Window Replacement in Bath, Maine

Census estimates put Bath's median home built around 1938, with about 58 percent of the housing predating 1940 and roughly 67 percent predating 1960, the oldest housing profile of any town in this service area. Bath's sea-captains' houses and worker cottages from the height of the Bath Iron Works and wooden shipbuilding era make up a large share of the city's stock, many carrying original wood clapboard behind one or more later layers of siding. Outside the historic core, Bath's newer neighborhoods, built through the mid-to-late 20th century, hold a smaller share of more ordinary capes and ranches.

Bath earned its nickname, the City of Ships, from Bath Iron Works, a major shipyard that has built Navy vessels on the Kennebec since 1884, and the city's downtown and residential streets grew up around that industry. The Bath Historic District covers much of the city's core, a dense collection of 19th-century sea-captains' houses, worker cottages and commercial blocks that reflects more than a century of shipbuilding wealth and labor. Bath's Planning Board reviews exterior modifications within the historic district, and the city notes that review can often be completed administratively in as little as three days.

Building permits in Bath go through the Code Enforcement Office at 55 Front Street, covering siding, roofing, window and deck work for the whole city. Because so much of Bath's core falls within the Bath Historic District, exterior modifications to buildings inside the district require Planning Board review, though the city notes that review is often completed administratively within about three days rather than requiring a full public hearing. Part of Bath's sewer system uses combined sewers that can overflow during heavy rain, a factor mainly relevant to site and drainage work rather than siding, roofing, window or deck permitting directly, but it does mean the city pays close attention to stormwater management on any project that changes how water sheds off a property.

A new window is only as good as the way it is set into the wall. Replacement windows go in either as inserts inside the existing frame or as full-frame units after the old frame comes out; the right choice depends on the condition of the frame, the trim you want to keep, and the siding around it. The site lists vinyl replacement windows and wood or clad units from Andersen, Marvin, Pella and Integrity, in double-hung, casement, picture, bay, sliding and awning styles.

• Each opening is measured and checked for rot in the sill, jambs and framing.
• Old sashes or whole frames come out; damaged wood is repaired before the new unit goes in.
• Units are set level, plumb and square, shimmed, and fastened as the manufacturer requires.
• Low-expansion foam and backer rod seal the gap without bowing the frame.
• Flashing, exterior trim or capping and interior casing are finished so the opening sheds water.

• Fog or condensation between the panes of insulated glass
• Sashes that stick, will not stay up, or let in drafts
• Soft or rotted sills and frames
• Single-pane glass or storm windows you take on and off every year
• Frost or ice on the inside of the glass in winter

• Number of windows, their sizes, and any custom shapes
• Vinyl versus wood or clad units, and the brand and series
• Insert versus full-frame replacement
• Glass package and grille options
• Interior and exterior trim work, and whether siding is open around the opening

Every job is priced from a free on-site visit. Typical ranges for the trade are on our window replacement page, and the details of this service are on the window replacement overview.

For a deeper walkthrough of materials, code details and photos, see our full Window Replacement: U-Factor, ENERGY STAR, and Full-Frame vs. Insert in Maine guide.

Back to the Bath exterior services overview, or see every town on our service areas page.