Local research · updated July 2026
Replacement Windows in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton was built by anthracite, and its housing was built to match — most of it a long time ago. An extraordinary 86.7% of the city's homes predate 1980, and the median home was built in 1938, making Scranton one of the oldest housing markets in the entire country. Walk the hillside neighborhoods of this Northeast Pennsylvania coal city and you find block after block of century-old rowhouses and the double-block "doubles" that housed mine and railroad families, most still carrying their original weighted wood double-hung sashes. In a genuinely cold climate, replacement here is rarely about fashion — it is about drafty, rope-and-pulley windows that have run out their service life, and about the recurring restoration-versus-replacement decision on housing this old.
Short answer
In Scranton, a standard replacement window (double-hung, casement or slider) typically costs $525–$2,980 installed. Bay and bow windows run $2,620–$8,380+, and a sliding patio door $1,570–$5,235. 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 Scranton with the BEA Regional Price Parity for Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA (2024). How we estimate →
86.7%
of Scranton 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
1938
median year built across Scranton's 35,623 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 Scranton
Compare companies serving Scranton. 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 | Bethlehem, PA | Get a quote → |
| 1Mad City Windows and Baths of ScrantonMad City Windows | Hilldale, PA | Get matched → |
| 2Pella Windows & Doors of ScrantonPella | Scranton, PA | Get matched → |
| 3Window World of Wyoming ValleyWindow World | Duryea, PA | Get matched → |
Renewal by Andersen of Northeast PA
4.8 · 200,000+ reviewsBethlehem, PA showroom · serving the Scranton 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.
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What drives window decisions in Scranton
- The defining stock is the pre-1940 coal-era rowhouse and the classic Scranton "double" — two-family, party-wall homes built for anthracite and railroad workers — most still fitted with original weighted wood double-hung sashes whose cords, weights, and glazing putty are long past their service life.
- With 86.7% of homes built before 1980 and a median build year of 1938 — among the oldest in the nation — non-standard, out-of-square, and settled openings are the rule, which rules out many stock inserts and pushes jobs toward field-measured custom units or full-frame replacement.
- Scranton sits in the ENERGY STAR Northern zone (IECC Zone 5A), where a low U-factor drives product choice far more than solar control; heat retention through a long, cold winter is the whole game, and triple-pane packages are increasingly common because the payback lands on the heating bill.
- This is Renewal by Andersen's Northeast Pennsylvania territory, and the sheer age of the stock means the honest first question on many homes is repair-or-replace: original sashes plus storm windows can preserve a coal-region streetscape and cut drafts, while a modern insulated unit trades that character for efficiency.
Replacement windows & doors by type in Scranton
Local cost ranges and Northern-zone efficiency guidance for each window and door style, specific to Scranton homes:
Ranges localized to Scranton's cost level: national planning ranges shifted by the BEA Regional Price Parity for Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA (93.6, U.S. = 100; 2024). How we estimate local costs →
Efficiency requirements for Scranton's climate
Scranton sits in the ENERGY STAR Northern zone (IECC zone 5A (cool, moist), Lackawanna 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
Age is the whole cost story in Scranton. With a median build year of 1938 and 86.7% of homes built before 1980, original wood frames are frequently out of square, rot-damaged at the sill, or too shallow for a modern insulated unit, so installers often recommend full-frame replacement over a cheaper insert (pocket) install — which raises the per-window price but addresses the surrounding wood. Nearly every home here predates the 1978 lead-paint cutoff, so RRP-compliant prep adds time and cost. Cold-climate glass packages, from low U-factor double-pane up to triple-pane, are where the heating-season savings come from and add material cost up front. No fixed local dollar figure holds, because scope and access vary house to house on stock this old; get itemized bids that separate the window unit from labor and any frame, sill, or trim repair, and be wary of a single low number that hides scope.
For a breakdown by frame material and install type, see our full cost guide.
Rebates & incentives in Pennsylvania
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.
Pennsylvania has been standing up IRA Home Energy Rebate programs through the state; windows can qualify as part of a modeled whole-home efficiency retrofit. Verify current availability before promising rebate money.
- Act 129 utility efficiency programs (PECO and others). Pennsylvania's Act 129 requires electric utilities such as PECO to run energy-efficiency programs; audits and envelope work are incentivized, with windows generally part of a broader package. (PA PUC Act 129; PECO / PGW program pages)
Pennsylvania enforces the statewide Uniform Construction Code (UCC) based on the IECC; Philadelphia permits through Licenses & Inspections, and its Historical Commission reviews designated historic properties.
Replacement windows in nearby metros
Not in Scranton proper? These nearby markets carry the same local research: housing-age data, climate-zone specs, and current rebate status for each city:
Scranton window replacement FAQ
›Do I need a permit to replace windows in Scranton?
Generally, yes. Building permits in the City of Scranton run through the Department of Licensing, Inspections & Permits and its Code Enforcement office, which enforce Pennsylvania's statewide Uniform Construction Code (UCC), an IECC-based code. A like-for-like replacement that keeps the same opening size and location is treated differently than work that enlarges or relocates an opening — in practice, straight window-and-door replacement is handled as alteration or remodeling and may carry little or no permit fee, while changing an opening is treated as construction. Surrounding communities in Lackawanna County enforce the same UCC through their own code offices. A reputable installer will typically pull the permit, but confirm current requirements with Scranton's Licensing, Inspections & Permits office before ordering, since thresholds change.
›What efficiency numbers should replacement windows hit in Scranton?
Scranton (Lackawanna County) is in the ENERGY STAR Northern climate zone, IECC Zone 5A. The current ENERGY STAR Version 7.0 Northern-zone spec targets a U-factor of 0.22 or lower with an SHGC of 0.17 or higher — so the standard actually rewards letting some winter sun in while minimizing heat loss. In a climate this cold, a low U-factor is paramount, and triple-pane units, which push U-factors well below the double-pane range, are increasingly common here for exactly that reason. Ask to see the NFRC label on any unit you are quoted, listing both the U-factor and SHGC, rather than relying on a brand's marketing claims, and verify against the latest ENERGY STAR criteria, which are revised periodically.
›Are there rebates or tax credits for window replacement in Pennsylvania right now?
The federal 25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit that covered qualifying windows expired December 31, 2025, so there is no longer a federal window tax credit for new projects. In Pennsylvania, incentives now generally come from utility programs funded under the state's Act 129 — for PPL Electric Utilities customers here, that means home energy audits and weatherization measures like air sealing and insulation (and the income-qualified WRAP program), where windows are usually part of a whole-home efficiency package rather than a standalone window rebate; UGI serves natural gas in the area. Pennsylvania is also standing up the federal IRA Home Energy Rebates statewide, which are rolling out and worth checking. Availability, eligibility, and amounts change frequently, so confirm directly with PPL, UGI, and the state before counting on any specific incentive.
›My house is a century-old coal-era home — should I restore the original windows or replace them?
This is the central question in Scranton, given a median build year of 1938 and one of the oldest housing stocks in the country. Original weighted wood double-hungs on a coal-region rowhouse or double were often built from dense old-growth wood and can frequently be repaired: re-roping the sashes, replacing failed glazing putty, and adding a good exterior or interior storm window can meaningfully cut drafts while keeping the streetscape and the original character intact. Replacement offers modern insulated glass and lower maintenance, but on housing this old the openings are usually non-standard and out of square, so expect field-measured custom units rather than stock sizes, and have the sash and sill condition assessed first — rot at the frame changes whether an insert or a full-frame replacement makes sense. A good installer should walk you through both paths honestly rather than defaulting to a full tear-out.
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
- — NOAA/NWS Binghamton and USGS Susquehanna River flood reports (Tropical Storm Lee, 2011)
- — IRS, 25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (P.L. 119-21)