Local research · updated July 2026
Replacement Windows in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City's housing stock is older than the skyline suggests: 67.9% of its 97,318 housing units went up before 1980, and the median home dates to 1963. That means original single-pane wood sash in the Avenues' early-1900s Victorians and Sugar House bungalows, and first-generation aluminum sliders in the mid-century ranches along the east bench. The high-desert climate works those windows from both ends — cold winters, hot dry summers, and day-to-night temperature swings of 30 degrees or more that fatigue glazing seals. And in a valley where winter inversions trap some of the nation's worst short-term particulate pollution, a tight, well-sealed replacement window is as much an air-quality upgrade as an energy one.
Short answer
In Salt Lake City, a standard replacement window (double-hung, casement or slider) typically costs $565–$3,215 installed. Bay and bow windows run $2,825–$9,035+, and a sliding patio door $1,695–$5,645. 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 Salt Lake City with the BEA Regional Price Parity for Salt Lake City-Murray, UT (2024). How we estimate →
67.9%
of Salt Lake City 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
1963
median year built across Salt Lake City's 97,318 housing units
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
U ≤ 0.22
the ENERGY STAR v7.0 number that matters most in the Northern zone
Source: EPA ENERGY STAR v7.0
Window installers in Salt Lake City
Compare companies serving Salt Lake City. 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 | Salt Lake City, UT | Get a quote → |
| 1Champion Replacement Windows of Salt Lake CityChampion | Salt Lake City, UT | Get matched → |
| 2Pella Windows & Doors of UtahPella | Sandy, UT | Get matched → |
| 3Window World UtahWindow World | Murray, UT | Get matched → |
Renewal by Andersen
4.8 · 200,000+ reviewsSalt Lake City, UT showroom · serving the Salt Lake City 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 Salt Lake City homeowners directly.
What drives window decisions in Salt Lake City
- With 67.9% of homes built before 1980 and a median year built of 1963, many Salt Lake City replacements involve original single-pane sash or early aluminum frames — often out of square, which points toward full-frame installs rather than cheaper inserts.
- Big high-desert diurnal swings — hot, dry summer days dropping sharply overnight — pump insulated-glass units daily and stress edge seals; fogged double panes are one of the most common local replacement triggers.
- Winter inversion season traps fine-particulate pollution in the Salt Lake Valley for days at a time; modern weatherstripped windows meaningfully cut infiltration of outdoor air compared with rattling original sash.
- Salt Lake City's local historic districts — including the Avenues, Capitol Hill, and South Temple — sit under an H Historic Preservation Overlay, so street-visible window changes need a Certificate of Appropriateness before work begins.
Replacement windows & doors by type in Salt Lake City
Local cost ranges and Northern-zone efficiency guidance for each window and door style, specific to Salt Lake City homes:
Ranges localized to Salt Lake City's cost level: national planning ranges shifted by the BEA Regional Price Parity for Salt Lake City-Murray, UT (100.9, U.S. = 100; 2024). How we estimate local costs →
Efficiency requirements for Salt Lake City's climate
Salt Lake City sits in the ENERGY STAR Northern zone (IECC zone 5B (cool, dry), Salt Lake County). Under the v7.0 specification, qualifying windows need a U-factor of 0.22 or lower with a solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of at least 0.17. Heating-dominated climate: the window must hold heat in (very low U-factor) while still letting some free solar warmth through in winter (minimum SHGC). Equivalent-performance tradeoffs allow U-factors of 0.23–0.26 when paired with progressively higher solar gain.
Not sure what these numbers mean? Read our plain-English guide to U-factor and SHGC.
What replacement windows cost here
Two local factors push Salt Lake City projects toward the higher end of the effort scale. First, the age of the housing stock: pre-1980 homes with settled or rot-damaged frames frequently need full-frame replacement rather than insert installs, and lead-safe work practices apply to pre-1978 houses. Second, historic-district review — where it applies, wood or approved wood-clad units that match original profiles cost more than stock vinyl, and vinyl is generally not approvable on street-facing facades. On the other side of the ledger, Rocky Mountain Power's wattsmart program and the ThermWise program from Enbridge Gas (formerly Dominion Energy) both offer window incentives that take real money off qualifying ENERGY STAR installations, and the region's abundant winter sun means a well-chosen glass package pays back in both heating and cooling seasons.
For a breakdown by frame material and install type, see our full cost guide.
Rebates & incentives in Utah
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.
The Utah Office of Energy Development was approved for about $101 million in IRA Home Energy Rebate funding, but the programs were not yet available to consumers as of mid-2026 amid federal funding uncertainty — confirm current status with OED before counting on these rebates.
- Rocky Mountain Power wattsmart Homes. Rocky Mountain Power's wattsmart Homes program pays per-window incentives for replacement windows in existing electrically heated or cooled homes, but the bar is high — ENERGY STAR windows with a very low U-factor (around 0.22 or lower) are required, and rates were restructured in early 2026. (Rocky Mountain Power wattsmart Utah incentive lists)
- Enbridge Gas (formerly Dominion Energy) ThermWise Weatherization. The ThermWise program offers per-square-foot rebates for qualifying replacement windows in existing gas-heated homes, with the same stringent low U-factor requirement; it runs independently of wattsmart, so eligible homeowners may be able to use both. (ThermWise program pages; Utah Clean Energy utility rebate summaries)
Utah enforces a statewide energy code based on the 2021 IECC with state amendments, so permitted window replacements in its cold mountain climate zones must meet modern low U-factor requirements.
Replacement windows in nearby metros
Not in Salt Lake City proper? These nearby markets carry the same local research: housing-age data, climate-zone specs, and current rebate status for each city:
Salt Lake City window replacement FAQ
›Do I need a permit to replace windows in Salt Lake City?
Generally yes. Salt Lake City Building Services handles window permits through the city's online Citizens Access Portal, and applications typically need a window and door schedule if one is not on the construction plans. Cutting a new opening or enlarging an existing one is unambiguously permit work, and if your home sits in a local historic district you also need planning approval before the building permit. Established installers pull the permit as part of the job — treat a bid that skips it as a red flag, and call a city plans examiner if you are unsure how your project is classified.
›What efficiency numbers should replacement windows hit in Salt Lake City?
Salt Lake City is in the ENERGY STAR Northern zone: the v7.0 spec calls for a U-factor of 0.22 or lower with a solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of at least 0.17, with equivalent-energy options allowing U-factors of 0.23 to 0.26 when paired with higher solar gain. That SHGC nuance matters here — in a sunny high-desert climate, free winter solar heat through south-facing glass is genuinely valuable, so do not automatically buy the lowest-SHGC glass an installer offers. Utah's state energy code, based on the 2021 IECC with state amendments, sets the legal minimum, but ENERGY STAR numbers are the better target.
›Are there still rebates for window replacement in Utah?
The federal 25C tax credit for windows expired December 31, 2025, so do not count on it for a 2026 project. What remains are the utility programs: Rocky Mountain Power's wattsmart Homes program offers per-window incentives for homes with electric heating or cooling, and the ThermWise program from Enbridge Gas (formerly Dominion Energy) offers weatherization rebates that include qualifying windows for gas-heated homes, calculated on window area. Both require efficient, qualifying products — typically ENERGY STAR certified — and homes served by both utilities can often apply to both programs for the same project. Confirm current terms before you sign, since incentive levels change.
›Can I put vinyl windows in an Avenues or other historic-district home?
Not on the front of the house, in most cases. Properties in Salt Lake City's local historic districts — the Avenues, Capitol Hill, South Temple, and others under the H Historic Preservation Overlay — need a Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior window changes, and the city's design guidelines favor repairing original wood sash first, then replacement units that match the original material, profile, and divided-light pattern on street-visible facades. Vinyl on a primary facade is unlikely to be approved. Most straightforward window requests are handled administratively by planning staff rather than going to the Historic Landmark Commission, but start that conversation before ordering windows, not after.
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
- — Utah Division of Air Quality; U.S. EPA air quality monitoring
- — IRS, 25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (P.L. 119-21)