window replacement in cambridge, ma
Insert or full-frame replacement windows for Cambridge triple-deckers, Victorians, brick rowhouses and condos, from a lead-safe crew that knows the Historical Commission process. Andersen, Harvey and Marvin.
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★★★★★5/5the short answer
Window replacement in Cambridge starts at $998 per window installed for vinyl, $1,210 for fiberglass or composite and $1,560 for wood, with insert replacement at $250 more per window and triple insulated glass at $85. Most Cambridge houses were built before the war, which means original wood frames, weight-and-pulley sashes, lead paint on the old trim and, in several neighborhoods, a design review before anything visible from the street changes. We handle all of it: lead-safe removal, insert or full-frame installation, the Historical Commission paperwork and the building permit.
windows for the way cambridge is built
Triple-deckers and two-families
Cambridgeport, East Cambridge, The Port, Wellington-Harrington and North Cambridge are full of three-deckers and two-families with twenty or thirty tall double-hung windows each, often a mix of original wood and a previous owner's vinyl. These are the jobs where buying all at once pays: one permit, one staging, one crew, and a per-window price that drops with the count. We work floor by floor so tenants keep their units, and we coordinate with condo associations where the building is split into units.
Victorians and Queen Annes
Mid-Cambridge, Avon Hill, Baldwin and the streets off Brattle have the city's Victorians, with tall sashes, curved and arched tops, divided lights and bay windows. Clad wood windows from Andersen or Marvin with exterior grilles keep the look; where the frames are sound, insert installation preserves the original interior casing. Where the Historical Commission or a conservation district asks for repair over replacement, we tell you honestly which windows are worth saving.
Brick rowhouses and condos
East Cambridge and parts of Riverside have brick rowhouses and converted mill buildings where the window sits in a masonry opening. Those are measured and flashed differently, and the association usually specifies the color and the grille pattern. We bring the samples that match the building standard.
Postwar and newer homes
Strawberry Hill, Huron Village and the newer infill across the city have capes, ranches and recent construction with builder-grade windows that fogged or stuck early. Those are straightforward replacements, insert or full-frame depending on the frame.
new windows in a brick building near davis square
A window replacement on a brick multi-unit building near Davis Square, on the Cambridge and Somerville line. The old units were replaced with dark green double-hung windows with divided lights, set into the masonry openings and sealed to the original granite sills.
Masonry openings are measured and flashed differently from a wood-framed wall: there is no siding to tuck a flange under, so each unit is set to the brick, insulated and sealed at the jambs and head, and finished to the granite sill so water sheds away from the wall. The dark green frames and grille pattern were chosen to match the building, and the work was done floor by floor so the units stayed occupied.
- Building
- Brick multi-unit near Davis Square
- Windows
- Double-hung with divided lights, dark green
- Openings
- Masonry, sealed to the original granite sills
- Scope
- Full replacement, floor by floor, building occupied
want this done on your house?
Book the free estimate. We come out, look at the whole job, and give you a written quote for the work you want done.
Call (508) 266-5411 Book a free estimateinsert or full-frame in cambridge
If the existing frame is square, dry and solid, a new window can be set inside it, the interior casing stays, and the job is quicker. When the sill or jambs are rotted, the frame has racked, or the house has hollow weight pockets letting in cold air, the right job is full-frame: the old unit comes out completely, the opening is flashed and insulated, and a new window goes in with new exterior trim. On a Cambridge three-decker it is common to find both on the same building, sound frames on the sheltered side and rotted sills on the weather side. We probe every opening and quote them window by window. Our guide to full-frame vs insert replacement explains the difference in detail.
historic districts and design review
Cambridge protects exteriors in two ways: the Historical Commission reviews designated landmarks and the Old Cambridge and Fort Washington historic districts, and the neighborhood conservation districts, including Mid Cambridge, Half Crown-Marsh, Avon Hill and Harvard Square, review changes visible from a public way. Window replacement on a street elevation usually needs a certificate before the permit issues. Vinyl is generally not accepted on those elevations; wood and clad wood windows that match the original configuration, muntin pattern and sightlines usually are. We have been through the process, we prepare the application with the right drawings and samples, and we build the review time into the schedule so it does not surprise you.
lead-safe work on pre-1978 homes
Nearly half of Cambridge's housing was built before the war and well over half before the lead paint ban, and window replacement disturbs painted sashes and trim. Massachusetts requires the work to be done by a licensed Lead-Safe Renovation Contractor with containment, cleanup and verification. Plum ProExteriors holds Massachusetts HIC registration 193823, Construction Supervisor License 115189 and Lead-Safe Renovation Contractor license LR004195. That matters on a job with tenants and children in the building.
what window replacement costs in cambridge
Triple pane glass is worth the $85 on windows facing Massachusetts Avenue, Memorial Drive, the Red Line or a busy square; our double vs triple pane guide explains where it pays. The calculator on this page prices your count; the free estimate confirms it window by window.
Permits in Cambridge. Full-frame window replacement and any change to an opening need a building permit in Cambridge, and same-size inserts are filed as well because the work falls under the energy code. We file it with Cambridge Inspectional Services (on Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square), through the city's OpenGov online permitting system, under our Construction Supervisor License, and we schedule the inspections. If the house is in one of Cambridge's historic or neighborhood conservation districts, exterior changes visible from the street also go to the Cambridge Historical Commission or the district commission first, and we prepare that application and build the time into the schedule.
price your windows in cambridge
Window pricing depends on the frame material, the installation type, the style, the glass and how many windows you are replacing. Answer a few questions for a standard, premium and deluxe range in seconds. Every project is quoted after we visit, and financing is available on every service we offer.
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andersen and harvey windows
We install Andersen, including the 400 Series wood windows and the 100 Series composite line, and Harvey vinyl and fiberglass windows made in New England. All carry insulated low-E glass with argon as standard. Marvin and Pella are available on request, and Marvin's clad wood lines are often the answer in a conservation district. Harvey windows carry a lifetime warranty on materials and labor, including accidental glass breakage.
how plum proexteriors replaces windows
We visit the building, look at every window inside and out, probe the sills and recommend insert or full-frame for each opening. You get a written quote with the product, series, glass and warranty spelled out, and a note on whether the elevation needs design review. Windows are built to the measurements we take and arrive in four to six weeks; installation takes a few working days for a whole house or a three-family, one opening at a time so no unit is open overnight.
Licensed and insured: Massachusetts HIC 193823, CSL 115189, Lead-Safe Renovation Contractor LR004195. Every estimate is free.
permits in cambridge: who files them and where
We pull the permit for every job that needs one and file it under our Construction Supervisor License, which makes us, not you, responsible for the inspections and the code compliance. In Cambridge that means Inspectional Services for the building permit and, in a historic or conservation district, the Historical Commission before it.
After the work passes its final inspection, the permit is closed and the record stays with the building, which is what a buyer's inspector, a lender and a condo association look for.
what needs a permit in cambridge
- Full-frame window replacement and any change to the size of an opening
- Same-size inserts, which Cambridge files under the energy code
- Street-facing windows on a landmark or in a historic or conservation district, which go to the Historical Commission or the district commission first
- Window work on pre-1978 houses, done by a licensed lead-safe crew with containment
- Not a permit, but worth knowing: condo associations usually have to approve the color and grille pattern
Massachusetts HIC 193823, CSL 115189, Lead-Safe Renovation Contractor LR004195.
- Where
- Cambridge Inspectional Services, on Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square. Phone (617) 349-6100.
- How
- Residential building permits go through the city's OpenGov online permitting system.
- Fee
- Cambridge charges $15 per $1,000 of construction cost for buildings of three residential units or fewer and $20 per $1,000 above that, $50 minimum, invoiced after any Historical Commission approval is complete.
- Timing
- Cambridge issues or denies a permit within 30 days of payment, with the clock paused if the city asks for more information.
- Historic review
- Cambridge has two historic districts, Old Cambridge and Fort Washington, and four neighborhood conservation districts: Mid Cambridge, Half Crown-Marsh, Avon Hill and Harvard Square. A certificate from the Historical Commission or the district commission is required before a permit issues for work visible from a public way, including window and door replacement and siding; in-kind work and work not visible from the street get a staff certificate.
frequently asked questions
Do I need approval to replace windows in Cambridge?
A building permit, yes, for full-frame work and any size change, and we file inserts too. If the house is a landmark or sits in a historic or neighborhood conservation district, changes visible from the street need a certificate from the Historical Commission or the district commission before the permit. We prepare that application.
Can you replace windows in an occupied three-family?
Yes. We work floor by floor, one opening at a time, with lead-safe containment in each unit, and coordinate access with the tenants and the association.
Will vinyl windows pass historic review in Cambridge?
On a street elevation in a district, usually not. Wood or clad wood windows that match the original configuration and sightlines usually do. On rear and side elevations not visible from the street, more options open up.
Insert or full-frame on an old Cambridge house?
It depends on the frame, and often both on one building. Sound, square, dry frames take an insert and keep the interior casing. Rotted sills, racked frames and hollow weight pockets call for full-frame. We check every opening on the estimate.
What does window replacement cost in Cambridge?
From $998 per vinyl window installed to $2,110 for deluxe wood, plus $250 per window for an insert replacement and $85 for triple glass. The calculator on this page prices your count.
How long does it take?
Four to six weeks for the windows to be built, then a few working days on site for a whole house or a three-family.
serving cambridge and the surrounding towns
We serve all of Cambridge: East Cambridge, Wellington-Harrington, The Port, Cambridgeport, Riverside, Mid-Cambridge, Baldwin, Neighborhood Nine and Avon Hill, West Cambridge and Huron Village, Cambridge Highlands, Strawberry Hill and North Cambridge, plus Somerville, Arlington, Belmont, Watertown, Brookline and Boston. Our office is on Route 9 in Wellesley.
get a free window estimate in cambridge
We will check every opening, tell you which need full-frame and which can take an insert, and handle the permit and any design review.
Call (508) 266-5411 Send the estimate form