill, which is why vinyl versus fiberglass versus wood swings the total so much. Our guide to window replacement prices breaks it down by size, style and frame.
What else changes a quote:
- how big it is, and whether it opens or stays fixed;
- insert versus full-frame (see the next sections);
- getting to it: an upstairs window above a slope means more ladder time;
- how many windows go in during one visit;
- surprises behind the old frame, like a punky sill.
Three windows at the middle figure already cross it. What the paperwork must contain is laid out in our guide to Oregon contract requirements .
Is it worth replacing old windows, or just fixing them?
A new unit earns its cost once the whole window is done for. Common signs: haze sealed inside the double glass on more than one window, a frame soft clear through, old single glazing or uninsulated aluminum that streams with condensation all winter, or hardware that was discontinued years ago.
When one part is the problem, replace the part. Balances, cranks, latches, screens and a small soft spot on a sill all belong to window repair, for a fraction of the money.
Bethany shows the timing well. Most of its subdivisions were framed during the nineties and early two-thousands, which puts the original builder-grade windows a quarter century old or more, the age when owners start asking .
Can a window be replaced from outside the house?
Partly, depending on the method. Which method fits comes down to the style of the old window and the shape its frame is in.
Insert, or pocket, install. Old sashes out, old frame stays, and a new unit slides into that frame and gets sealed. Interior stops are removed and put back, so someone does work inside your rooms. It goes fast and saves the inside trim, at the cost of a slightly smaller glass area.
Full-frame install. Everything comes out down to the studs. We trim back the siding, wrap the rough opening with fresh flashing tape, fasten the new window through its nailing fin and finish the outside trim. That's mostly exterior work, with maybe some touch-up on the inside casing. It is also the one way to look at the wood framing around the hole.
On the wet side of the Cascades, how the opening sheds water counts for more than which brand you buy. A poorly flashed window doesn't announce itself with a wet carpet. It turns up several winters later as mushy sheathing under the sill. If that's what we find, it becomes a rot and siding repair item that you approve before we continue .
What are replacement windows made of? Can you still get wood?
- Vinyl: what most replacement jobs use, and the cheapest. Paint won't hold on it.
- Fiberglass: more rigid, paintable, pricier.
- Wood and clad wood: yes, still sold. Top of the price range, more maintenance, and the right look on some older homes.
There's no single "best and cheapest" window. A middle-of-the-road unit installed carefully beats an expensive one installed in a hurry .
For houses inside Portland city, the city's permit guidance caps replacement glazing at a U-factor of 0.30; lower numbers lose less heat.
Does swapping a window need a building permit?
Not when the opening stays the same. Oregon's Building Codes Division exempts window replacement that involves no structural change, and work that falls outside that exemption goes through the city or county. Portland says much the same: same header, same spot, clear opening no smaller than before, no permit. Make it wider and a permit is required.
Enlarging an opening, cutting a new one or altering the header is therefore separate, permitted work with its own quote .
Portland's guidance keeps two safety rules in force even without a permit. Each bedroom and basement needs one window (or an outside door) a person can get out through; for a window, the open area is at least 5.7 square feet and its sill no higher than 44 inches off the floor. Replacement glass in hazardous spots, for example beside a door, tub or shower, has to meet safety-glass rules .
Why does the year my house was built matter?
Under Oregon's lead paint rules, swapping a window counts as renovation. OHA's renovation page also lists window replacement among covered activities.
We stay out of lead paint disturbance, so our window replacements are limited to 1978-and-newer houses . Much of Cedar Hills was built right after the war through the early sixties, and a good share of Cedar Mill in the late sixties and seventies, so check the build year on the county record first. The full list of jobs we turn down sits on our not-offered page.
How many hours does one window take?
The market sheet behind our price row budgets roughly four labour hours a window. Treat that as a planning figure, not a promise of our pace .