Full Frame Window Replacement — Old Window Out to the Rough Opening
The frame is rotted, the sill is soft, or you want the most glass the opening allows. Full frame takes it all out and starts over at the studs.
JMB Builders does full frame window replacement across the Twin Cities metro. We remove the old window, frame and trim down to the rough opening, repair rot in the sill and framing, set the new window in a sill pan, flash it into the wall, insulate the gap, and install new interior and exterior trim. Priced per window, measured in person before ordering, quoted from photos.
- Priced per window, windows supplied
- Rot repair and flashing done in the open wall
- In-home measure before anything is ordered
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
A full frame replacement removes everything: sashes, frame, interior casing and the exterior trim. What is left is the rough opening in the wall. That lets us see and fix what is behind the old window: rotted sill plates, soft jack studs, missing flashing, and gaps that were never insulated.
The new window goes in the way a new-construction window does. A sloped sill pan first, the unit set level and plumb, flashing tape lapped over the fin or frame in the right order so water runs out, then low-expansion foam in the gap. It costs more than an insert because the trim and siding are part of the job, but you get a window that is sealed into the wall rather than tucked inside an old frame.
What you supply
- Your choice of brand, color, glass package and grilles
- Your pick of interior casing style (or match what you have)
- Clear access inside and out: furniture pulled back, plants and decor off the wall outside
- Your paint or stain color — Painting is quoted as a separate line — or leave it primed and caulked and paint it yourself.
What JMB supplies
- In-home measure of each rough opening before ordering
- The windows: flanged or block-frame units ordered to size
- Removal and haul-away of the old window, frame and trim
- Rot repair of sill plates, jack studs or sheathing (quoted when found)
- Sill pan, flashing tape, housewrap repair, low-expansion foam
- New interior casing, stool and apron or returns
- New exterior trim, capping or siding patch around the opening
- Photos of the finished windows in your job folder
How it is priced: per window
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Exterior cladding: lap siding, stucco, brick or cedar shakes
- How much rot is behind the old window
- Window size, brand, frame material and glass package
- New exterior trim or capping, and siding patching
- Interior trim: new casing, stool and apron vs. drywall returns
- Second-story access and ladders or staging
- How many windows in the job
Send photos inside and outside of each window, and one of the siding so we know what gets cut and patched.
How long it takes
Full frame with new exterior trim: one to three windows a day, depending on size, floor and siding. Each opening is closed and weathertight the same 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 quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 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
Nail fin (flanged) window
A new-construction style unit with a nailing fin. The siding is cut back, the fin is nailed and taped to the sheathing, and the siding or trim is put back over it. The best-flashed install there is.
Block-frame window
A unit with no fin, fastened through the frame into the studs. Used where the siding or stucco cannot come back far enough for a fin, with flashing and trim sealing the edge.
Full frame with new siding
When siding is being replaced too, the windows go in as each wall is opened, fully flashed before the new siding goes on.
Full Frame Window Replacement — Old Window Out to the Rough Opening: questions, answered
When do I need full frame window replacement?
When the old frame or sill is rotted, the window leaked into the wall, the frame is badly out of square, or you want more glass than an insert allows. It is also the right call when you are replacing siding or trim at the same time. If the frame is sound and square, an insert costs less.
Does full frame replacement mean new interior trim?
Yes. The interior casing comes off with the old window, and we install new casing, stool and apron or drywall returns to fit the new unit. Painting is quoted separately, or leave it primed and caulked and paint it yourself.
Will you have to cut my siding?
Usually a few inches around the opening, so the new window's fin or frame can be flashed to the wall. The siding or trim is put back or replaced around it. On stucco and brick the approach changes; those have their own pages.
Do I get more glass with a full frame window?
Compared with an insert, yes. An insert sits inside the old frame, so it loses an inch or more on every side. A full frame unit uses the whole rough opening.
What if you find rot when the old window comes out?
We stop and show you. Soft sill plates, jack studs or sheathing are cut out and replaced before the new window goes in. The repair is quoted before we go further.
How long does a full frame window replacement take?
One to three windows a day with new exterior trim, depending on size, floor and siding. Each opening is closed and weathertight the same day.
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 for the builders and dealers we sub for. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
Related jobs we do
Insert Replacement Windows — Pocket Install in the Old Frame
The frames are sound, the trim is worth keeping, and you want new windows without tearing into the walls. An insert slides into the old frame.
Read moreWindow Replacement in a Stucco House — Sealed Without Cracking It
Stucco does not forgive a sloppy window install. We replace the windows without cracking the walls, and flash them so water stays out.
Read moreWindow Replacement in a Brick House — Set Behind the Brick Returns
Brick does not move, so the window has to fit the opening. We replace windows in brick walls without touching the masonry and seal them tight to it.
Read moreSiding and Windows at the Same Time — One Crew, One Job
If the siding is coming off anyway, it is the cheapest the windows will ever be to replace — and the only time the window flashing and the wall flashing can be done as one piece.
Read moreExterior Window Sill Rot Repair — Sill Nosing Rebuilt, Window Kept
The sill outside the window is soft, checked and peeling, but the window itself opens, locks and is not fogged. We rebuild the sill and leave the window alone.
Read more1.5 Story Dormer Window Replacement — Upstairs Knee Wall Bedrooms
The upstairs windows in the dormers are drafty and hard to reach, and the bedrooms up there are the coldest rooms in the house.
Read morePage reviewed September 26, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All windows pages
Where we work
Windows near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: