How Long Does Home Window Installation Take?

You’ve chosen your windows and placed your order. You weighed the pros and cons of DIY installation vs hiring the experts and decided to go the expert route. You have read up on how to prepare for window installation.

The big question you have now as you plan for the experts to install your windows is, “How long does home window installation take?”

10 Factors That Impact How Long Window Installation Takes

There are a few factors which impact your total window installation time. They include:

Whether your windows are custom built or standard size

Custom built windows take less time to install than standard since the custom windows fit perfectly into the window opening.

The total number of windows being installed

No brainer here – the fewer total windows being installed, the shorter the overall installation time.

The size of the windows

Larger windows take longer to install than smaller windows. A larger crew may also be required for oversized windows.

Want to learn more about the different types of window installation?

Window material & required finishes

Wood windows can require extra time for priming, staining, or painting. Windows getting an aluminum capping finish added around them take significantly more time than windows without capping.

Whether there are exterior obstructions

If your house has a large tree, shrub, or delicate landscaping at the installation site, the crew will have to work around it.

Whether there are interior obstacles

As with exterior obstacles, if your home has unique features like a piece of built-in furniture that gets in the way or an awkward corner that the crew will have to navigate with the windows, that will cause the job to take a bit longer.

The condition of the structure surrounding the window opening

Once the old window is removed there is a chance the crew could find an unpleasant surprise like rot, mold, water damage, or termite damage to the surrounding structure. If that is the case, the installation will be delayed due to the need for repairs.

If the windows are being installed on a ground level or upper level

Ground level installations are faster than upper-level ones. It takes extra time to haul windows up to an upper level as well as to position and re-position exterior ladders.

The skill and experience level of your contractor

The more skilled and experienced your contractor is, the faster and more accurately your job will be completed.

Weather

The most challenging and uncontrollable variable to prepare for when you are planning your window installation is the weather. Of course, you don’t want to have a gaping hole in your house in the middle of a winter snowstorm or during a buggy summer night. Experts suggest that your best bet is to schedule your installation for late spring or early summer if at all possible to minimize the potential for inclement weather hindering your installation.

The Bottom Line

All 10 factors impact your total home window installation time, but if you are looking for a ballpark estimate, the average window takes about one hour to install and a small home can be completed in a single day.