Window replacement costs in Savannah

In Savannah's local historic districts, nobody takes your word that a window is beyond saving. The preservation staff at the Metropolitan Planning Commission is required to confirm it with a scheduled site visit. Original windows must be repaired before replacement is even considered, and if replacement is needed, it has to be in kind, keeping the original makeup, material and design.

The MPC publishes what has passed before. Its list of replacements approved for historic buildings is mostly wood, single-pane windows with true divided lights, plus one steel awning window. It names product lines that aren't permitted, too, and points to Article 7.0 of the city's zoning ordinance for the full window standards.

New construction, additions and non-historic buildings in the districts get more choice, but not unlimited choice. Their windows have to be wood or wood-clad, with true or simulated divided lights that have spacer bars.

If drafts are the complaint, the MPC points first to upkeep, like weatherstripping and caulking, and it even posts a video tutorial on re-glazing old sash.