Window replacement costs in Syracuse

More than four in five homes in the city of Syracuse were built before 1980, Census data show, and the city says most homes built before 1978 have lead-based paint. EPA points to surfaces that rub, like window sills, as a place where worn lead paint turns into chips and dust.

So it's no surprise that new windows come first on the list of common repairs in the city's Lead Grant Program, followed by doors, siding and porch work. Owner-occupants, landlords and tenants can apply if the home has lead paint hazards, is a one- to four-family house inside city limits and was built before 1978. A child under six has to live there or spend significant time there, and household income can't be over 80 percent of the county median. The program runs on HUD and EPA grants, with support from local foundations.

On permits, Syracuse treats windows differently from siding. The Central Permit Office lists fenestration, meaning windows and doors, as residential work that needs a permit. Painting and siding don't, though the office asks you to tell it if that work will disturb lead paint or asbestos.

If a young child lives in an older home you own or rent here, look into the grant before you price new windows on your own.