Window Replacement cost in Seattle, WA
Seattle, WA · updated August 2026
$20,700
Typical local cost
$10,200 – $46,200
Typical range
- per window installed
- $900 – $2,600
- Permit
- Yes
- Typical timeline
- 1-3 days of installation
Installed, local pricing
$160 – $745 in fees
1-3 days of installation, 3-8 weeks including product lead time and permitting
Seattle runs +36% against the U.S. average · data confidence High · modeled estimate, not a quote
Most Seattle homeowners pay around $20,700. The local adjustment for this trade is x1.360 — driven mainly by King County labor rates and 85% exposure to local code requirements.
Estimate your Seattle job
Priced with this market's cost index, so the calculator, the size table and the ranges on this page all agree.
Square footage
180 sq ft
- With waste allowance
- 198 sq ft
- Square yards
- 20
- Perimeter (per area)
- 54 ft
- Square meters
- 16.72
Estimates only. Local pricing, site conditions and code requirements change the real number.
Cost by project size
Generated from the same unit pricing the calculator uses.
| Project size | Estimated range |
|---|---|
| 7 window installed | $6,300 – $18,200 |
| 10 window installed | $9,000 – $26,000 |
| 12 window installed | $10,800 – $31,200 |
| 15 window installed | $13,500 – $39,000 |
| 20 window installed | $18,000 – $52,000 |
Based on Seattle pricing of $900–$2,600 per window installed.
Cost by window count and install type
Windows are priced per opening. Frame material and whether the crew does a retrofit (insert) or full-frame install drive the spread. Every row is priced against the Seattle median.
| Scope | What it includes | Typical installed cost |
|---|---|---|
| 5 windows — retrofit | Insert into sound existing frames, vinyl | $7,200 – $10,400 |
| 10 windows — retrofit | Typical partial-home replacement | $14,500 – $19,700 |
| 15 windows — mixed | Most of a single-family home | $20,700 – $27,900 |
| 20 windows — full-frame | Whole-home, frames and trim replaced | $27,900 – $38,300 |
| 10 windows — impact / structural | Impact-rated or egress-corrected openings | $23,800 – $33,100 |
- • Retrofit inserts keep the existing frame and cost less; full-frame replacement is required once the frame or sill is rotted or the opening is being resized.
- • Rough-opening changes and egress corrections turn a window job into a permitted structural job.
- • Frame material sets the floor: vinyl is the value option, fiberglass and clad-wood carry a premium, aluminum is mostly a warm-climate product.
- • In wind-borne debris regions the glazing package, not the frame, is the biggest single line item.
Basis: Each scope is priced as a multiple of the modeled Seattle median for window replacement, so the scenarios, the size table and the calculator always agree. · Hometriva methodology
Cost by material
Installed cost in this market, with expected service life.
| Material | Installed range | Lifespan | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl Windows | $14,100 – $21,700 | 20–30 yrs | Very low |
| Aluminum Impact Windows | $23,800 – $39,300 | 30–40 yrs | Low |
| Fiberglass Windows | $22,800 – $35,200 | 30–50 yrs | Low |
Where the money goes
- Labor
- $8,300
- 39% of median
- Materials
- $12,400
- 59% of median
- Permit & fees
- $455
- 2% of median
Seattle project costs+36% vs U.S. average
Based on King County labor rates, local material logistics and permit-fee posture for this trade.
What the project looks like start to finish
Typical sequence for this scope. Timing varies with contractor backlog and plan-review queues.
01
Planning & quotes
Scope, material choice, contractor selection
02
Permit application
Filed with City of Seattle building department
03
Materials & staging
Order lead time on non-stock materials
04
Installation
1-3 days of installation, 3-8 weeks including product lead time and permitting
05
Inspection
Window buck / installation inspection, Final building inspection
06
Closeout
Final sign-off, warranty and documentation
Seattle labor intelligence
What the trade charges here, and how much of your price it is.
Loaded hourly rate
$80–$104
Exterior crews in King County · +34% vs U.S. ($68/hr)
Typical crew
3 × 4 days
On-site time for a typical windows job here.
Labor in the price
$8,300
40% of the median — the rest is material, disposal and permit.
Because labor is 40% of this job, Seattle wage levels move the price far more than material prices do. A quote well under this labor figure usually means a smaller crew, a longer schedule, or unlicensed help.
Basis: Hometriva labor model: national exterior crew rates adjusted by the King County labor factor (x1.338). · BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Hometriva methodology
Why Seattle differs from the national average
The local delta, broken into dollars by driver.
Trade labor rates+$2,050
King County crews price 34% above the national average, and labor is 40% of this job.
Code and inspection load+$1,650
Window Replacement carries 85% exposure to local code requirements, and this jurisdiction's review load indexes at x1.13.
Material and delivery+$1,400
Materials are nationally traded, so they move less — but delivery into this market runs 15% over baseline.
Permit fees+$125
Fees are paid to the jurisdiction, not the contractor, and are budgeted separately from the contract price.
Basis: Decomposition of the modeled Seattle median against the U.S. median for this scope. · City of Seattle building department, Hometriva methodology
Seattle vs Washington vs the U.S.
Change the inputs, see your number
The same local model, run against your job instead of the average one.
Simulated window replacement in Seattle
$21,155
Likely range $10,655 – $46,655
Simulated from the same local model as the numbers above — it changes the inputs, not the pricing method.
What makes the number move
- Number and size of openings
- Impact-rated versus standard glass
- Frame material: vinyl, aluminum or fiberglass
- Design pressure required for your wind zone
- Stucco, block or frame wall repair around the opening
Who issues each permit
Tracked per discipline — the building permit issuer is not always the body that reviews electrical, plumbing, zoning or fire.
| Discipline | Issuing authority |
|---|---|
| building | City of Seattle building departmentModeled estimate |
| electrical | City of Seattle building departmentModeled estimate |
| mechanical | City of Seattle building departmentModeled estimate |
| plumbing | City of Seattle building departmentModeled estimate |
| zoning | City of Seattle building departmentModeled estimate |
| fire | City of Seattle building departmentModeled estimate |
Permit requirement in Seattle
Yes — a permit is required for window replacement in Seattle, WA. The work must be inspected before it can be closed out, and a licensed contractor generally has to pull the permit.
- Permitting authority
- City of Seattle building departmentModeled estimate
- Permit fee
- Estimated allowance $160–$745Modeled from comparable fee schedules — not an official quoted fee.
Inspections
- Window buck / installation inspection
- Final building inspection
Local conditions that change this job
Only the exposures that materially affect window replacement.
Design wind speed exposure
Moderate46/100
Named-storm exposure
Low34/100
Cooling load / heat exposure
Moderate44/100
Solar irradiance
Moderate40/100
SDCI review timelines, seismic detailing and energy-code requirements add meaningful cost and schedule to structural and envelope work.
Owner-occupied homes
46%
Owner-occupied share of the housing stock, which drives how much of this work is homeowner-funded versus landlord-funded.
Households in market
302,031
Approximate household count in Seattle, used to size the contractor pool for this trade.
Permit activity index
x1.35
Relative permit volume and fee load versus the national baseline.
Nearby market comparison
What Seattle homeowners actually paid
Real reported invoices from this market, aggregated. Add yours — it takes 20 seconds and no personal details.
Quotes homeowners were given in Seattle
Quotes run ahead of final invoices. Reporting yours shows the local spread and where there is room to negotiate.
How Hometriva estimates Seattle windows costs
Hometriva does not publish invented city prices. The Seattle estimate for window replacement is produced by this chain, and every input is stored separately:
- National baseline$15,200
Typical U.S. cost for window replacement on a single-family home.
- Local labor factorx1.338
Seattle-area trade labor rates, weighted at 40% of this job.
- Material factorx1.153
Material and delivery pricing into King County, weighted at 60%.
- Regulatory factorx1.128
Local code, product-approval and inspection load, applied at 85% for this project type.
- Applied multiplierx1.360
Blended Seattle adjustment specific to window replacement.
- Permit component$160 – $745
Budgeted separately from the contract price because it is paid to the jurisdiction.
Because labor, material and regulatory factors are weighted per project, window replacement in Seattle carries a different local adjustment than other trades in the same market.
Reviewed by
Hometriva Cost Data Desk
Maintains the unit-cost baselines, local adjustment factors and material pricing. Reviewed for window replacement pricing in Seattle, WA.
- • National unit-cost baselines against current trade pricing
- • Local labor and materials factors for the market
- • Material installed-cost ranges and service life
Last reviewed August 2026 · Editorial standards · Report an error
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to replace windows in Florida?
Yes. Window replacement is a permitted alteration statewide because the opening protection and attachment must meet the wind-load requirements of the Florida Building Code. Product approval numbers are submitted with the application.
Are impact windows worth it in Florida?
Impact windows typically cost 40-70% more than standard units but can replace shutters entirely and often qualify for a wind mitigation insurance credit. In HVHZ counties, opening protection is required, so the practical choice is impact glass or approved shutters.
Sources
Sources & verification
- City of Seattle building department
- Seattle permit portal
- Washington State Building Code Council
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Last verified August 2026. Cost figures are modeled estimates based on national baselines adjusted for local labor and material pricing — they are not quotes. Permit rules change; confirm with the building department before starting work.