Replace All Windows in a Two Story House — Upstairs and Down
Your two-story colonial has twenty-some original windows, half of them twenty feet up, and you want them all done in one job instead of one at a time.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
To replace all windows in a two story house, JMB Builders measures every opening in one visit, orders the whole house in one order so colors and glass match, and installs room by room: main floor first, then the upstairs from ladders, roof brackets or a rented lift. Each opening is closed the same day. Twin Cities metro and north to St. Cloud. Priced per project with a line for every window.
- Priced per project, every window its own line
- Upstairs access planned side by side
- Each opening closed the same day
A two-story colonial usually has a lot of windows and most of them look alike: double hungs or casements in rows on the front, bedrooms upstairs, a kitchen and a slider or patio door at the back. Doing them as one project means one measure, one order and one setup per side of the house instead of hauling ladders back every spring.
The upstairs is what makes the quote. Each wall gets an access plan: an extension ladder with a standoff over lawn, roof brackets and planks where a porch or garage roof sits under the windows, or a lift where the ground allows one and a whole side is done at once. Insert windows in sound frames can often be set from inside the bedrooms. The single-window version of this is on the second story window page; this page is the whole house.
Inside, we go room by room. Furniture is pulled back from the walls, floors are covered from the door to the window, and a room is closed up before we start the next. Nobody sleeps next to an open hole.
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
- A wide photo of each side of the house showing what sits under the windows
- Style, color, glass and grille choices, made before the order goes in
- Clear paths to the windows on install days; fragile items off the sills
- Patio furniture and planters moved from under the upstairs windows
What JMB supplies
- One in-person measure of every opening before anything is ordered
- The windows, ordered as one package through ABC Supply
- Ladders with standoffs, roof brackets, planks and fall protection
- A rented lift when the quote calls for one
- Floor runners and drop cloths; old windows hauled away
- Sill pans, flashing tape, low-expansion foam and sealant on every opening
- Interior and exterior trim finished; painting quoted as a separate line
- The permit, pulled by us when the city requires one
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Number of windows and how many are upstairs
- Access on each side: ladder, roof brackets or a rented lift
- Insert vs. full-frame, chosen opening by opening
- Window line, color, glass package and grilles
- Rot in sills or framing found when the old window comes out
- Exterior trim or capping, and whether siding has to come off around openings
- A patio door or entry door added to the same order
The quote lists every opening with its own line, so you can compare it with another bid or split it into phases.
How long it takes
Lead time depends on the brand and is written on the quote. On site, a 20 to 30 window two-story is usually one to two weeks, set by access and how many are full-frame.
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
All at once
One order, one schedule, ladders and lift set up once per side. Colors and glass match because every unit comes from the same order.
Upstairs first, downstairs next year
The quote is already split by opening, so the upstairs can go as one phase. Pick the same line and color so the second phase matches.
Front of house first
Some owners do the street side first for looks and the rest later. Lift and ladder setup is planned around which walls are in each phase.
Replace All Windows in a Two Story House — Upstairs and Down: questions, answered
How many days does it take to replace every window in a two story house?
Once the windows arrive, most two-story houses with 20 to 30 windows take one to two weeks on site. Insert windows go faster than full-frame, and upstairs windows over a roof or slope take longer to reach. Each opening is closed and sealed the same day it is opened.
Do you need a lift to replace second floor windows?
Not always. Many upstairs windows are done from extension ladders with standoffs, from roof brackets on a porch or garage roof, or set from inside when they are inserts. A lift is rented when a whole side is high or the units are heavy, and it is a line on the quote.
Is it cheaper to replace all the windows in a two story house at once?
It usually saves setup. Ladders, roof brackets or a lift go up once per wall instead of once per window, and one order covers the whole house. The quote lists each window, so you can see what a phase would cost if you would rather split it.
Can we live in the house while all the windows are replaced?
Yes. We work room by room and close each opening the same day, so no bedroom is left open overnight. Expect noise and some dust in the room we are in, and plan to clear a path to each window that morning.
What do I have to decide before the windows are ordered?
Style for each opening, inside and outside colors, glass package, grilles and screens. Bedroom windows are checked for egress before the order. Once the order is placed it is built to those sizes, so the decisions come first and the lead time starts after.
Who do I call while the window job is going on?
JMB. One crew does the work and one number answers questions about the schedule, a window that looks wrong or a delivery. You will not be passed between a salesperson, a scheduler and an installer.
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.
Related jobs we do
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Read moreWhole House Window Replacement — One Measure, One Order, Room by Room
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Read more1970s House Window Replacement — Every Original Window at Once
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Read morePage reviewed October 9, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All whole-house projects pages
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