Window installation is a different job from swapping glass. It means a window going into a rough opening: a new opening cut into a wall, an existing opening made bigger, or an old unit pulled all the way out so a new one can be set and flashed from scratch. Eric and Izak Garrison do that work themselves, from the first measurement to the last coat of paint on the trim.
If you are looking for a local window installation contractor, the useful question is who does the framing, the flashing and the siding around the window. On our jobs it is the same two people and the same crew. There is no hand-off to a framer, a siding sub and a painter, which is where most leaks and mismatched patches come from.
If your windows are only fogged or drafty and the frames are sound, you may not need an installation at all. Our window and door replacement page explains glass inserts and same-size replacements, which are often the simpler answer.
New Windows in New Openings
Adding a window where there was none is the most involved kind of installation. A wall that only had studs and siding now needs a header to carry the load above the opening, king and jack studs on each side, and a sill framed level at the right height.
Once the framing is in, the sheathing is cut back to the opening, the weather barrier is wrapped into it, and the window is set, shimmed, fastened and flashed. Then the siding is cut in around the new trim. Done well, nobody walking by can tell the window was not part of the original house.
Additions and remodels
On an addition or a larger remodel, the openings are usually framed by whoever built the walls. We can come in at that stage and install the windows into those openings, flash them to the weather barrier, and trim them out. Every rough opening has to be checked for size, square and level before a unit goes in, because a window set into an opening that is out of square will not seal or operate properly for long.
Enlarging or Reframing an Opening
Many installations start with an opening that is the wrong size. Three small windows that should be one big picture window. A bedroom window too small to meet egress. A garage window that was broken and should become something smaller and more useful.
Changing the size of an opening means reframing it. The old header is checked or replaced with one sized for the new span, studs are added or removed, and the opening is rebuilt to the new window’s rough opening dimensions. On an exterior wall that carries the roof, the header is the part that matters most, and it is sized for the load, not guessed at.
Permits for a changed opening
Enlarging an opening or adding a new one needs a building permit in Washington. Inside the City of Vancouver, the city building department issues it.
For unincorporated addresses, Clark County handles it. Other cities in the county issue their own. We file the application and meet the inspector, so you do not have to.
Installing Replacement Units Full-Frame
Sometimes the opening stays the same size but the old window has to come out completely. Rotted wood frames, aluminum sliders with corroded sills, and vinyl frames that have warped out of square all fall into this group. A full-frame installation removes the whole unit down to the rough opening, so we can see and repair whatever is behind it.
That is when hidden problems show up: soft sills, missing flashing, a weather barrier that was never lapped into the opening. Those are fixed before the new window goes in, not covered over. For the choice between a full-frame installation and a glass insert in a sound frame, see our window replacement and insert page.
Flashing and Water Management
A window is a hole in the wall, and most window failures are really water failures. The glass and frame can be perfect and the wall can still rot if the opening is not flashed in the right order.
How we flash an opening
The sill is flashed first, with the membrane turned up the sides and out over the weather barrier below, so any water that gets past the window is carried out instead of into the wall. The window is set, then the side flashing goes on, then the head flashing laps over the top. Each layer sheds water onto the one below it, the same way shingles do.
Above the window, a head flashing or drip cap keeps water running down the siding from getting behind the trim. In Clark County, wind-driven rain finds any gap in that sequence, which is why we do not skip steps on a wall that faces the weather.
Siding around the opening
When an opening changes, the siding around it changes too. We patch and match the existing siding, cutting in new boards to the same profile and reveal, then prime and paint them with the trim. Our siding page covers patch-and-match in more detail.
Energy Code and Window Ratings
Every window we install meets the Washington State Energy Code. The rating that matters most is the U-factor, which measures how much heat passes through the whole unit. Lower is better, and the code sets a maximum for new and replacement windows in homes.
The label on a new window lists its U-factor and its solar heat gain coefficient. We walk through those numbers when you pick a unit, so the window you choose passes inspection and actually performs in a damp, cool climate.
Window Styles We Install
Most homes here use a mix of a few standard styles, and the right one depends on the room and how the window needs to open.
- Casement. Hinged on one side and cranked open. It seals tightly when closed and opens fully for airflow, which suits kitchens and spots that are hard to reach.
- Double-hung. Two sashes that slide up and down. A traditional look that fits older houses, and both sashes tilt in for cleaning on most units.
- Slider. One sash slides sideways past a fixed one. Simple, wide and common in ranch houses and bedrooms.
- Picture. A fixed window that does not open. The most glass and the best seal for a given opening, often paired with operable units on each side.
What Affects the Cost of Window Installation
Window installation cost varies more than most homeowners expect, because two jobs with the same window can involve very different work. These are the things that move the number on a written quote.
- New, enlarged or same-size opening. A new or enlarged opening adds framing, a header, a permit and an inspection. A same-size full-frame installation does not.
- The window itself. Size, style, frame material and glass package all change the unit price. Operable windows cost more than fixed ones of the same size.
- What is behind the old window. Rot in the sill or framing has to be repaired before a new unit goes in. We point out what we can see on the first visit and tell you how we handle anything found once the old window is out.
- Siding and trim. Patching siding around a changed opening, new exterior trim and paint are part of the job and part of the price.
- Access. A second-story window over a steep slope takes more setup than a ground-floor window off a driveway.
- How many windows. Several windows done in one visit share the setup, the permit and the cleanup.
The quote is free and written, and it lists each opening separately so you can see where the cost is going.
Why Homeowners Choose IE Pro for Window Installation
- The owners do the work. Eric and Izak measure the openings, order the windows, and install and finish them. The person who quoted the job is on site when it is done.
- Framing, flashing and siding in one crew. A new or enlarged opening touches three trades. Ours handles all of them, so there is no gap between who framed it and who sealed it.
- Permits filed for you. Same-size replacement generally needs none. A new or changed opening does, and we file it with the city or county for your address.
- Registered with Washington L&I. General contractor registration IEPROE*797LN, active since 2021, with the bond and insurance the state requires.
Window installation in Vancouver is one of the services we offer across the county. See the Vancouver window installation page for what applies to addresses in the city.