Screens, Blinds and Alarm Sensors in a Whole-House Job
The windows are the big decision; the screens, the blinds and the little white sensors are what you notice the week after.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-250-3621.
Screens, blinds and alarm sensors get handled in a whole-house window replacement: every new window comes with its screen, blinds go back up where the new frame fits them, and alarm sensors come off the old sashes and go back on the new ones or to your alarm company for remounting. JMB Builders walks it room by room at the measure, Twin Cities metro. Send photos and we reply within one business day, or book a free in-home estimate.
- Every new window comes with its screen
- Blinds rehung where the new frame still fits them
- Alarm sensors removed first and remounted or handed off
Three small things ride along with every whole-house window job, and nobody asks about them until install week. Screens: the new windows come with them, sized to the sash, so the old aluminum storms and screens go away with the old windows. Blinds: an inside-mount blind fits a specific width and depth, and a new window can change both. Alarm sensors: most houses with a system have a magnet and contact on each sash, and they have to come off before the sash does.
Blinds are the one that surprises people. An insert window sits inside the old frame, so the opening behind the casing gets narrower and the blind that was inside-mounted may now be too wide, or the new sash may stick out where the blind used to hang. A full-frame window with new casing usually gives a deeper jamb, and the same blind often fits again. We measure the blind pocket at every window at the measure and tell you which blinds go back up as they are, which need the brackets moved, and which will not fit.
Sensors depend on the system. Surface-mount contacts come off the old sash with a putty knife and go back on the new one with fresh tape or screws, and we test each one with you. Recessed or wired contacts and anything tied into a monitored panel are left for your alarm company to remount and re-enroll; we leave the wires accessible and labeled.
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
- Photos of each window with the blinds up and down, labeled by room
- A photo of an alarm sensor on a sash, and the name of your alarm company
- Blinds taken down the night before each install day, labeled by room
- A note on which blinds you want to keep and which can go
- A call to your alarm company if any sensors are wired into a monitored panel
What JMB supplies
- A screen with every window, fitted and checked at install
- A blind-fit check at every window at the measure, written on the quote
- Rehanging of blinds that fit, with brackets moved where the new frame needs it
- Removal of surface-mount alarm contacts before the sashes come out, remounted and tested on the new sashes
- Wired or recessed sensors left accessible and labeled for your alarm company
- Removal of old storm windows and screens with the old windows, and photos 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:
- Screens are included with the windows; finer or heavier mesh is an upgrade in most lines
- Blinds rehung where they fit is part of the install; new blinds are yours to buy
- Surface-mount sensors remounted as part of the install; wired or monitored sensors handled by your alarm company
- Windows ordered with blinds between the glass, where the line offers it
- Insert vs. full frame, which decides how many blinds still fit
- Window line, series, style, color, glass package and grilles
Send one photo of a blind pulled up and one of a sensor on a sash. Those two photos tell us most of what we need for every window in the house.
How long it takes
Lead time is on the quote. Install is two to five working days for most houses; blinds are rehung and sensors remounted as each room is finished, not at the end.
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
Keep the blinds, keep the sensors
Blinds that fit are rehung the same day, brackets moved where needed. Surface-mount sensors go back on the new sashes and are tested with you before we leave the room.
Blinds between the glass
Order the windows with blinds sealed inside the glass where the line offers it, and the question of fit goes away in those rooms. Common in kitchens, baths and patio-door sidelites.
New blinds after the windows
Inside-mount blinds are measured to the new frame once it is in. We give you the pocket width and depth at every window so you can order them the same week.
Screens, Blinds and Alarm Sensors in a Whole-House Job: questions, answered
Do new replacement windows come with screens?
Yes. Every operating window comes with its own screen sized to the sash: half screens on double-hungs and sliders, full screens on casements that sit inside. They are fitted and checked at the install. The old aluminum storms and screens go away with the old windows unless you want to keep them.
Will my existing blinds fit the new windows?
Some will and some will not, and we tell you which at the measure. An insert window narrows the opening behind the casing, so an inside-mount blind can be too wide or too shallow. A full-frame window with new casing often gives a deeper jamb and the same blind fits again. Outside-mount blinds on the casing almost always go back as they were.
What happens to the alarm sensors on my windows?
Surface-mount contacts come off the old sash before it is removed and go back on the new sash with fresh tape or screws; we test each one with you. Recessed or wired contacts and anything tied to a monitored panel are left accessible and labeled for your alarm company to remount and re-enroll, since the panel needs to know the sensor.
Do I need to call my alarm company before window replacement?
If the sensors are wired or the system is monitored, yes. Tell them the install dates so they can schedule a remount and so the system is not in alarm while sashes are out. Battery stick-on sensors you can usually move yourself or we move them as part of the install.
Can the new windows have blinds built into the glass?
In the lines that offer it, yes. The blind or shade is sealed between the panes and worked by a slider on the frame, so nothing hangs on the window and nothing has to fit. It is a per-window option on the order and common in kitchens, baths and next to patio doors.
Should I take the blinds down before install day?
Yes, the night before each day's rooms, and label them by room. Blinds left up get dusty and in the way. We rehang the ones that fit as each room is finished and set aside the ones that do not with a note on the new pocket size so you can order replacements.
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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