Window replacement costs in Springfield

The median house in the Springfield metro dates from 1960. A quarter of the stock predates 1940 and three-quarters predates 1980. Old houses, old windows.

Inside the city's local historic districts, the Springfield Historical Commission has written window guidelines, and you still have to apply for any change. Skip that, and you may have to undo the work. The commission sorts requests three ways. Exact duplicates, identical in material, pane pattern, style and frame, go under non-applicability. Close matches go under appropriateness. A change that doesn't fit the district can only go through as a hardship case under state law.

For a close match, the details are specific. Keep the window style, so no swapping a double-hung for a casement. Grids belong on the outside of the glass; grids between the panes or only inside don't count. The opening stays the same size, with no spacers to fit a stock unit, and the lower sash should rest on the original sill. Double-paned glass is fine, as long as it isn't tinted. Wrapping sills or trim isn't.

One small detail catches people out. The commission recommends half-height exterior screens rather than full-length ones, so check the screens on any quote, not only the windows.