1920s Bungalow Window Replacement — Original Trim Kept, Pockets Filled
A pre-war bungalow with wood double hungs, broken sash cords, storms on the outside and wide craftsman casing inside that you do not want to lose.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
1920s bungalow window replacement usually means old wood double hungs on ropes and weights, plaster walls and wide original casing. JMB Builders replaces them across the Twin Cities metro: weights and pulleys out, weight pockets insulated, new windows set as inserts that keep the original casing, or full-frame where the frame is rotted. Priced per window, quoted from photos, reply within one business day.
- Priced per window, windows supplied
- Original casing kept on insert installs
- Weight pockets emptied and insulated
The bungalows on the older blocks of Minneapolis, St. Paul and the river towns were mostly built with wood double hungs hung on cords, pulleys and cast-iron weights hidden in pockets on each side of the frame. Many still have them, with broken cords, painted-shut sashes and wooden or aluminum storms outside. Inside, the casing is often wide flat stock with a head cap, set on plaster, and it is part of why people bought the house.
Those weight pockets are hollow boxes running the height of the window, open to the wall. They are a major air leak. When the old sashes come out, the weights and pulleys come out too, and the pockets are filled with insulation and the pulley holes sealed before the new window goes in.
Most bungalow windows go in as inserts: the old frame stays, the new window is set inside it, and the original interior casing never comes off the plaster. Where the sill or frame is rotted, a full-frame install is the right call, and then the casing comes off carefully and goes back or is matched. Painting is quoted as a separate line — or leave it primed and caulked and paint it yourself.
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
- Your pick of window style, color and glass for each room
- Whether you want to keep the original casing everywhere or only in some rooms
- Photos of the front of the house and each window inside and out
What JMB supplies
- In-home measure of every opening before anything is ordered
- The windows, ordered to size
- Old sashes, weights, pulleys and storms removed and hauled away
- Weight pockets insulated and pulley holes sealed
- Insert installs set inside the old frame with the original casing left in place
- Full-frame installs where the frame is rotted, with sill pan and flashing
- Interior stops and exterior capping or trim to finish each opening
- Photos of the finished windows in your job folder
How it is priced: per window
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Insert vs. full-frame on each opening
- Keeping the original casing vs. new casing to match
- Rot in the sill or frame found when the sashes come out
- Exterior: aluminum capping over old wood trim vs. new trim
- Glass package, grilles and how many windows in the job
Send one photo of the front of the house and one of each window inside, with the casing in the shot.
How long it takes
Most bungalow windows: four to six a day as inserts, fewer full-frame. Every opening is closed up at the end of each day.
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
Insert, original casing kept
The new window sets inside the old frame. Inside, only the stops change; the wide casing and plaster stay. The usual choice for bungalows.
Full-frame in plaster
When the frame or sill is rotted. The casing is pulled carefully, the old frame comes out, the new window is flashed into the opening, and the casing goes back or is matched.
Keep the originals
If you want to keep the old sashes, new storm windows over them are the alternative to replacement. That job has its own page.
1920s Bungalow Window Replacement — Original Trim Kept, Pockets Filled: questions, answered
Can I replace bungalow windows and keep the original trim?
Yes, with insert windows. The new window is set inside the old frame, and only the interior stops change. The casing and plaster around it are not touched. Where a frame is rotted and has to come out, the casing is pulled carefully and reinstalled or matched.
What happens to the sash weights when old windows are replaced?
The weights, cords and pulleys come out with the old sashes. The empty weight pockets are filled with insulation and the pulley holes sealed, because those pockets are open to the wall and leak a lot of air.
Should a 1920s bungalow get insert or full-frame windows?
Insert, when the old frames and sills are solid, because it keeps the plaster and casing intact. Full-frame where a sill or frame is rotted or the opening is badly out of square. Many houses end up with a mix, decided window by window.
Will new windows look right on a craftsman bungalow?
The look comes mostly from the casing and the sash proportions. Keeping the original casing and choosing a window with similar sash rails and optional grilles keeps the house looking like itself. We go over the choices at the in-home measure.
Do I need a permit to replace windows in an old house?
Some cities in the metro require one for window replacement and some do not, and historic districts can have their own review. When the job needs a permit, we pull it.
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 windows pages
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