Bay & Picture Windows in Naples, Maine

Views are the reason many people own in Naples: Long Lake running north toward Bridgton and Harrison, Brandy Pond from the Scenic Drive side, the north end of Sebago near the state park, and to the northwest the White Mountains, which the old Bay of Naples Inn was built to face. A large picture window on the lake side, or a bay that pushes the glass out toward the water, is one of the most direct ways to change how a lakeside living room feels, summer or winter.

Big glass on the lake side has to handle the same wind that builds across the water, so frame stiffness, proper anchoring and flashing at the head matter as much as the glass. A bay also brings a small roof of its own, and with about 84 inches of snow a year at the nearby Gray weather station, that roof needs enough pitch and careful flashing to keep melt from backing up under the siding. Glass that faces west over Long Lake takes strong afternoon sun in summer, which makes a low-e coating worth it to keep rooms and furniture from overheating. Casement units flanking a fixed picture window add ventilation without breaking up the view, and an awning unit below can do the same on a smaller wall.

Census estimates count about 3,360 housing units in Naples, with a median year built of 1988, which makes the stock younger than much of Cumberland County. Only about 4 percent predate 1940 and roughly 15 percent predate 1960. About 20 percent went up between 1960 and 1979, about a third between 1980 and 1999, and about 32 percent in 2000 or later. That matches the town's own history: population grew 91 percent between 1970 and 1980 as Naples became a bedroom community for Greater Portland, and new home approvals climbed again from 2021 to 2023. Roughly 81 percent of units are single-family detached, and about 88 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied. Around 1,280 units are held for seasonal use, many of them along Long Lake, Brandy Pond and the Sebago shore. A few Federal-period farmhouses, such as the 1796 Manor House on Route 302, survive among them.

The Naples Causeway on Route 302, between Long Lake and Brandy Pond, is the center of town life, with marinas, seaplane rides and the Songo River Queen paddleboat. The Songo River links Brandy Pond to Sebago Lake through Songo Lock, the last surviving lock of the Cumberland and Oxford Canal and a National Register site. Also listed are the 1857 Union Church, Greek Revival with Gothic touches, the 1796 Manor House and the 1809 Sam Perley Farm, both Federal-period. The Bay of Naples Inn, designed by John Calvin Stevens and facing the White Mountains, stood at the south end of Long Lake until it was razed in 1964.

Permits go through the Naples Planning, Code Enforcement and Building Inspections office at 15 Village Green Lane, open Monday through Thursday, with a minimum fee of $50 per permit. The town requires permits for new buildings and structural alterations, and says its list is not exhaustive, so plan on a permit for any new or replacement deck and check with the office before re-siding or re-roofing. Land within 250 feet of a great pond or river falls under Maine shoreland zoning, and Naples uses a separate Shoreland Zoning building permit application. There is no local historic district; the 2026 comprehensive plan recommends drafting design guidelines for the Village District.

Picture windows are large fixed units that frame a view and pour light into a room. Bay and bow windows project out from the wall, adding floor space and light from three or more directions. Both are heavier and more exposed than an ordinary window, so the structure, support, roof and flashing around them matter. The Cumberland Center colonial on this site received Andersen 400 Series bay, double-hung and picture windows.

• The opening, header and framing are checked; widening an opening may need a new header.
• Bay and bow units are supported with cables, brackets or a framed seat so they do not sag.
• The small roof over a bay is flashed into the wall and roofed or capped to match the house.
• Insulation goes into the seat and head so the projection is not a cold spot.
• Interior seat boards, casing and exterior trim are finished to match.

• A view you want to see more of from the main living space
• An old bay that sags, leaks at the roof, or feels cold at the seat
• Fogged glass in a large fixed unit
• A dark room that needs more daylight

• Size and configuration: picture, bay or bow, number of units
• Whether the rough opening changes size
• Support method and seat or roof finish
• Glass package and brand
• Interior finish carpentry

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 bay and picture windows overview.

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