What Happens to the Old Windows
Twenty old windows is a pile. Here is where it goes, what gets recycled, what you can keep, and why it is on the quote instead of in your driveway.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-250-3621.
What happens to the old windows: JMB Builders hauls them away as part of a whole-house replacement, with the haul-away written on the quote. Sashes, frames and old storm windows leave on the trailer each day, aluminum storms and frames go to metal recycling, and anything you want to keep is set aside before it goes on the pile. Twin Cities metro. Send photos and we reply within one business day, or book a free in-home estimate.
- Haul-away written on the quote, old units gone each day
- Aluminum storms and frames go to metal recycling
- Keep any old window you want; just tell us which
A whole house of old windows is more than people expect: twenty frames, forty sashes, a stack of aluminum storms and screens, and the trim that came off with them. None of it should sit in your yard. Haul-away is a line on our quote, and the old units leave on the trailer at the end of each install day, so there is never a pile by the garage overnight.
Most of it is mixed waste: wood frames, glass sealed in sashes, vinyl. Old aluminum storm windows and aluminum-framed sliders are the exception; the metal is worth sorting out, and it goes to a scrap recycler instead of the landfill. Glass from old windows is not accepted by curbside recycling, so it goes with the sashes.
If there is a window you want to keep, say so at the measure. A wavy-glass sash for a picture frame, a stained-glass transom, a pair of old casements for a garden shed: we set them aside whole and leave them where you want them. Everything else is gone when we are.
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 763-250-3621.
What you supply
- A note at the measure of any old window, sash or storm you want to keep
- A spot to set aside anything you are keeping
- Nothing else: the haul-away is ours and is written on the quote
What JMB supplies
- Haul-away of every old window, sash, storm, screen and piece of trim, written on the quote
- Old units loaded on the trailer at the end of each day, no pile left overnight
- Aluminum storms and frames sorted for metal recycling
- Any window you asked to keep set aside whole where you want it
- Sweep and magnet pass under each window for glass and nails
- Photos of the finished windows in your job folder
How it is priced: per opening
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Haul-away is included on a whole-house quote and shown as its own line
- Count and size of the old units, which sets how many trailer loads
- Old storm windows and screens to remove and haul with the windows
- Old trim removed on a full-frame job, which adds to the load
- Window line, series, style, color, glass and trim for the new windows
- Insert vs. full frame at each opening
If you plan to keep any old windows, say so before install day. Once a sash is on the trailer it is mixed in with the rest.
How long it takes
The old windows leave with us each day of the install; nothing is stored on site. Install is two to five working days for most houses.
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
Everything hauled away
The usual job. Every old window, storm, screen and strip of trim goes on the trailer at the end of each day. Haul-away is a line on the quote.
Keep a few, haul the rest
You mark the sashes or units you want for a project. We take them out whole, set them where you say, and haul everything else.
Your dumpster, our labor
If you have a dumpster on site for another project, the old windows can go in it and the haul-away line comes off the quote. Glass and frames count toward the dumpster weight.
What Happens to the Old Windows: questions, answered
Do you take the old windows away?
Yes. Haul-away is written on the quote for every whole-house job. The old windows, sashes, storms, screens and removed trim go on the trailer at the end of each install day, so nothing sits in the yard overnight. You do not need to arrange a dumpster or a trip to the dump.
Can I keep some of my old windows?
Yes. Tell us at the measure or before install day which ones, and we take them out whole and set them aside where you want them. Old wavy-glass sashes, a stained-glass unit or a pair of casements for a shed are the usual requests. Once a sash is on the trailer it is mixed with the rest.
Can old windows be recycled?
Partly. Aluminum storm windows and aluminum-framed sliders are sorted out and go to a scrap metal recycler. Wood frames, vinyl and the glass sealed in old sashes are not accepted by curbside or most drop-off recycling, so they go as mixed construction waste. Nothing is left for your household bins.
Is window disposal included in the quote?
Yes, as its own line, so you can see it. The line covers loading, hauling and the disposal fee for everything that comes off the house, including old storms and trim. If you have a dumpster on site for another project and want to use it, the line comes off.
What happens to the old storm windows?
They come down with the old windows and go on the trailer. Aluminum storms are sorted for metal recycling. New windows do not need storms, and they are in the way of the capping and trim, so they do not go back up unless you have a reason to keep them.
Can I put the old windows in my own dumpster to save money?
Yes, if a dumpster is already on site for another project. The old windows go in it and the haul-away line comes off the quote. Keep in mind glass and frames are heavy and count toward the dumpster weight, and some dumpster companies have rules about glass, so check with them first.
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 25, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All whole-house projects pages
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