How Long Does a Whole-Home Window Replacement Take?

Phase 1: Assessment and measurement

Every legitimate window project starts with an in-person assessment — someone measuring your actual openings, discussing frame material and glass package options, and confirming your address's specific code requirements (see our Wind-Borne Debris Region guide for why that matters). This typically happens in a single visit, though follow-up questions or a second look at unusual openings can add time.

Phase 2: Ordering and manufacturing lead time

This is usually the longest phase, and the one homeowners underestimate most. Impact-rated windows are typically manufactured to order rather than pulled from generic stock, especially for custom sizes, specific frame colors, or particular glass packages. Lead time varies by manufacturer, product line, and how backed up their production schedule is at the time you order — it can range from a few weeks to a couple of months, and custom or oversized units generally take longer than standard sizes. This is worth asking about specifically for your chosen product, since it directly affects your overall project timeline.

Phase 3: Permitting

Window replacement in Florida generally requires a building permit, since it involves verifying wind-load compliance and installation methods against your local building code. Your contractor typically handles submitting the permit application, which requires the Florida Product Approval documentation for the specific product being installed (see our Florida Product Approval guide). Permit review timelines depend entirely on your local building department's current workload — Orange County and surrounding jurisdictions can process permits quickly during normal periods, but backlogs are common after storm events when permit volume spikes region-wide. Permitting can run concurrently with the manufacturing lead time in many cases, which helps keep the overall project timeline reasonable.

Phase 4: HOA approval, if applicable

If your home is in an HOA or condo association, architectural review approval is frequently required before work begins, and this can run in parallel with or sometimes ahead of the permit process. HOA review timelines vary widely by association — some approve routine window replacement quickly, especially if the product matches previously approved specifications, while others meet only monthly and can add real weeks to your timeline if your submission misses a meeting cycle. Submitting early and matching your association's specific documentation requirements (elevation, color, style) helps avoid delays here.

Phase 5: Install day (or days)

Actual installation time depends heavily on window count. A handful of windows might be a single day; a whole-home project with 15-20+ openings is more commonly spread across multiple days. Installers typically work room by room, removing the old window, prepping the opening, setting and anchoring the new unit, and sealing it, then moving to the next opening — rather than removing every window in the house at once, which would leave the home fully exposed. Expect some noise, dust, and temporary access restrictions to the rooms being worked on.

Phase 6: Final inspection

After installation, your local building department typically requires a final inspection to close out the permit, confirming the windows were installed per the approved plans and product approval documentation. Scheduling this depends on your building department's inspector availability, which again can vary with local workload. Once it passes, your permit is closed and the project is formally complete.

What commonly extends the timeline

Custom or oversized window sizes add manufacturing time. HOA review adds time if your association meets infrequently or requires revisions. Permit backlogs — especially seasonal ones after major storm activity drives a regional spike in permit applications — can add weeks beyond normal processing time. Structural issues discovered once old windows are removed (rotted framing, water damage, deteriorated bucks) can require repair work before the new window goes in, which extends install day itself.

What to expect on install day

Clear furniture and window treatments away from the work area ahead of time. Expect crew members moving through your home room by room, some dust despite protective measures, and openings being temporarily open to the outside air while old windows come out and new ones go in — this is typically a matter of an hour or two per window, not an extended exposure. Pets should be secured elsewhere in the home. At the end of each day, all openings being worked on are secured, even if the full project isn't finished.