Window replacement costs in Rochester

In the city of Rochester, swapping a window for one of the same size in the same spot doesn't need a building permit, the Bureau of Zoning & Permitting says. When a window job does need one, the bureau's self-serve window packet asks for the size and location of every window you're replacing, plus the dimensions of each room they serve. As the packet explains, the state building code typically sets minimum window sizes in homes for light, ventilation and possible emergency escape.

Going smaller has its own hurdle. The city's zoning code typically doesn't allow a reduction in window size, which it calls transparency, on a window you can see from the street or sidewalk. So shrinking a tall front window to fit a stock unit is usually off the table.

Even a same-size swap needs zoning approval first if your property is in a Preservation District, is a Designated Building of Historic Value or is a city Landmark.

The houses give these rules plenty to do. Half of Rochester's homes were built by 1938, by the Census Bureau's estimate.