Why it costs more
An hour of this work isn't an hour of painting
Painting over an old window takes an hour or two, and it often fails within a few seasons because the wood under it is still wet or soft.
Restoring it takes a day and a half of working time, spread over a few weeks, and the paint goes on last. Most of the cost is the reading, the repair and the waiting, not the paint.
The estimate is hours, not a guess
Every hour has a name beside it
Materials are listed apart from labor
Where the hours go
Nine hours on one double-hung window
A typical double-hung with two sashes and six panes in each. Your window may need more or fewer.
- 2 hours
Protect and remove
Cover the floor, lift the sashes out, label them and close the opening.
- 2 hours
Strip and vacuum
Wet-scrape, vacuum and wipe down. Slow work that makes the repair possible.
- 2 hours
Repair
Glue joints, splice rot, replace a cracked pane.
- 2 hours
Reglaze, prime and paint
New putty, primer, two coats with curing between.
- 1 hour
Cord, weatherstrip and rehang
Fit, hang, tune and test, then clean up.
A sample estimate
One window, written out line by line
This is the form an estimate takes: hours by person, then materials.
Restore one double-hung window
Both sashes, a six-over-six window, shop work.
- Protect the room and remove the sashes (apprentice, 2 hours)
- Wet-scrape and vacuum (apprentice, 2 hours)
- Repair rot and joints (lead craftsperson, 2 hours)
- Reglaze, prime and paint (journeyman, 2 hours)
- Cord, weatherstrip, rehang and final fit (lead craftsperson, 1 hour)
- Materials: putty, primer, paint, cord, weatherstrip
If the wood needs more hours, we call before they're added.
Three ways to deal with an old window
Restore, replace, or paint over
We restore, so we're biased. Here is how the three honestly compare.
| The question | Replace | Paint over | Restore |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it costs up front | ReplaceA price per window, often more than a restoration. | Paint overThe lowest, if the wood is sound. | RestoreHourly labor, written in advance. Often more than a repaint. |
| What it keeps | ReplaceThe opening only. | Paint overWhatever is there, including what's wrong with it. | RestoreThe original sash, the old glass where it's sound. |
| How long it takes | ReplaceWeeks to order, a day to install. | Paint overA day. | RestoreA few weeks door to door for shop work. |
| When it's the wrong choice | ReplaceWhen the original can still be saved. | Paint overWhen the wood is soft or the glazing is loose. | RestoreWhen the sash is too far gone to hold a repair. |
What the rate pays for
Beyond the hands on the sash
The shop
A dry place to take sashes apart, a bench, and room to let putty cure.
The setup
Plastic, vacuums and cleaning checks, every day on every house built before 1978.
Insurance and paperwork
Liability coverage and a firm certification that has to be kept current.
The waiting
Hours when the putty is curing and the crew is on another house still cost the shop.
Want a number like this for your windows?
A site visit ends with the hours written down, by person.