Hopper Window Replacement — Windows That Tip In From the Top
The basement hopper will not latch tight, the hinge along the bottom is rusted, or it falls into the room when you open it, and you want one that vents and locks.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
Hopper window replacement: the old bottom-hinged window that tips in from the top comes out, the opening is measured in person, and a new hopper is set and sealed in the block, poured or framed wall, with the latches, limit arms and screen checked before we leave. JMB Builders does it across the Twin Cities metro. Priced per opening. Send photos and we reply within one business day, or book a free in-home estimate.
- Priced per opening, windows supplied
- Concrete or framed walls
- Latches, stays and screen checked
A hopper is hinged at the bottom and tips into the room from the top. It is the standard basement window in Minnesota houses for good reasons: nothing swings out into the window well, the gap opens at the top where warm, damp air collects, and you can reach the latch standing on the floor.
This page is about the hopper itself: what a good one does and how it is set. The basement window replacement page covers the concrete side of the job, like cutting out a steel frame or rebuilding a rotted buck. Hoppers also sit in framed walls: a walkout, a bathroom, over a laundry tub. There the new unit goes in a sill pan and is flashed into the wall like any other window.
Three parts decide whether a hopper works. The latches should pull the sash tight to the weatherstrip. The limit arms or stays should stop it partway open instead of letting it drop. The screen sits outside and keeps well bugs out. Sometimes a repair is enough, and we will tell you. When the frame is rusted, rotted or single-pane, a new unit is the fix.
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 each hopper from inside and from the well or yard outside
- Whether the room is a bedroom now or could be one later
- Glass choice: clear, obscure for a bathroom, or laminated where the line offers it
- Shelving and stored boxes moved back from each window
What JMB supplies
- One in-person measure of every hopper opening before ordering
- New hopper windows in one order, so glass and color match
- Old window and frame removed and hauled away
- Rotted wood buck rebuilt where needed, quoted per opening
- Sealant to the concrete, low-expansion foam and an exterior seal on the well side
- Latches, limit arms and screen checked and shown to you
- Interior trim or drywall return to match the room
- Drop cloths down and concrete dust cleaned up
How it is priced: per opening
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Concrete opening (block or poured) vs. a framed wall
- Old steel frame set in the wall vs. a wood buck that lifts out
- Buck condition: sound, or rotted and rebuilt
- Size, brand and glass (clear, obscure, laminated)
- Finished room with drywall and trim vs. bare concrete
- How many hoppers in the same visit
Send one photo per window from inside and one from outside, with a tape measure across the opening.
How long it takes
One hopper in a sound buck: a few hours. With the buck rebuilt: about half a day. 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
Hopper for hopper
Same opening, same style, new unit. The usual basement swap when the room is storage, a rec room or a mechanical room.
Hopper in a framed wall
Walkout, bathroom or laundry room. Set in a sill pan, flashed into the house wrap and trimmed like any other window.
Hopper to slider
A wide, short opening can take a slider instead. It opens sideways and does not tip into the room, which helps where shelving or a washer sits under the window.
Bedroom: egress instead
A hopper in an existing basement opening is rarely big enough to escape through. If the room is a bedroom, the opening is enlarged and an egress window and well go in; that is its own job.
Hopper Window Replacement — Windows That Tip In From the Top: questions, answered
What is a hopper window?
A hopper is hinged along the bottom and tips into the room from the top. It is the most common basement window style in Minnesota. It vents at the top of the opening and nothing swings out into the window well.
Can a hopper window be left open in the rain?
The top of the sash tips into the room, so rain can blow in through the gap at the top. Under a well cover or an overhang that is rarely a problem; in an open well in a storm, close it. If you want a window that vents in rain, an awning is hinged at the top instead.
How do I keep a basement hopper window secure?
Keep the latches engaged whenever it is closed; a new hopper's latches pull the sash tight to the frame. A cover over the window well keeps debris and curious hands out of the well. Some lines offer laminated glass, which holds together when it breaks; we tell you which lines offer it at the estimate.
Can a hopper window be used as an egress window?
Usually not. A hopper in a typical basement opening does not give a clear escape opening that meets code, because the opening is small and the sash tips into it. A basement bedroom needs an egress window, which means a bigger opening and a larger well.
Should I replace my hopper with a slider?
If the opening is wide and short, or something under the window gets in the way of a sash tipping in, a slider can be the better fit. A hopper latches tighter at the top and vents higher. We look at the room and price both when you ask.
Do you replace hopper windows in a finished basement?
Yes. The drywall return or casing around the window is protected or reset, floors are covered, and concrete dust is cleaned up. If the old buck was rotted and the drywall is stained, the patch is a line on the quote. Painting is quoted as a separate line, or leave it primed and paint it yourself.
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.
Related jobs we do
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Read morePage reviewed October 9, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All windows pages
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