Window Balance Replacement for Apartments — Windows That Stay Open
Tenants prop windows open with books and complain in the same week. We fix the balances, latches and locks across the building in one pass so the work orders stop.
JMB Builders does window balance replacement for apartments and rental units across the Twin Cities metro. A sash that slams down, will not stay up, or tilts out and will not go back is usually a broken balance, pivot shoe or tilt latch, not a bad window. We identify the balance from a photo, order parts by the building, and swap them unit by unit in one pass, sash locks included. Priced per window, quoted from photos.
- Priced per window, parts ordered per building
- Block-and-tackle, spiral and coil balances
- Sash locks and tilt latches replaced same visit
- Photos of each window in the job folder
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Every vinyl or aluminum double-hung and single-hung window has a balance hidden in the jamb channel: a spring that holds the weight of the sash. In an apartment building they all went in the same year and they all wear out about the same time. The first symptom is a window that drifts down. Then it slams. Then a tenant wedges it open with a book and calls in a work order, and the same call comes from three other units the same month.
A window company will quote new windows. Most of the time the frames are fine and the fix is a balance, a pivot shoe, a tilt latch or a sash lock, each a small part that has to be matched to the window. We pull one balance, read the stamp on it, measure the sash weight and the channel, and order a set for the building. Then we go unit by unit with the parts in hand, so a tenant is disturbed once and the window is done.
We are a licensed Minnesota residential building contractor, not a glass shop. Fogged glass, a cracked pane or a rotted wood sash is a different item and we tell you which windows need that instead of a balance.
What you supply
- The building address, the number of units, and which windows are on the list (or let us walk the building once)
- One photo of a bad window from inside with the sash tilted in, and one of the balance in the channel if you can see it
- Tenant notice and unit access on the scheduled day, or keys from the office
- Any parts you already stocked from the window manufacturer, if you have them
What JMB supplies
- Identification of the balance type and size from one pulled sample: block-and-tackle channel balance, spiral, or constant-force coil
- The balances, pivot shoes, tilt latches, sash locks and keepers, ordered per building and matched to the window
- Removal of each sash, swap of both balances (never one side), and reset of the pivot shoes so the sash tilts and locks
- Sash lock and keeper replacement on windows that no longer lock, in a matching finish
- A note on any window that needs more than a balance: cracked glass, a fogged unit, a warped sash, a rotted wood frame
- Photos of every window done, by unit number, in your job folder
- One invoice per building or per unit, whichever your books want
How it is priced: per window
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Balance type: coil and spiral balances swap fast; block-and-tackle channel balances take longer and cost more per part
- How many windows in one visit; the parts order and the walk-through are spread across the count
- Whether the window brand and size are still supported or the balances have to be cross-matched from a supplier
- Sash locks and tilt latches added to the same window while the sash is out
- Windows with a stuck or broken pivot shoe that have to be worked out of the channel
- Access: ground-floor walk-ups vs. units with tenants who need scheduling
Send a photo of a tilted-in sash and one of the label or stamp on the window frame edge. That tells us the brand and usually the balance series before we come out.
How long it takes
One sample visit to pull a balance and confirm the part, then the order, then one pass through the building. A crew does a full floor of windows in a day once the parts are in hand.
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 quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 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
Block-and-tackle channel balances
The most common type in vinyl double-hungs: a spring and cord in a metal channel with a pivot shoe at the bottom. They are stamped with a length and a weight class. We replace both sides of a sash so it rides level.
Spiral balances
A rod inside a tube, tensioned with a charging tool. Common in older aluminum and vinyl single-hungs. When the tension is gone the sash drops. New spirals are charged to the sash weight and pinned to the sash shoe.
Constant-force coil balances
A coiled steel spring in a plastic housing that clips into the jamb, found on many newer vinyl windows. They come in stacks matched to sash weight. Fast to swap once we know the count and the coil rating.
Sash locks, keepers and tilt latches
Broken tilt latches let the sash fall out of the channel; broken locks fail inspections and let cold in. We replace them across the building in one finish so the units match, on the same visit as the balances.
Window Balance Replacement for Apartments — Windows That Stay Open: questions, answered
Why does the window in my rental unit not stay open?
Almost always a worn or broken balance in the window jamb. The balance is a spring that holds the sash weight, and when it fails the sash drifts or slams down. On a double-hung with tilt sashes there is also a pivot shoe at the bottom that can crack and let one side drop. JMB Builders identifies the balance from a photo or a pulled sample and replaces it, across every window in the building that needs it, priced per window.
Do you have to replace the whole window when a balance breaks?
No. The frame and the glass are usually fine; the balance is a part that clips or screws into the jamb channel. As long as the window brand or the balance size can still be matched, a balance swap is a small repair and the window works like new. We tell you plainly when a window is past that, such as a rotted wood sash or a fogged glass unit, and quote it as a separate item.
Can you fix the windows in every unit at once?
That is the way to do it. We pull one balance, confirm the part, order enough for the building, and then walk the units in one scheduled pass with parts on the cart. Tenants are disturbed once, and the office gets one invoice per building or per unit. Windows we find with other problems go on a short list with photos so you can decide on them separately.
How do you know which balance to order?
Balances are stamped with a length and a weight or spring rating, and the window frame usually has a label or a stamped brand and series on the edge of the sash or the jamb. We pull one balance, weigh the sash, measure the channel and match all three. When the original maker is gone, the same balance is often made by a parts supplier under a different number, and we cross-match it.
What does it cost to replace window balances in an apartment building?
It is priced per window, with the parts ordered once for the whole building. The number moves with the balance type, how many windows are on the list, whether the brand is still supported, and whether we are also replacing locks and tilt latches while the sash is out. Send a photo of one tilted-in sash and the frame label and we send a per-window price within one business day.
Do you also fix window sash locks that will not latch?
Yes, and it is worth doing on the same visit while the sash is out. A lock that does not catch is usually a broken cam or a keeper that pulled its screws out of the vinyl. We replace the lock and keeper in a matching finish, add longer screws or a backer where the frame is stripped, and do the tilt latches at the top of the sash at the same time.
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 for the builders and dealers we sub for. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 26, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All property managers pages
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