Below: every common repair priced out, the foggy-window question everyone gets wrong, what drives the price up, and the repair-or-replace rule by window age and type.
The Short Answer: What You Will Pay
A typical window repair visit lands between $150 and $400 all-in for hardware, balances, screens, and minor glass work. Replacing an insulated glass unit, the sealed double-pane assembly inside the frame, costs $200 to $600 for a standard size. Frame rot repair costs $200 to $800 depending on how far the rot has traveled. A full sash replacement, where the moving part of the window is swapped while the frame stays, costs $300 to $800. The national average for a single-window repair sits around $250 to $450. If a quote for one standard window repair exceeds $900 without involving structural frame work, get a second quote.
Every Common Window Repair, Priced (2026)
- Single-pane glass replacement ($100-$300): A cracked or broken single pane, common in older homes and outbuildings. The glass is cheap; the labor is removing the old glazing compound, setting the new pane, and re-glazing neatly.
- Insulated glass unit (IGU) replacement ($200-$600): The sealed double-pane unit inside a modern window. This is the fix for a foggy window: the old unit comes out, a new sealed unit goes in, and the frame stays. Price depends on size, glass type (low-E, tempered, argon-filled), and whether the unit is a standard size or custom-ordered.
- Foggy window "defogging" ($75-$200): A process that drills a small hole, vents the moisture, and reseals. It clears the fog temporarily, but it does not restore the failed seal or the insulating gas, so the fog usually returns within a year or two. It is a cosmetic fix, not a repair, and it is worth it only if you plan to replace the window soon anyway.
- Sash cord / chain replacement ($100-$300): The cords or chains that counterbalance an old double-hung sash. When one breaks, the sash slams shut or will not stay open. A straightforward repair on older wood windows, and one of the few that a handy homeowner can realistically DIY.
- Balance replacement ($150-$350): The spring or spiral balances in a modern double-hung window. A window that creeps down on its own or takes two hands to lift usually needs balances, not a new window.
- Hardware: locks, latches, cranks ($75-$250): Broken locks, stripped crank handles on casement windows, and failed latches. Small parts, but a window that will not lock is a security problem, not a cosmetic one, so do not defer it.
- Screen repair / replacement ($50-$150): Re-screening a frame costs $50 to $100; a new frame and screen costs $100 to $150. The cheapest repair in this guide and the one most often bundled free with a larger job.
- Frame rot repair ($200-$800): Rotted sections of a wood frame cut out and patched with epoxy or new wood, then sealed and painted. Works when the rot is localized to a sill or a corner. Rot that runs through the whole frame, or into the surrounding wall framing, is a replacement job.
- Caulking and weatherstripping ($100-$300): Re-caulking the exterior perimeter and replacing worn weatherstripping. The highest-value repair in this guide: it kills drafts, stops water intrusion, and costs a fraction of any glass work. If your windows feel drafty, start here before assuming you need new windows.
- Full sash replacement ($300-$800): A new sash, including glass, fitted into the existing frame. The middle path between a glass-only repair and a full window replacement, and often the right answer for a damaged sash on an otherwise sound frame.
The Foggy Window Question Everyone Gets Wrong
A foggy window means the seal on the insulated glass unit has failed and moisture is getting between the panes. The insulating argon gas is gone too, so that window is now insulating about as well as a single pane. There are three ways to deal with it, and only one of them is a real repair. Defogging ($75-$200) clears the view temporarily but does not restore the seal or the gas, so the fog comes back. IGU replacement ($200-$600) actually fixes it: a new sealed unit, new gas, restored insulation, same frame. Full window replacement ($300-$1,200 installed per window) is overkill for one failed seal on a young window, and the right answer when several seals have failed or the frames are also failing. Before you pay for any foggy-window work, check the warranty: many insulated glass units carry 10 to 20 year warranties against seal failure, and a surprising number of "failed" windows are still covered. Have the window brand and approximate install date ready when you call.
What Actually Drives the Price Up
Size and custom glass. A standard 3-by-5-foot double-hung IGU is a stock item. An oversized picture window, an arched top, or a tempered unit is custom-ordered and costs 50 to 100 percent more, with a 1 to 3 week lead time. Second-story work adds $50 to $150 per window for ladder or scaffold work. Frame material. Wood frame repairs involve carpentry and painting; vinyl repairs are usually parts swaps, and a rotted vinyl frame is usually replaced, not repaired. Historic or specialty windows need a specialist, not a general glass company. Emergency board-up ($150-$400) after a storm or break-in is a separate line item, and worth every dollar against weather and security risk while glass is ordered.
Repair or Replace? The Rule by Age and Type
Repair if the window is under 15 years old, if only one component has failed (one seal, one balance, one pane), and if the frame is sound. A $400 IGU replacement on a 10-year-old vinyl window is obvious value. Replace if the window is over 20 to 25 years old, if it is single-pane in a cold climate, if multiple seals have failed across several windows, or if the frame is rotted through. Replacement costs $300 to $1,200 per window installed depending on material and size, with vinyl at the bottom and wood-clad or fiberglass at the top. Our window replacement cost guide has the full breakdown, and our replacement window buying guide covers materials, ratings, and what to look for when you do replace. The middle case, a 15 to 20 year old window with one failed seal, is a judgment call: repair the seal now and plan replacements in a batch later, because replacing windows one at a time costs more per window than a whole-house order, and a batch order usually earns a 10 to 20 percent volume discount.
Real Scenarios, Real Bills
The foggy bedroom window ($425): A 12-year-old vinyl double-hung with a failed seal, foggy every morning. IGU replacement, low-E argon unit, installed in under an hour, total $425. The frame is sound and the window is under warranty by two years on paper, but the brand is out of business, so the warranty is worthless. Still the right repair at 12 years old.
The sash that will not stay up ($225): A double-hung window that slides shut on its own. Both spiral balances replaced, sash adjusted, total $225. A repair that takes under an hour and turns an annoying window back into a working one.
The rotted sill ($650 repair vs $850 replacement): A 28-year-old wood window with rot in the sill and lower frame, but the rest of the frame is sound and the glass is intact. Epoxy and wood repair, sealed and painted, total $650. Full replacement in vinyl would cost $850 installed. At 28 years old with single-pane glass, replacement is arguably the better long-term money, but the repair buys five more years for $200 less, and for a homeowner planning a whole-house window project in a few years, that is a rational bridge.
5 Ways to Avoid Overpaying
- Check the warranty before you pay. IGU seal warranties run 10 to 20 years and window hardware warranties are often longer than owners realize. A brand and install date can turn a $425 repair into a free one.
- Do not pay for defogging as if it were a repair. Defogging at $75 to $200 is cosmetic and temporary. If a company presents it as a permanent seal fix, that is a misrepresentation, and the fog will return.
- Start with caulking and weatherstripping for drafts. A $100 to $300 reseal fixes most draft complaints. Replacing a window for a draft caused by failed caulk is the most common window overspend.
- Batch your repairs and replacements. A glass company already on site charges far less per additional window than a separate visit. If three windows need work, do them in one visit.
- Get the glass specification in writing. Low-E coating, argon fill, and tempering should be specified, not assumed. An IGU quoted without a specification is how you get clear glass where low-E was needed.
Get Your Number Before Winter Finds the Drafts
Run your window count through our free cost calculator for an instant range, then line up quotes from contractors near you, or from a handyman for small hardware, screen, and balance work. If several windows are failing at once, price the whole-house replacement alongside the repairs using our window replacement cost guide, because a batch replacement often beats a series of individual repairs on price per window. The cheapest window repair is the seal you fix this year, not the rotted frame you discover next winter.
