Second Story Window Replacement — Ladder, Roof Brackets or Lift
The upstairs windows on your two-story are drafty or fogged, and the question is how anyone gets up there to change them.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
Second story window replacement on a two-story house comes down to access: each upstairs window is reached by extension ladder, by roof brackets on a porch or garage roof below it, by a rented lift, or set from inside the room when the window allows it. JMB Builders replaces, flashes and trims second-floor windows across the Twin Cities metro. Priced per window, quoted from photos, with a reply within one business day.
- Priced per window
- Access planned window by window
- Full-frame or insert, flashed and trimmed
On a two-story house the upstairs windows are the same windows as downstairs, just twenty feet off the ground. What changes is how we reach them, and that decides how the window goes in. Some sit over a flat lawn and come off a ladder or a lift. Some sit over a deck, a sloped yard or a flower bed. Some sit right above a porch roof or a garage roof.
An insert window can often be set from inside the room: the old sash and stops come out, the new unit goes into the old frame, and only the exterior caulk and capping need a ladder. A full-frame window has to be flashed into the wall from outside, so it needs real access: an extension ladder with a standoff, roof brackets and planks on a lower roof, or a lift where the ground allows one.
A window above a roof has one more detail: the bottom of the window sits close to the shingles, where water runs past it all day. The sill pan, flashing tape and any step flashing have to lap in the right order so water ends up on top of the roof, not behind the siding. If the siding is coming off too, the two-story siding page covers staging for whole walls.
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 upstairs window inside and out
- A wide photo of each side of the house showing what is under the windows: lawn, deck, slope, roof
- Your window style, color and glass choices, or the windows if you bought them
- Patio furniture and planters moved from under the windows on install day
What JMB supplies
- In-home measure of every opening before anything is ordered
- Extension ladders with standoffs, roof brackets and planks, and fall protection
- A rented lift when the quote calls for one
- Old windows out, sills and framing checked, rot repaired and quoted first
- Sill pan and flashing tape, lapped into step flashing where a roof is below
- New windows set, foamed, sealed and trimmed outside; interior trim reset or new
- Painting quoted as a separate line — or leave it primed and paint it yourself
How it is priced: per window
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- How each window is reached: from inside, ladder, roof brackets or a lift
- What is under the window: flat lawn, deck, slope or landscaping
- Insert set from inside vs. full-frame flashed from outside
- Windows above a porch or garage roof that tie into roof flashing
- Siding type and how much has to come off around the opening
- Rot in the sill or framing found once the old window is out
- How many upstairs windows are done in one setup
Send a wide photo of every side of the house so we can plan access before the visit.
How long it takes
Inserts set from inside: several in a day. Full-frame upstairs windows worked from ladders, a roof or a lift: about one to three a day. Each opening is closed up 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 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
Set from inside
Insert windows in sound frames go in from the room. Only the outside caulk and capping need a ladder, which keeps the job quick and off the landscaping.
Ladder work
An extension ladder with a standoff off the wall, on level footing. Fine for most full-frame windows over lawn or a patio.
Roof brackets over a lower roof
For windows above a porch, garage or bay roof. Brackets and planks give a flat place to stand, and the window flashing is lapped into the roof flashing.
Lift
For tall walls, heavy units or a row of windows on one side. Needs firm, fairly level ground and a way to get the lift to that side of the house.
Second Story Window Replacement — Ladder, Roof Brackets or Lift: questions, answered
Can second story windows be replaced from inside the house?
Insert windows often can. The old sash and stops come out from the room, the new unit goes into the old frame, and only the exterior caulk and trim need a ladder. Full-frame windows have to be flashed into the wall from outside, so they need ladder, roof or lift access.
Do you need scaffolding to replace upstairs windows?
Usually not for windows alone. Most second-floor windows are done from extension ladders with standoffs, from roof brackets on a lower roof, or from a lift. Full scaffolding is more common when the siding on the whole wall is being replaced at the same time.
How do you replace a window that sits just above a roof?
We work from roof brackets and planks on the lower roof. The new window goes in on a sill pan, and the flashing at the bottom is lapped over the roof's step flashing so water runs onto the shingles, not behind the wall. Shingles that have to be lifted are reset and sealed.
Will a ladder or lift damage my lawn or landscaping?
Ladders sit on boards on soft ground and we move what we can out of the way. A lift is heavier and can leave marks on wet lawn, so we plan its path and timing with you before it is booked. Tell us about sprinkler heads, septic lids and buried lines on that side of the house.
Do upstairs bedroom windows have to meet egress?
A bedroom window is the way out in a fire, so we check each upstairs bedroom replacement against egress before it is ordered. A replacement can end up with a smaller opening than the old window, which is the wrong direction. A casement often gives the most clear opening for its size.
Is it better to do all the upstairs windows at once?
It usually saves setup. The ladders, roof brackets or lift are set once for a whole side of the house instead of once per window. If you are replacing in rounds, doing one full side or all the upstairs at once is a common split.
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
Where we work
Window Replacement & Installation near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: