Stairway Window Replacement — Landing and Over-the-Stairs Windows
The window over your stairs is fogged, drafty or rotted, and nobody can reach it without a ladder balanced on the treads.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
Stairway window replacement covers the windows on a stair landing, over an open staircase or high in a two-story entry. JMB Builders builds a level work platform over the stairs, orders tempered glass where the safety glazing rules near stairs require it, and sets, seals and trims the window. We work across the Twin Cities metro. Priced per window, quoted from photos or at a free in-home estimate.
- Priced per window, access included
- Work platform built over the stairs
- Tempered glass where code requires
Stair windows get put off because they are hard to reach. A landing window at the turn of the stairs, a tall window over a straight run, a half-round over the front door in a two-story entry: each one sits where a stepladder does not stand flat. So the seal fails and nobody replaces it, or the window gets swapped from a ladder leaning on the treads and ends up out of square.
We plan access first. Inside, a level platform is built on the stair treads with the treads and walls protected, so the window can be set plumb and fastened properly. Outside, ladders or staging go up where the siding or a lower roof allows. Which side the window is set from depends on the window and the house, and the access is a line on the quote.
Glass near stairs has its own rules. Glazing close to a stair, a landing or the walking surface can fall under the safety glazing rules, which means tempered glass. Tempered glass carries a permanent mark in one corner. We check each stairway window against the code distances and order tempered glass where it is required.
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 from the stairs and from outside, including what is below it outside
- A clear stairway on install day: pictures, runners and anything on the landing
- Your window style and color, or we suggest one to match the house
- Paint color for new interior trim if we finish it
What JMB supplies
- A level work platform on the stairs with tread and wall protection
- Ladders or staging outside where needed
- Tempered glass where safety glazing rules apply
- The window, ordered to the measured opening
- Removal and haul-away of the old window, sill pan, flashing, foam and sealant
- Interior trim matched to the stairway and exterior trim or capping
- 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:
- Height of the window above the stairs and above the ground outside
- Interior platform vs. exterior staging, or both
- Tempered glass where required, and window size
- Shape: rectangle vs. half-round, arch or other specialty unit
- Insert into the old frame vs. full-frame replacement
- Interior trim and drywall around a tall window
Send a photo of the window from the stairs, a photo from outside showing the ground or roof below it, and the window's approximate size.
How long it takes
One stairway window: most of a day including the platform. A large two-story entry window or a shaped unit can take longer.
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
Landing window at the turn
The most common. A platform is built level on the landing and the treads below it, and the window is set from inside with the trim matched to the stairway.
Window over a straight run
No landing to stand on, so the platform spans the treads. These are often swapped from outside when the ground or a lower roof allows staging.
Two-story entry windows
Tall units and half-rounds high in an entry. Staging inside or out, two people for big units, and tempered glass where the code calls for it.
Split entry stair window
The window over the entry stairs in a split entry house is covered with the rest of that house type on the split level page.
Stairway Window Replacement — Landing and Over-the-Stairs Windows: questions, answered
Does a window on a stair landing need tempered glass?
Often it does. Glass close to a stair, a landing or the walking surface can fall under the safety glazing rules, depending on how far it is from the treads and how low the bottom edge sits. We measure each stairway window against the code distances and order tempered glass where it is required.
How do you replace a window over the stairs?
We build a level work platform on the stair treads, with the treads and walls protected, so the window can be set plumb and fastened properly. Where the outside allows, ladders or staging are used instead or as well. The access is listed on the quote.
How can I tell if my stairway window already has tempered glass?
Tempered glass carries a permanent mark etched or printed in one corner of each pane. If you cannot find one, assume it is not tempered. A photo of the corner of the glass helps us quote the right replacement.
Can a hard to reach window above a staircase be replaced from inside?
Yes, in most houses. The old window comes out from inside and the new one goes in from the platform, with someone outside only for the exterior trim and sealant where needed. Very large units are sometimes easier from outside.
Can you match the trim on my staircase walls?
Yes. The interior casing, stool or drywall returns are matched to what is on the rest of the stairway. New trim goes in primed and caulked. Painting is quoted as a separate line — or leave it primed and caulked and paint it yourself.
How do you protect the stairs during a stairway window install?
The treads, nosings and walls are covered before the platform goes up, and the platform sits on padded supports rather than bare treads. Old glass and frame pieces are carried out, not dropped down the stairs. The stairway is swept and the covers come off at the end of the 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 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: