Most California homeowners pay between $400 and $900 per window installed for a standard double-hung vinyl replacement with dual-pane Low-E glass. On a whole-house project of 10 windows, that works out to roughly $5,000 to $9,500 installed. Those are the numbers you came here for, and they are a reasonable starting point — but the final number on your quote depends on factors that can push it meaningfully lower or significantly higher.
I am John, owner of Colfax Glass, and I have been installing and replacing windows across the Sierra Foothills for over 25 years. My shop is in Colfax, and we serve homeowners from Roseville and Lincoln up through Auburn, Grass Valley, Nevada City, and Foresthill, as well as properties along the Northern California and Southern Oregon coast near Crescent City and Brookings. The pricing I share in this guide comes from real projects we have completed in those regions, not from national averages assembled by someone who has never set foot in a foothill home.
The foothills and Northern California coast are not average climates. Temperatures in Colfax and Auburn swing 40 to 50 degrees between summer days and winter nights. Higher up in Grass Valley and Foresthill, hard freezes in winter put serious stress on window frames and seals. Along the coast near Crescent City, marine exposure and persistent moisture demand different frame materials than an inland installation. Wildfire smoke seasons in recent years have added a new reason foothills homeowners are upgrading to tighter, better-sealed windows. All of those factors influence what you should buy and what it will cost. This guide walks through all of them.
What Drives Window Replacement Costs in California?
Five variables account for most of the spread between a $400-per-window project and a $1,400-per-window project in California. Understanding each one helps you evaluate quotes and avoid paying for things you do not need — or cutting corners on things that matter.
Window size and style is the first factor. A standard 3-foot by 4-foot double-hung window costs significantly less than a 4-foot by 6-foot casement or a large picture window. Specialty shapes, arched tops, and transom windows add both material and labor cost because they often require custom orders. Frame material is the second variable. Vinyl is the least expensive, fiberglass runs 30 to 50 percent more, and wood-clad frames land at the top of the range. Glass package — specifically whether you choose standard double-pane, Low-E double-pane with argon fill, or triple-pane — is the third factor and one where the performance difference justifies the cost difference in most foothill climates.
Installation method is the fourth variable. A retrofit (insert) replacement keeps the existing frame and slides a new window unit into the opening, which is faster and less expensive. Full-frame replacement removes everything including the frame and starts fresh, which costs more but is necessary when frames are rotted, structurally damaged, or when you are changing the opening size. In my experience, around 60 to 70 percent of standard foothills jobs qualify for retrofit — but that assessment has to happen in person, not over the phone. The fifth factor is location within California. Labor rates in the Bay Area and Los Angeles run materially higher than in the Sierra Foothills, which I cover in a dedicated section below.
California homes built before 1990 are especially likely to need full-frame replacement rather than a less expensive retrofit insert. Older aluminum frames, wood frames with moisture damage, and frames that were never properly flashed or air-sealed the first time around all require full removal. Skipping the in-person frame assessment to save time is the most common mistake that turns a mid-range project into an expensive one.
Average Window Replacement Costs in California vs. National
National averages for window replacement are published widely and are consistently misleading for California homeowners. The labor market, building code requirements, and material specifications in California push costs above the national midpoint in most regions of the state. The Sierra Foothills sit in an interesting middle position: labor rates here are meaningfully lower than the Bay Area or Los Angeles, but the climate demands better glass packages than you need in a mild coastal or valley climate, which adds to material cost.
The table below shows where foothills pricing typically lands relative to national and California-wide averages across several common project metrics. All figures reflect fully installed cost with a standard double-pane Low-E vinyl window unless otherwise noted.
| Metric | National Average | California Average | Sierra Foothills / Rural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single window installed | $300 – $700 | $450 – $950 | $400 – $850 |
| Whole-home 10 windows installed | $3,000 – $7,000 | $5,000 – $11,000 | $4,500 – $9,500 |
| Labor per window | $100 – $200 | $150 – $300 | $120 – $220 |
| Premium upgrade (fiberglass / triple-pane) | +$200 – $400 per window | +$300 – $600 per window | +$250 – $500 per window |
Cost by Window Type and Glass
Window style has as much influence on price as glass package does. Casement windows cost more than double-hung windows of the same size because the hardware is more complex and the manufacturing tolerances are tighter. Fiberglass frames cost more than vinyl across every style. The table below shows typical installed ranges for common window types and glass tiers as of 2026. These are per-window figures including labor for a standard-sized opening in the Sierra Foothills region.
For coastal Northern California properties near Crescent City and Brookings, material cost is similar but some contractors add a travel or mobilization fee for remote locations. Marine-grade hardware upgrades for salt-air exposure can add $30 to $80 per window on top of the base price for coastal installations.
| Window Type | Basic (Single-Pane) | Standard (Double-Pane) | Premium (Triple-Pane / Low-E) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double-Hung Vinyl | $200 – $350 | $380 – $620 | $600 – $950 |
| Casement Vinyl | $250 – $420 | $450 – $750 | $700 – $1,100 |
| Double-Hung Wood | $400 – $650 | $650 – $1,000 | $950 – $1,500 |
| Fiberglass Casement | N/A | $700 – $1,100 | $1,000 – $1,600 |
| Sliding Aluminum | $180 – $300 | $320 – $550 | $500 – $800 |
Labor Costs: Sierra Foothills vs. Bay Area
Labor is where California's internal geography creates the biggest pricing gap. A window installer in San Francisco or Marin County bills out at $200 to $350 per window for labor alone, driven by high prevailing wages, expensive insurance, and the overhead of operating in a high-cost metro. The same scope of work in the Sierra Foothills runs $120 to $220 per window, reflecting a lower local labor market while still requiring skilled glazing work.
That labor savings in the foothills does not come with a quality tradeoff if you are hiring a licensed, experienced local contractor. It reflects the cost of doing business in Placer and Nevada counties compared to the Bay Area or Sacramento metro. Homeowners in Roseville and Lincoln, on the valley floor at the edge of the foothills, fall in between — closer to Sacramento pricing than to Grass Valley pricing — because they compete for the same contractor pool as the larger Sacramento market.
Along the Northern California coast near Crescent City and Del Norte County, labor rates are lower than the Bay Area but some contractors factor in drive time and mobilization for remote access, which can partially close the gap. Getting local quotes from contractors who already work in the area avoids travel premiums.
Homeowners in the Sierra Foothills typically save $80 to $130 per window on labor compared to Bay Area rates for the same installation scope. On a 10-window project, that is $800 to $1,300 in labor savings — real money that offsets the cost of upgrading from standard double-pane to Low-E with argon fill without increasing the total project budget.
Hidden Costs Homeowners Often Miss
The per-window price in a contractor quote covers the window unit and the installation labor. Several additional cost items fall outside that number and can add up significantly if you have not planned for them. The seven most common ones I see catch foothills homeowners off guard are listed below. Ask your contractor explicitly whether each item is included in their quote before signing anything.
- Permit fees: required in California for any window replacement that involves structural changes to the opening or is located in a WUI fire hazard zone; Placer County permit fees for window work typically run $100 to $300 depending on project scope
- Disposal of old windows: haul-away and disposal of removed window units is sometimes included in quotes and sometimes not; clarify upfront whether old materials leave with the crew or stay on your property
- Structural repairs discovered during installation: rotted sill plates, damaged rough framing, or deteriorated sheathing around the opening are not visible until the old window is removed; these repairs add $150 to $500 or more per affected opening depending on the extent of damage
- Painting or patching after frame work: full-frame replacement disturbs exterior siding and interior drywall or trim; the patch and paint work is rarely included in the base window quote and can cost $50 to $200 per window depending on material and finish
- Custom sizes for older homes: pre-1970 homes in Auburn, Colfax, and Nevada City often have non-standard opening dimensions; custom-sized windows cost 20 to 40 percent more than standard catalog sizes and have longer lead times
- Upgraded hardware: standard hardware is included in the window price, but multi-point locking systems, premium handles, or ADA-compliant operators are upgrades typically billed separately at $30 to $120 per window
- Post-install cleaning: construction dust and smudging from installation is normal; professional window cleaning after a multi-window project is not included in most installation quotes and runs $8 to $15 per window from a local window cleaning service
Is Window Replacement Tax-Deductible in California?
The federal Residential Clean Energy Credit and the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) allow homeowners to claim a credit of up to 30 percent of the cost of qualifying energy-efficient improvements, with a $600 per-year cap specifically on exterior windows and skylights as of 2026 tax rules. To qualify, the windows must meet ENERGY STAR Most Efficient criteria, which for California's mixed climate zones generally means a U-factor at or below 0.27 and an SHGC at or below 0.22 or 0.25 depending on the zone. The credit applies to the product cost, not to installation labor, and requires you to retain the NFRC-certified product documentation.
At the state level, California does not offer a separate state income tax deduction specifically for window replacement as of early 2026. However, PG&E and SMUD both run rebate programs for qualifying energy-efficient upgrades, and the California Energy Commission periodically administers programs under the California Advanced Homes program and related initiatives. Rebate amounts and eligibility windows change frequently, so it is worth calling your utility or checking their website before your project starts rather than assuming the program is currently active.
For rental property owners, window replacement is generally deductible as a capital improvement depreciated over the useful life of the improvement rather than expensed in the year of installation. Consult a tax professional for your specific situation.
The federal 25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit allows you to claim up to $600 per year toward qualifying exterior windows. To maximize the credit, ensure your contractor provides the NFRC label documentation for every window installed and that the product meets the ENERGY STAR Most Efficient threshold for your California climate zone. Keep this documentation with your tax records.
What Colfax Glass Customers Actually Pay
I want to give you something more useful than a range pulled from a national database, so here is what real projects in our service area have looked like over the past year.
A homeowner in Auburn replaced 11 double-hung windows in a 1988 ranch-style home with vinyl Low-E argon retrofit units. No frame damage, straightforward installation, standard sizes. Total installed cost: $6,200. That came out to just under $565 per window all-in, which is about where a clean retrofit project lands for that glass package in our market.
A Grass Valley customer at about 2,400 feet elevation replaced 9 windows including two larger casements and a fixed picture window using fiberglass frames with Low-E argon fill. Three of the nine required full-frame work because of moisture damage in the original wood frames. Total installed cost: $11,400, or roughly $1,265 per window. The full-frame work and fiberglass frames are what pushed that number up, not padding on our end.
A Crescent City homeowner on the coast replaced 8 windows in a 1970s home that had deteriorating aluminum frames. We used vinyl double-pane with a high-SHGC Low-E coating suited for the cooler coastal climate — different glass spec than we would use inland — with marine-grade hardware. Total installed cost: $5,800, about $725 per window. Coastal marine exposure does require the right hardware spec, but the actual window and installation cost was not out of line with what we see in the foothills.
Those three examples capture the real range. Clean retrofit on a standard home comes in on the lower end. Full-frame work, premium frame materials, or challenging conditions push toward the higher end. I am always happy to give a written quote after an in-person visit — there is no charge for the estimate, and I would rather you have a specific number than a wide range.