One Basement Window
One basement window is rusted through, the wood around it is soft, or it leaks every spring.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-250-3621.
To replace one basement window, JMB Builders measures the opening in the block or poured wall, pulls the old steel or wood unit, sets a new buck if the old one is rotted, installs a vinyl hopper or slider sealed to the concrete, and trims the inside. One basement window is a welcome job across the Twin Cities metro, priced per window, window included. Photo reply within one business day, or a free in-home estimate.
- One basement window is a welcome job
- Priced per window, window included
- Common sizes often in stock; lead time on the quote
Basement windows fail one at a time because they face different things. The one on the low side of the yard takes the runoff. The one under the downspout takes the splash. The one in the window well fills with leaves and holds water against the frame. So one basement window is often the whole job, and it is a welcome one.
Most older Twin Cities basements have steel hoppers set in the block, or wood windows in a wood buck. The steel ones rust at the bottom rail and the hinge; the wood ones rot where the buck meets the concrete. We cut out the old unit, check the buck, and replace it with treated lumber or a PVC-wrapped buck if it is soft. The new vinyl hopper or slider is set in the buck, foamed, and sealed to the concrete with sealant made for it.
Basement windows come in a short list of sizes, and the common ones are often in stock at our supplier, which keeps the wait short. An odd size, obscure glass or a color is custom ordered with the lead time written on the quote. Inside, the opening is trimmed with jamb extensions and casing or left with a clean drywall return; new trim goes in primed, and painting is quoted as a separate line. If the window is in a bedroom, it has to meet egress, which is a bigger job we quote separately.
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 the window from inside and from outside at grade or in the window well
- A close-up of the frame where it meets the concrete, and of any rust or soft wood
- A note on whether the room is a bedroom, since that changes the window size required
- Your pick of hopper or slider, clear or obscure glass, or ask for the in-stock option
What JMB supplies
- A measure of the opening in the block or poured wall
- The window, in stock in a common size or custom ordered through ABC Supply
- Removal of the old steel or wood window and haul-away
- A new treated or PVC-wrapped buck when the old one is rotted
- Low-expansion foam and concrete-rated sealant at the frame
- Interior jamb extensions and casing or a finished drywall return, primed and caulked
- Painting quoted as a separate line, or leave it primed and paint it yourself
- Photos of the finished window 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:
- Steel frame cut out of block vs. a wood window in a wood buck
- Whether the buck is sound or has to be replaced
- Common size in stock vs. a custom ordered size, obscure glass or color
- Hopper vs. slider, and screen
- Interior finish: trimmed with casing or a drywall return in a finished basement
- A window well that has to be cleaned out or drained to get at the window
If the room is a bedroom, say so with the photos. A bedroom window has to meet egress, which is a different job from a one-for-one basement window swap.
How long it takes
Half a day on site for one basement window, longer if the buck is rotted or a steel frame has to be cut out. A common size is often in stock; a custom ordered size has its lead time 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
Steel hopper out, vinyl in
The old rusted steel unit is cut free of the block, the opening is cleaned, a buck is set, and a vinyl hopper or slider is foamed and sealed in. The most common one-window basement job.
Rotted buck replaced
The wood frame between the window and the concrete is soft. It is replaced with treated lumber or a PVC-wrapped buck so the new window has something solid and dry to sit in.
Finished basement, trimmed
The window is in a finished room. The inside gets jamb extensions and casing or a clean drywall return so it reads like the rest of the room, primed and ready for paint.
One Basement Window: questions, answered
Can you replace just one basement window?
Yes. One basement window is a welcome job for JMB Builders. The old unit comes out of the block or poured wall, the buck is checked and replaced if rotted, and a new vinyl hopper or slider is sealed to the concrete and trimmed inside. Send photos and we reply within one business day, or book a free in-home estimate.
Why does only one of my basement windows leak?
It is on the side that gets the water: the low side of the yard, under a downspout, or in a window well that fills with leaves. The frame or buck at that one window has rotted or rusted where the water sits. Replacing it with a new buck and sealant fixes the window; getting the water away from it keeps it fixed.
Is a basement window in stock or custom ordered?
Basement windows come in a short list of common sizes, and those are often in stock at our supplier, so one basement window can go in soon after the measure. An odd size, obscure glass or a color is custom ordered and the lead time is written on the quote.
Hopper or slider for one basement window?
A hopper tilts in from the top and seals tight, which suits a small opening in an unfinished basement. A slider opens wider and is easier to reach over a counter or in a finished room. Either goes in the same buck. We match whichever the other basement windows are if you want them to read the same.
Does a basement bedroom window have to be bigger?
Yes. A window in a basement bedroom has to be large enough to climb out through, which usually means a bigger opening cut in the wall and a window well. That is an egress window job, not a one-for-one swap, and we quote it separately. For a storage or laundry area, the existing size is fine.
Can you replace a basement window from inside?
Most of the work is done from inside: the old unit is cut out, the buck set and the new window foamed in from the basement. The exterior sealant to the concrete is done from outside or from the window well. Clear the area below the window inside before we arrive.
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 windows pages
Where we work
Window Replacement & Installation near you
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