Cost to Rebuild a Double-hung Window – 2021

| Last Updated: August 24, 2021

National Average Improvement and Repair Cost

Pro

DIY

Hours:

5.2

6

Cost:

$ 248

$ 75

Would you do this project? According to our survey, 66% of respondents preferred DIY compared to hiring a pro.

The average price to Rebuild a Double-hung Window noted above is cost data to compare a contractor’s estimate with doing it yourself.

What does it cost to rebuild a double-hung window? A carpenter charges $248 to rebuild a double-hung window vs. doing it yourself for $75 and saving 77 percent. 

An alternative to replacing a drafty old double-hung window is to rebuild the window with a jamb liner kit made of aluminum replacement channels. The channels are a substitute for the worn wooden slots where the window sash slides up and down. When these get old and worn, they let cold air inside in the winter and cooled air escape in the summer.

Channels are sold in kits of various lengths at home centers, lumberyards, and glass retailers. If you do it yourself, some carpentry experience is useful but not required.

The project involves several steps: First, you remove the inner and outer window sashes and the parting bead, which are pieces of wood trim that hold the sashes in place. Then you scrape the window frame so it’s smooth, remove the weight cords, and fill the cavity with scrap pieces of insulation. If the window needs painting, do it at this point while the frame is easy to work on. Then cut the channels to size and assemble the two sashes in them.

The most difficult part of the job is holding the channels with the sashes between them while you position the unit in the frame and nail the channels into position. A helper will make this job easier. Then apply weatherstripping to the top, center, and bottom of the windows.

A carpenter will charge $248 to rebuild a 3- by 5-foot window with a jamb liner kit. If you do it yourself, you’ll pay $75 for the kit and pocket a 77 percent saving.

Here’s information about a Sash Replacement Kit from The Spruce.

That sums it up. Knowing the average cost to rebuild a double-hung window lets you compare doing it yourself with what you can expect to pay a contractor. 

Welcome! We hope you’ll find the job costs of home improvement projects useful when you’re deciding whether to do a job yourself vs. hire a contractor. We’re the authors of 20 home improvement books, most notably Home Improvement for Dummies©, Bathroom Remodeling for Dummies©, Carpentry for Dummies©, Plumbing for Dummies©, and Painting and Wallpapering for Dummies©. Our most recent book Fix It and Flip It is in its second edition. We’ve appeared as home improvement experts on television programs such as CNN, Dateline, the Today Show, HGTV and many others.