Window Replacement Experiences in Older and Historic Tampa Bay Homes

I also have a 1930s home and we replaced our windows last year. Our place is in Gulfport (built 1925) and we wanted better energy efficiency but worried about ruining the old cottage look. It went smoother than expected – though we did run into an issue with termite damage in the sills once work began. We spent extra time fixing some wood rot we hadn’t known about behind the old frames.

The good news is the house is so much cooler in summer now and still looks authentic. We found new windows that matched the style (6-over-1 grid pattern in our case) pretty well. I'd say go for it, but plan for surprises behind the old trim (we uncovered some framing damage we didn't anticipate).

Once those were fixed and the windows were in, the difference in comfort was amazing.

This thread is timely! I'm in Dunedin with a 1948 bungalow that needs window replacements too. I'm especially worried about finding a contractor who will keep the classic look (my windows have unique grille patterns I don't want to lose). Also, my neighborhood has a strict HOA (even though the homes are old) that must approve changes.

Anyone have suggestions for companies that respect historic style? And what about cost ballpark per window for good quality replacements? I'm trying to budget and don't want to be blindsided.

I recently replaced all the windows on my 1962 ranch in Carrollwood, which has a neighborhood HOA with pretty specific rules on appearances. I was anxious, but the contractor we chose (Karoly Windows & Doors) knew exactly how to work with the HOA and even helped us pick a style that satisfied their guidelines and matched our home's mid-century look. They were incredibly punctual every day and took care of all the permit paperwork with the county, so it was a breeze for us.

Honestly, I was expecting delays or some historic code headaches, but it was straightforward. And Replying to @writer78, in terms of cost, our mid-range impact-rated windows came out to about $900 each including installation – not cheap, but worth it for the comfort and peace of mind.

I live in Hyde Park in a 1915 bungalow, and window replacement was a journey. Because it's a designated historic district, I had to apply for a Certificate of Appropriateness with the city before touching the windows. It was nerve-wracking – I had to show the Historic Preservation Commission the specs of the new windows, ensuring they looked just like the originals (wood, same grid pattern, etc.). The first contractor I spoke with didn't even know about this process, which was a red flag. I ended up finding someone experienced with historic homes to handle it.

The whole process took longer (about 3 months for approval and for the custom windows to be made), but it paid off. Now my new windows look almost identical to the old ones from the street, but they actually open, close, and insulate properly. If you're in a historic zone like me, definitely research the rules and find a contractor who's dealt with them before – it saves a lot of headaches.

We tackled window replacement in our 1948 masonry block house in St. Petersburg last summer. One surprise: the original steel casement frames were literally embedded in the concrete walls, so removing them was a dusty, noisy affair. We also discovered some wood rot and even minor termite damage around one window once everything was opened up. The crew had to rebuild some of the window framing from scratch before putting in the new vinyl windows. It added a bit to the cost and time, but I'm glad we addressed it.

If you're dealing with an older home, be prepared for those kinds of issues lurking behind the walls. On the bright side, once everything was installed, the difference was huge – no more drafts, and the soundproofing is so much better now. Our home is finally quiet even when the neighbor's lawnmower is running!

My two cents as someone in a 1955 house in Clearwater – don't skip the permit! A neighbor down the street replaced his windows DIY without pulling permits or HOA approval, and it turned into a big headache. The county eventually found out (rumor is an insurance inspector noticed) and he had to pay a fine and even remove a couple of windows that didn't meet code. Plus, our community HOA got on his case because the window style he chose didn't match the rest of the house.

I learned from his mistake. When I did my windows, I made sure my contractor pulled all the necessary permits and also got the green light from our HOA board on the window style and frame color. It delayed the start a bit, but everything passed inspection smoothly. So, definitely handle the red tape properly – you'll save yourself a lot of trouble!

I just went through this with my 1928 Spanish bungalow in West Tampa (not far from Seminole Heights!). We had a fantastic experience with a local company called Pro Tech Windows & Doors. They really understood the quirks of historic houses – even the city inspector commented that our contractor had done everything by the book. We needed windows that matched our home's original appearance (arched grids on the front windows), and Pro Tech found options that satisfied the historic district guidelines and our taste.

They were also sticklers for punctuality: every day the crew arrived right on time (I was amazed, given "Florida time" 😅). And Replying to @rwilson45, since you asked for experiences, in our case Pro Tech handled all the permitting and paperwork. They made sure our project sailed through the approval process, which was a huge relief. The result? Beautiful windows that look period-appropriate but are hurricane-rated and energy efficient. Couldn't be happier.

We own a 1950s mid-century home in Dunedin and have been replacing windows in phases over a few years due to budget. One tip: if you can't do them all at once, try to at least do all the front-facing ones together or your house may look odd with different styles/ages of windows. We learned this the hard way when we replaced the living room windows last year (white vinyl frames) but left the bedrooms with their old aluminum frames – the mismatch was pretty noticeable from the street.

We just recently saved up and finished replacing the remaining ones, and now everything matches and looks great. Also, if your home is mid-century, consider styles that fit that era. We chose awning windows to replace some jalousie windows on our porch, to keep a bit of the retro vibe but with modern tight seals. It's definitely possible to modernize yet honor the original style.

After replacing the windows in my 1968 ranch in Largo, the energy savings were immediately apparent. Our electric bill dropped by about 20% the next month, no joke. The old jalousie windows were basically like having holes in the walls when it came to A/C escaping. Also, the new windows (double-paned with Low-E coating) made the house so much more comfortable in July and August – no more hot spots near the windows.

We did worry the Low-E glass might look too reflective or tinted, but honestly you can hardly tell. They just look a tad less wavy than the old single panes. If you're on the fence because of cost, factor in the long-term savings on cooling bills here in Florida. It's been worth it for us.

I'm in Old Northeast St. Pete in a 1930s home on a fairly busy street. Before window replacement, we heard every car horn and late-night party like it was in our living room. We replaced our old wood single-hungs with modern double-pane windows (kept the same 6-over-6 grid look so the house looks unchanged). The difference in noise is amazing – it's like we moved to a quieter neighborhood. We can actually sleep through the early morning garbage trucks now 😅.

I did worry that the new insulated glass would look too new, but visitors haven't even noticed the windows are replacements until we tell them. For anyone with an older home dealing with noise, upgrading windows can help a ton.

One thing to consider if your home is in a historic district (like some areas of Tampa or Dunedin's downtown): they might have rules about the type of glass and materials. For my 1922 house in Tarpon Springs (Greektown area), the local historic board was okay with modern windows as long as they weren't obviously reflective or tinted from the outside. I had initially picked windows with a dark privacy tint, but I had to switch to clear Low-E glass because the shiny look wasn't allowed. It was a minor adjustment.

If you're not in a regulated area, you have more freedom. But still, something to think about if you want to keep a traditional look. In my case, the clear glass still has UV protection and it all worked out – my new windows are energy-efficient without looking like mirror shades from the street.

I know this thread is about replacement, but I wanted to share my thought process in case it's helpful. I have a 1938 Tudor-style home in the Pasadena area and I was torn between restoring the original leaded-glass windows or replacing them. A local craftsman gave me an estimate to refurbish the old windows (stripping paint, replacing broken panes, adding weatherstripping), which appealed to the preservationist in me. However, it turned out more expensive and still wouldn't solve the energy efficiency issues fully. Ultimately, I opted for new custom windows that mimic the look of the old ones.

I'm happy with the decision – the new ones don't have the slight wavy charm of the old glass, but they do have bevels that match the original grid and even similar brass handles. And my electric bill dropped, plus no more drafts. If anyone else is debating restore vs replace: it really depends on your priorities, but modern replicas can strike a good balance if done right.

Quick heads-up on timing: not sure how it is this year, but when we ordered our windows for our 1959 ranch in Brandon in 2022, there was a big backlog. It took almost 4 months from order to installation because the manufacturer was swamped (partly supply chain issues at the time). So, if you have a tight deadline (we were trying to get it done before hurricane season), start the process early.

We also had to work around rainy season; our install got pushed a couple of times due to pop-up summer thunderstorms. The crew ended up doing two windows at a time between rain showers 😂. In the end, all good, just don't expect it to be a quick weekend project for an older home.

I'm a small-time property investor and recently rehabbed a 1940s bungalow in South Tampa (Palma Ceia area). Window replacement in these older places is one of the best upgrades for value. The house had a mix of old wood windows and some 90s aluminum replacements that looked mismatched. We went all new for consistency. The buyers absolutely loved that feature when we sold – new windows are a big selling point (energy efficiency and no immediate maintenance needed).

But one lesson: we tried to cut costs by going with a cheaper contractor initially, and that was a mistake. They didn't measure correctly, and two of the custom windows came in the wrong size. It delayed us and we ended up switching to a more reputable company halfway through. That cost extra, so in hindsight I should have just hired the pros from the start. Quality work matters, especially in older homes where nothing is standard.

If you do go ahead, just be ready for a bit of chaos during the install. We replaced 8 windows in our 1920s home in Safety Harbor and even though the crew was great, there was a lot of dust and noise. They had to pry out old frames that had been painted over for decades. We covered our furniture, but fine plaster dust still got everywhere (some of the old plaster around the windows crumbled when the old frames came out). Not the end of the world, just something to prepare for – maybe take down your curtains and wall decor beforehand and put down extra drop cloths.

Our installers actually helped with some of that prep. After seeing the mess at our place, a friend with a similar old house decided to do one room at a time rather than all at once so they could keep the rest of the house livable. In any case, once the dust was cleaned up, the results were worth it.

Our 1936 Mediterranean Revival home in Ybor City had some oddball windows, including a round porthole window in the stairwell and a pair of arched-top windows in front. We were really concerned we'd never find modern replacements for those that would satisfy the historic look. It turns out a few manufacturers do make custom shapes (for a price, of course). We had to special-order an arched wood window to match the original design, and for the round window we actually kept the original frame and just restored it, because replacing it would have been exorbitant.

In the end, all our regular rectangular windows were replaced with impact-rated ones, and for the unique shapes we kept or rehabbed the originals to maintain the character. The city was fine with that hybrid approach – they actually prefer you keep unique historic elements if you can. So don't assume you must replace every single window. Sometimes preserving one or two special ones and replacing the rest is a good compromise.

For those of us in coastal areas, hurricane protection is a big factor. I live in Clearwater in a 1957 block home and my insurance company was nudging me about wind mitigation credits. We decided to go with hurricane-impact windows for the whole house. It did bump up the cost (impact glass and beefier frames are pricier), but we got a nice discount on our homeowners insurance after. Plus, it's peace of mind not having to put up plywood or shutters when a storm is coming.

If your home is older, check if your window openings have what's called “buck” framing or need reinforcement. Our installer had to add some anchors in a couple of spots to meet the current code for impact windows. Everything passed inspection fine. If impact windows are too pricey, you can still replace with standard windows but then plan to install storm shutters to satisfy code if you replace a large number of openings. We figured we'd do it once the strongest way. No regrets, especially come storm season.

A small thing I noticed after replacing windows on my 1941 cottage in Dunedin: the new windows can slightly change the look of your interior too. Our old windows had thick wooden trim that gave a certain shadow line in the rooms. The new vinyl windows have a bit less depth, so we ended up adding back some decorative trim indoors to keep the vintage vibe. Also, where our old windows had weight pulleys visible (yes, the sash weights were still in the wall!), the new ones of course don't. We actually found the old cast iron weights and turned one into a little decor piece, haha.

Anyway, think about interior finishing – ask your installer if they will redo or preserve interior casings. Our installer did new wood trim around each window because the old trim got pretty beat up during removal. Now you can't even tell the windows were changed, aside from everything being in much better shape.

For anyone unsure about window types: I replaced old double-hung windows in my 1920s bungalow in Historic Kenwood (St. Pete) with new double-hungs to keep the look, but some neighbors with similar houses switched to single-hung or sliders to save money. Single-hung (only the bottom sash moves) can look almost identical to double-hung but are often a bit cheaper. We considered it, but I liked keeping both sashes operable – helps me ventilate by opening the top a crack and bottom a crack.

As for sliders (windows that slide side-to-side), those can be more affordable too, but they really change the appearance of a vintage home. Sliders give off a mid-century vibe, which is fine for a 1950s ranch but not for a 1920s bungalow, in my opinion. In short, stick with a style that matches your home's era if aesthetics matter to you. And if budget is tight, single-hungs are a decent compromise that still look classic.