Apartment Aluminum Window Replacement — Vinyl, Fiberglass or Composite
The building still has its original aluminum windows: frost on the frames every winter, water on the sills, latches that no longer catch and tenants who keep calling.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
Apartment aluminum window replacement takes out cold, sweating aluminum sliders and single-hungs and puts in vinyl, fiberglass or composite windows, ordered as one package for the building. JMB Builders decides insert or full frame opening by opening, caps the exterior so no bare wood shows, and installs unit by unit around tenants from the Twin Cities metro to St. Cloud. Priced per opening; send photos for a reply within one business day or book a free in-home estimate.
- Priced per opening, every unit listed
- Aluminum frame out, warmer frame in
- Exterior capped or trimmed on the quote
Plenty of walk-ups and garden apartments still have their first aluminum windows, mostly sliders and single-hungs in mill or bronze finish. Aluminum carries cold straight through the frame, so on a Minnesota winter morning frost and ice build on the frame itself, melt onto the stool and soak the drywall below. The sash latches wear, the tracks pit, and the glass is often an early double-pane with a failing seal.
Going into the old aluminum frame keeps the cold metal in the wall, so on most aluminum windows the frame comes out. What is behind it decides the rest: a wood buck, a masonry opening, or a nail-fin frame behind siding. We open a sample window on the walkthrough, check the buck and sill for rot, and write insert or full frame for each opening on the quote.
Frame choices from the lines we install: vinyl such as Pella 250 Series, ProVia Endure or Thermo-Tech Thermo-Fit; fiberglass such as Pella Impervia; or Andersen 100 Series in Fibrex composite. We order through ABC Supply, and what a branch carries varies, so the brand is confirmed on the quote. Outside, the buck or brickmould is wrapped in aluminum capping or PVC trim so no bare wood is left to rot.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough: a reply within one business day, or ask for a free in-home estimate. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
What you supply
- Unit access and the tenant notice your leases and Minnesota law require
- Your choice of frame material, color and glass for the building
- Capping color to match or change the building's trim
- A spot on site for the trailer and the old frames
- Paint color for new interior trim: painting is quoted as a separate line, or leave it primed and caulked
What JMB supplies
- A sample frame opened on the walkthrough to see the buck and sill
- In-person measure of every opening, insert or full frame written per opening
- Windows ordered as one package through ABC Supply
- Aluminum frames removed and hauled off daily
- Sill pan, flashing, low-expansion foam and sealant at each opening
- Exterior capping or PVC trim and interior stops or casing
- Photos of each finished unit in your job folder
- A certificate of insurance and a W-9 on request
How it is priced: per opening
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- What the aluminum frame is set in: wood buck, masonry or nail fin behind siding
- Rot in the buck, sill or stool once the frame is out
- Vinyl, fiberglass or composite frame and the glass package
- Exterior capping or PVC trim on each opening
- Brick, block or stucco at the opening
- Upper-floor exterior access
Send a close photo of one aluminum window inside and out, each side of the building, and a count of windows per unit type.
How long it takes
Installs typically run one to two working days per unit; masonry openings and rot repair add time. Lead time depends on the brand and is written on the quote.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized reply within one business day. Prefer a look in person? A free in-home estimate is always an option.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Vinyl
The usual replacement for aluminum in apartments: warm frame, low upkeep, many sizes. Pella 250 Series, ProVia Endure and Thermo-Tech Thermo-Fit are vinyl lines we install.
Fiberglass
A stiffer frame that moves with the glass in temperature swings. Pella Impervia is a fiberglass line we install.
Composite
Andersen 100 Series is made of Fibrex composite and comes in dark exterior colors, for buildings that want a darker frame than white vinyl.
Exterior capping
The wood buck or brickmould is wrapped in bent aluminum coil, or replaced with PVC trim, so the outside of each opening is sealed and finished.
Apartment Aluminum Window Replacement — Vinyl, Fiberglass or Composite: questions, answered
Why do old aluminum apartment windows frost and sweat?
Aluminum conducts cold through the frame, so the room side of the frame drops below freezing on cold mornings. Moist room air frosts on it and melts onto the sill. A vinyl, fiberglass or composite frame stays far warmer on the room side.
Should aluminum apartment windows be replaced with vinyl or fiberglass?
Vinyl is the common choice for apartments: a warm frame and low upkeep. Fiberglass is stiffer and handles dark colors and temperature swings well. Composite such as Andersen 100 Series sits in between; we price the lines you want side by side.
Can new windows be inserted into old aluminum frames?
It can be done, but the aluminum frame stays in the wall and keeps conducting cold around the new window. On most aluminum windows we remove the frame and set the new window in the wood buck or rough opening. The method is written for each opening on the quote.
What happens to the outside of the building when aluminum windows come out?
Removing the frame exposes the wood buck or brickmould around the opening. We wrap it in aluminum capping or replace it with PVC trim and seal it to the brick, siding or stucco. The capping color is your choice.
Can aluminum slider windows be replaced with a different style?
Yes. Sliders can become single-hungs or casements in the same opening; casements give more escape opening in bedrooms. The style is chosen per opening and ordered as one package so the building matches.
Do you replace aluminum storefront windows?
No. Aluminum storefront and curtain wall systems are glazing-contractor work that JMB does not quote. We replace residential-style windows in apartment units and common areas of low-rise buildings.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and the builders we work with. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
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Read morePage reviewed October 9, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All apartment buildings pages
Where we work
Apartment & Multifamily Window and Door Projects near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: