Garden Level Apartment Window Replacement — Below-Grade Units
Your garden-level units have the worst windows in the building: wet sills, fogged glass, wells full of leaves and bedroom windows nobody could climb out of.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
Garden level apartment window replacement covers units set partly below grade: JMB Builders checks each window well and its drainage, sizes bedroom windows for egress to code, seals the new window to the block or poured wall so water stops at the sill, and fits ground-level locks. Each opening is listed on the bid. Twin Cities metro to St. Cloud, priced per opening; photo reply within one business day or a free in-home estimate.
- Priced per opening
- Bedroom windows checked for egress
- Wells and sill leaks looked at first
Garden-level units sit half in the ground, and their windows take the beating: snow piled against them, water draining into the well, cold glass that sweats all winter, and the first window a burglar tries. Swapping the window alone does not fix most of that, so we look at the whole opening.
The well comes first. If it is full of debris, the drain is plugged or grade runs toward the building, a new window will leak at the sill just like the old one. Those findings go on the bid as their own lines. Then the window: the buck is checked for rot, the new unit is set and sealed to the concrete or block, and the inside gets new returns.
A garden-level bedroom needs a window big enough and low enough to climb out of, with a well someone can stand in. If the existing opening is too small, enlarging it means cutting the wall, a bigger well and a permit, and that is priced separately from a straight swap. The building official decides what the code requires for that unit.
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
- Which garden-level rooms are used as bedrooms
- Any rental inspection orders about egress or leaks
- Resident notice and access on the unit's day
- Your call on well covers, if you want them
What JMB supplies
- A look at each well, its drain and the grade around it
- Every opening measured and listed with buck and well condition
- Bedroom windows checked for egress to code
- Rotted bucks rebuilt; windows sealed to the concrete or block
- Interior returns or jamb extensions finished
- Egress enlargement, new wells or covers as separate lines
- Laminated glass or extra locks as alternates where the brand offers them
- Permit pulled when the job needs one
How it is priced: per opening
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Straight swap vs. enlarging the opening for egress
- Rotted bucks at the concrete
- Well condition: clean-out, new well or cover
- Block vs. poured wall
- Interior finish around the window
- Glass and lock alternates
Send one photo of each well from above and each window from inside, labeled by unit and room.
How long it takes
Most straight swaps take a few hours per opening; an egress enlargement takes longer and needs an inspection. Lead time depends on the brand and is written on the bid.
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
Straight swap
New window in the same opening, sealed to the concrete, returns finished. For living rooms, kitchens and baths where egress is not needed.
Egress enlargement
Wall cut bigger, a new egress window and a well someone can stand in, with a permit. For garden-level bedrooms that do not meet the code range today.
Well clean-up and covers
Wells cleaned out, drains checked, and covers fitted if you want them. Priced per well.
Garden Level Apartment Window Replacement — Below-Grade Units: questions, answered
Why do garden level apartment windows leak at the sill?
Usually because water collects in the window well: a plugged drain, leaves, or grade sloping toward the building. A new window will leak the same way if the well is not fixed. We check each well and list what it needs on the bid.
Does a garden level bedroom need an egress window?
A sleeping room generally needs an emergency escape opening, and in a garden-level unit that usually means a larger window and a well someone can stand in. The building official decides for each unit. We check every bedroom window against the code range and price any enlargement as its own line.
Why do lower level apartment windows get condensation?
The glass is cold because the window is near the ground and often in shade or snow, and indoor humidity condenses on it. Newer insulated glass runs warmer, which helps. Humidity in the unit and air movement matter too.
Can ground floor apartment windows be made more secure?
Yes, within what the window line offers: sash locks on every window, and laminated glass as an alternate where the brand makes it. Egress windows still have to open fully from inside without keys or tools.
Do you replace the window wells too?
Where they need it. Wells are cleaned out, drains checked, and a new or bigger well installed where egress requires it. Each is a separate line so you can see it apart from the window.
Is garden level window replacement priced per unit or per window?
Per opening, because garden-level windows vary so much: a straight swap, a rotted buck or a full egress enlargement are very different jobs. Every opening is listed with what it needs.
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: