Window replacement costs in Richmond

In Richmond's Old and Historic Districts, vinyl is off the table. The homeowner's guide for the city's Commission of Architectural Review says vinyl windows and vinyl trim wrap won't be approved on historic buildings. The materials it names as appropriate are wood and aluminum-clad wood.

Replacement itself comes second. The guide says original windows should be repaired, not replaced, and that replacement is acceptable only if the original parts are beyond repair. When they are, the new windows have to match the original design and dimensions. A building permit is also required for window replacement in the historic districts.

Storm windows have an easier path. The guide encourages them for energy efficiency and says they can be approved by staff. The commission's storm window rules spell out what staff can sign off on: storms that don't damage or hide the sash and frame, with divisions that match the window or none at all, in a color that fits the house's paint scheme. Aluminum storm sashes get primed and painted. Storms with false muntins, tinted or reflective glass, or a design that turns an operable window into a fixed one can't be approved by staff and go to the full commission.