Local research · updated July 2026
Replacement Windows in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond wears its age on its windows. About 71.5% of the city's housing stock was built before 1980, with a median home dating to 1959, and the character runs from Fan District and Church Hill rowhouses and Italianates with tall wood double-hungs, to Northside American Foursquares, to the postwar ranches that fill out the median. That mix sits in a mixed-humid IECC 4A climate where both winter heat loss and summer sun matter, so a window here is judged on two numbers at once. And in the Old & Historic Districts, what you're allowed to install is often decided before efficiency ever enters the conversation.
Short answer
In Richmond, a standard replacement window (double-hung, casement or slider) typically costs $550–$3,120 installed. Bay and bow windows run $2,740–$8,765+, and a sliding patio door $1,645–$5,480. Frame material and the glass package decide where a project lands in that range.
Planning ranges built from NREL and BLS cost data, localized to Richmond with the BEA Regional Price Parity for Richmond, VA (2024). How we estimate →
71.5%
of Richmond homes were built before 1980, the era of single-pane and early aluminum windows
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
1959
median year built across Richmond's 112,848 housing units
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
SHGC ≤ 0.4
the ENERGY STAR v7.0 number that matters most in the North-Central zone
Source: EPA ENERGY STAR v7.0
Window installers in Richmond
Compare companies serving Richmond. Request a free, no-obligation quote and we route it to the company or a vetted local installer.
| Company | Location | Request a quote |
|---|---|---|
 4.8 · 200,000+ reviews | Richmond, VA | Get a quote → |
| 1Champion Replacement Windows of RichmondChampion | Ashland, VA | Get matched → |
| 2Pella Windows and Doors Showroom of Richmond, VAPella | Richmond, VA | Get matched → |
| 3Thompson Creek Window Company Richmond VAThompson Creek | Ashland, VA | Get matched → |
| 4Window World of RichmondWindow World | Richmond, VA | Get matched → |
Renewal by Andersen of Central Virginia
4.8 · 200,000+ reviewsRichmond, VA showroom · serving the Richmond metro
Full-service manufacturer and installer, transferable warranty, local crews. Why it's our Top Pick
Get a quote →Listings compiled from manufacturer dealer locators and public business records. Premier and Sponsored Partners pay for placement and are labeled as such; star ratings shown are reported by the partner, with the source and date beside them. See our advertising disclosure. Contacting a company shares your details with it (or a vetted local installer) so it can reach you about your project.
Are you a window company? Claim your listing to take quote requests from Richmond homeowners directly.
What drives window decisions in Richmond
- Fan and Church Hill rowhouses and Italianates were built with tall, narrow wood double-hung sashes and true divided lights; on these, the original profiles and sightlines are part of the architecture, and a stock vinyl swap reads as wrong even before any review board weighs in.
- Richmond's Old & Historic Districts — including the Fan, Church Hill, Jackson Ward, and Monument Avenue — are governed by the Commission of Architectural Review, whose decisions follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and the Richmond Old & Historic Districts Handbook, and generally call for wood or clad-wood units matching existing profiles rather than vinyl.
- The IECC 4A mixed-humid climate cuts both ways: winters cold enough that a low U-factor matters, summers humid and sunny enough that solar heat gain does too, so this is a market where both the U-factor and the SHGC targets earn their place.
- Virginia's Uniform Statewide Building Code now runs on the 2021 IECC base — one of the stronger energy codes among southern states — which sets the fenestration floor new work must meet across the postwar Northside foursquares and ranch stock as much as the historic core.
Replacement windows & doors by type in Richmond
Local cost ranges and North-Central-zone efficiency guidance for each window and door style, specific to Richmond homes:
Ranges localized to Richmond's cost level: national planning ranges shifted by the BEA Regional Price Parity for Richmond, VA (97.9, U.S. = 100; 2024). How we estimate local costs →
Efficiency requirements for Richmond's climate
Richmond sits in the ENERGY STAR North-Central zone (IECC zone 4A (mixed, moist), Richmond City). Under the v7.0 specification, qualifying windows need a U-factor of 0.25 or lower and an SHGC of 0.4 or lower. Mixed climate: good insulation matters most, with a moderate cap on solar gain so summer cooling costs stay in check.
Not sure what these numbers mean? Read our plain-English guide to U-factor and SHGC.
What replacement windows cost here
National installed-cost ranges are the right baseline, but Richmond has specific drivers that move a quote. In the Fan, Church Hill, and the other Old & Historic Districts, Commission of Architectural Review requirements can push you toward wood or clad-wood units that match historic profiles rather than stock vinyl, and CAR approval typically precedes the permit — both add cost and time. Century-old rowhouse and foursquare openings are frequently out of square, so custom sizing and added carpentry are common. Where full replacement is restricted or over budget, restoring original sashes and adding interior storm panels is a legitimate lower-cost path that also preserves character. Postwar Northside and ranch stock is generally simpler and closer to national norms. The honest move is to have installers measure openings individually rather than price off a whole-house count.
For a breakdown by frame material and install type, see our full cost guide.
Rebates & incentives in Virginia
The federal window tax credit (25C) ended for projects placed in service after December 31, 2025. If your windows were installed in 2025, you can still claim it on your 2025 return — but for new projects there is no federal window credit. State and utility programs are now the main source of window incentives.
Virginia's Home Energy Rebates are administered by Virginia Energy (the State Energy Office), which has roughly $188 million allocated across the HOMES and HEAR tracks but had not launched either program as of mid-2026 — the office was still revising its application to conform to updated U.S. Department of Energy guidance and awaiting federal approval, with no committed launch date. When it does open, windows would qualify only under the whole-home HOMES track, where the rebate scales with modeled energy savings rather than as a standalone window incentive. Confirm current status before relying on this, as the timeline has repeatedly slipped.
- Dominion Energy Virginia efficiency rebates. Dominion's residential programs (branded through domsavings.com and its Home Energy assessments) center on heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, attic insulation upgrades to about R-38, air sealing, and smart thermostats — there is no dedicated window-replacement rebate. Homeowners hoping for utility help with windows in Dominion territory will generally come up empty and should treat windows as a code-and-comfort upgrade, not a rebated one. Confirm current offerings. (Dominion Energy Virginia Save Energy / domsavings.com)
The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code is built on the 2021 IECC and has been the sole enforceable standard since January 2025, making it one of the stronger energy codes in the South; permits in the Richmond and Virginia Beach metros are issued and inspected by each city's local building department. Virginia's IECC 4A–3A climate rewards a low U-factor for winter heating while still keeping an eye on SHGC for the humid summers.
Replacement windows in nearby metros
Not in Richmond proper? These nearby markets carry the same local research: housing-age data, climate-zone specs, and current rebate status for each city:
Richmond window replacement FAQ
›Do I need a permit to replace windows in Richmond?
It depends on scope and location. Under the 2021 Virginia Residential Code, straightforward like-for-like window replacement is often treated as exempt from a building permit, but altering the opening, structure, or egress generally is not — so confirm your specific job with the City of Richmond's Bureau of Permits & Inspections before you assume you're clear. The bigger trigger in Richmond is historic status: if your property is in an Old & Historic District, you likely need Commission of Architectural Review approval for exterior changes regardless of whether a building permit is required. Check both before ordering.
›What efficiency numbers should replacement windows hit in Richmond?
Richmond falls in the ENERGY STAR North-Central climate zone. For that zone, the current ENERGY STAR version 7.0 residential criteria call for a U-factor of 0.25 or lower and a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of 0.40 or lower. Because Richmond's IECC 4A climate has both cold winters and hot, sunny summers, both numbers genuinely matter here rather than just one. Treat those as a sound performance target, and verify the exact current thresholds on the ENERGY STAR site before you buy, since criteria are periodically updated.
›Are there rebates or tax credits for windows in Richmond right now?
Less than there was. The federal 25C energy-efficient home improvement credit that covered qualifying windows expired December 31, 2025, so it is no longer available for new projects. Dominion Energy Virginia runs residential efficiency programs, but its rebates have centered on heat pumps, thermostats, HVAC, water heaters, and insulation rather than windows — so don't count on a Dominion window rebate without confirming. Virginia's IRA-funded Home Energy Rebates (HOMES and HEAR) had not launched as of mid-2026; the state has funding allocated but was still awaiting federal approval. Confirm current status with Dominion and Virginia Energy before budgeting around any incentive.
›Can I replace the windows in a Fan or Church Hill historic home?
Usually yes, but on your terms only within limits. Homes in Richmond's Old & Historic Districts fall under the Commission of Architectural Review, which bases decisions on the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and the Richmond Old & Historic Districts Handbook. In practice, on street-facing elevations CAR generally expects wood or clad-wood windows that match the proportion, profile, material, and light configuration of the originals — vinyl replacements are typically not approved for prominent elevations. Restoring the original sashes, or adding interior storm panels for performance, is often favored over full replacement. Consult CAR early, before you order product, and budget for the added review time.
Sources
- — U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (B25034, B25035)
- — EPA ENERGY STAR Version 7.0 Residential Windows specification
- — DOE/PNNL IECC climate zone assignments by county
- — City of Richmond Commission of Architectural Review; Richmond Old & Historic Districts Handbook and Design Review Guidelines
- — IRS, 25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (P.L. 119-21)