Bathroom Window Replacement — Privacy, Venting, a Sill That Stays Dry
The bathroom window drips every winter morning, the bottom of the sash is turning black, and the blind has been shut for years because the neighbors can see in.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
Bathroom window replacement for the window over the vanity, the toilet or beside the tub: a new unit with privacy glass, a sash that opens to let steam out, tempered glass where the code calls for it, and interior trim that does not swell. JMB Builders installs them across the Twin Cities metro. Priced per opening. Send photos for a reply within one business day, or book a free in-home estimate.
- Priced per opening, window supplied
- Privacy glass and a sash that vents
- Tempered where the code calls for it
The bathroom is the wettest room in the house, and the window takes most of it. Steam from a shower hits the coldest surface in the room, which is the glass, then runs down onto the sill. On an old wood window that water soaks into the bottom rail and the stool every day. That is why bathroom windows rot first, even when the rest of the house looks fine.
A new bathroom window fixes three things at once. Privacy goes into the glass, so the blind can stay open. The sash opens far enough to clear the steam after a shower, which a painted-shut window never does. And the inside finish is a material that does not swell: PVC or a sealed stool instead of raw wood.
This page is for the usual bathroom window: over the vanity, above the toilet or across from the tub. A window inside the tub or shower wall is a waterproofing job and has its own page. The choice of glass pattern has its own page too.
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
- Photos of the window inside and out, plus a close-up of the sill and bottom corners
- Where the window sits relative to the tub or shower, so tempered glass is ordered where needed
- How much privacy you want and what the window looks onto
- Frame color and style (casement, awning, double-hung or slider)
What JMB supplies
- One in-person measure before anything is ordered
- The new window with obscure glass in the sashes you pick, tempered where required
- Old window out and hauled away, the vanity and floor covered
- Rotted stool or sill framing repaired once the old unit is out (shown on the quote as a line)
- Sill pan, flashing, low-expansion foam and exterior capping or trim
- Moisture-resistant stool and casing, or a drywall return with a PVC sill
- Painting quoted as a separate line — or leave it primed and caulked and paint it yourself
- Photos of the finished window 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:
- Window style and size: a small slider vs. a casement or awning
- Obscure glass in one sash or both, and tempered glass by location
- Insert into a sound frame vs. full-frame removal
- Rot in the stool, sill or framing below the window
- Interior finish: reset wood trim, new PVC, or a drywall return
- Exterior: aluminum capping, new trim or a siding patch
Send one photo with the tub or shower in frame next to the window. It tells us whether tempered glass is needed before the quote.
How long it takes
One bathroom window: about half a day once it arrives, trim included. Lead time depends on the brand and is written on the quote.
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
Awning over the tub or toilet
Hinged at the top, so it can be left cracked open during a shower or in light rain. A good pick for a small, high bathroom window.
Casement for the most air
Cranks open the full width and catches a breeze. The crank sits low on the frame, easy to reach over a vanity.
Double-hung, obscure below
Privacy glass in the bottom sash, clear glass in the top for sky and light. Suits a house where the other windows are double-hung.
Slider to a different style
An old slider's bottom track holds water and grime. Swapping it for an awning or casement in the same opening is common in bathrooms.
Bathroom Window Replacement — Privacy, Venting, a Sill That Stays Dry: questions, answered
What kind of window is best for a bathroom?
An awning or casement with obscure glass is the usual pick. Both seal tight against a gasket when shut and open wide enough to clear steam. An awning can stay cracked open in light rain. A vinyl or fiberglass frame holds up better to bathroom moisture than bare wood.
Why does my bathroom window drip and rot at the bottom?
Shower steam condenses on the coldest surface in the room, which is the glass, and runs down to the sill. On an old wood window that water soaks into the bottom rail and stool every day. A new insulated window runs warmer, so less condenses, and a moisture-resistant sill does not soak up what does. Running the bath fan during and after a shower matters as much as the window.
Does a bathroom window need tempered glass?
Only in certain spots. The code calls for safety glass in a window close to a tub or shower and in some other locations, and the rules are in measured distances. A window across the room over the vanity usually does not need it. We check where the window sits at the measure and order tempered glass wherever it is required.
Can I replace a small bathroom window without redoing the whole wall?
Yes. Most bathroom windows go in as an insert or a full-frame swap in the same opening, so the wall, tile and siding stay. On a full-frame install, the inside trim and a small strip of exterior trim are replaced. The rest of the bathroom stays usable the same day.
What interior trim should go around a bathroom window?
Something that does not swell when it gets wet: a PVC stool and casing, or a drywall return with a PVC sill. Painted PVC looks like painted wood from a few feet away. Raw wood trim in a bathroom is where the rot starts again.
Can I keep the bathroom window and just get privacy glass?
Sometimes a new glass unit in the old sash is enough, and we will tell you. If the frame is soft at the bottom, the window leaks air, or the sash will not open, a new window with obscure glass is the better spend. The photos usually show which one it is.
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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