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2002 Cost vs. Value Report

Window Replacement
Buyers with experience—those who’ve already bought and sold homes—notice windows and know that newer ones make a difference in better energy efficiency. Plus they know that they won’t have to pay to add new windows in the future, says Bob McCay, owner of McCay Building Co. in Birmingham, Ala. In particular, savvy buyers look for brand names, like Pella and Andersen, that they can trust.

In this year’s “Cost vs. Value Report,” an upscale window replacement project with a national average cost of $15,502 installed yields a slightly higher return—77 percent—than replacement windows at a midrange price point ($9,424 and 74 percent).

Increases in energy efficiency and convenience features, including tilt-out windows, can make those recently installed windows a prime selling point for prospective homeowners.

PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS

MIDRANGE Replace 10 3-by-5-foot double-hung windows with vinyl-clad, double-glazed windows. Don’t disturb interior or exterior trim.

UPSCALE Replace 10 3-by-5-foot double-hung windows with double-glazed, divided-light windows that have an interior finish of alder or cherry and an exterior finish of copper or aluminum cladding.






 

MIDRANGE              

UPSCALE

Market       

Job
 Cost

Resale
Value

Cost
Recouped

Job
 Cost

Resale
Value

Cost
Recouped

National Average

$9,424

$6,951

74%

$15,502

$11,941

77%

Atlanta

8,835

5,065

57

14,835

10,645

72

Boston

10,301

9,496

92

17,687

17,260

98

Buffalo, N.Y.

9,377

5,540

59

15,377

9,200

60

Chicago

10,690

11,939

112

18,031

17,437

97

Cincinnati

9,380

6,480

69

15,380

9,000

59

Cleveland

9,946

6,490

65

15,946

11,890

75

Columbus, Ohio

9,239

4,050

44

15,239

7,203

47

Dallas

8,641

2,750

32

14,641

4,750

32

Denver

8,747

4,579

52

14,721

9,333

63

Detroit

9,776

5,408

55

15,776

9,705

62

Houston

8,927

3,700

41

14,927

5,900

40

Indianapolis

9,279

3,700

40

15,278

7,700

50

Kansas City, Mo.

9,268

3,713

40

15,290

7,588

50

Los Angeles area

10,301

13,732

133

16,205

21,315

132

Los Angeles

10,285

18,964

184

16,285

29,714

182

Orange County, Calif.

10,317

8,500

82

16,125

12,915

80

Miami

8,427

6,500

77

14,428

11,250

78

Milwaukee

9,863

7,025

71

15,862

12,052

76

Minneapolis

9,828

7,233

74

16,828

11,300

67

New Orleans

8,470

6,452

76

14,470

10,802

75

New York area

9,986

9,718

97

15,986

17,220

108

Passaic, N.J.

10,240

6,750

66

16,240

14,667

90

Nassau-Suffolk, N.Y.

10,200

9,290

91

16,200

17,490

108

Fairfield-New Haven, Conn.

9,518

13,113

138

15,518

19,504

126

Norfolk, Va.

 7,962

6,000

75

13,962

8,800

63

Orlando, Fla.

8,539

4,535

53

14,538

8,400

58

Philadelphia

9,958

7,395

74

15,958

13,215

83

Phoenix

8,923

5,167

58

14,923

9,833

66

Pittsburgh

9,639

5,750

60

15,639

8,500

54

Portland, Ore.

9,452

6,083

64

15,452

11,750

76

Providence, R.I.

9,695

6,200

64

15,695

10,900

69

Sacramento, Calif.

9,953

6,900

69

15,942

12,188

76

Salt Lake City

8,495

7,160

84

14,495

11,800

81

St. Louis

9,788

6,167

63

15,788

11,583

73

San Antonio

8,562

5,708

67

14,562

10,187

70

San Diego

10,445

10,750

103

16,045

15,750

98

San Francisco area

10,703

11,243

105

16,704

18,134

109

San Francisco

10,703

10,400

97

16,704

16,600

99

Oakland, Calif.

10,703

12,085

113

16,704

19,667

118

Seattle

9,990

5,499

55

15,990

12,099

76

Tampa, Fla.

8,275

4,569

55

14,275

8,569

60

Washington, D.C., area

8,576

5,966

70

14,607

10,813

74

Washington, D.C.

9,018

8,000

89

15,109

14,667

97

Baltimore

8,638

4,773

55

14,638

9,273

63

Richmond, Va.

8,073

5,125

63

14,073

8,500

60