Bay & Picture Windows in South Portland, Maine

Views in South Portland can be substantial. Houses near Willard Beach, Spring Point and along the Fore River look across Portland Harbor, the islands of Casco Bay or the Portland skyline, and a large picture window is the obvious way to bring that inside. Farther inland, a bay window can open up a living room on a ranch or split-level and add a little floor space without an addition.

Big glass on a water-facing wall has to meet the wind load, so the units need the right design pressure rating and a properly framed and headed opening. A projecting bay adds a small roof that collects snow and ice through a Portland-area winter, so it needs solid support, tight flashing into the main wall and a roofing material that sheds water. Orientation deserves thought as well: a large south- or west-facing window can collect useful winter sun but overheat a room in July, while north-facing glass toward the harbor loses more heat in winter, so the glass package should match the direction the window faces. A fixed picture window flanked by operable units keeps ventilation while holding the view.

South Portland has about 12,800 housing units, and the American Community Survey estimates a median year built of 1968, two decades newer than Portland across the harbor. About 25 percent of homes predate 1940 and about 45 percent predate 1960. Roughly 16 percent went up between 1960 and 1979, and close to 19 percent date from 2000 or later, a larger share of newer construction than on the peninsula. Owners occupy about 58 percent of occupied homes, and single-family detached houses make up a little over half the stock, with apartments, condominiums and two-family houses filling out the rest. Seasonal homes are rare, only about 100 units. The older waterfront villages hold the city's early wood-frame houses, while the neighborhoods farther inland are largely post-war and later.

South Portland split from Cape Elizabeth in 1895 and incorporated as a city in 1898. Ferry Village is its oldest neighborhood, and Knightville, Mill Creek, Willard, Meetinghouse Hill, Pleasantdale, Ligonia, Redbank and Cash Corner each have their own feel. During World War II its shipyards built 236 Liberty ships. The shoreline holds Fort Preble, established in 1808, Spring Point Ledge Light from 1897, the Portland Breakwater Lighthouse known as Bug Light, and Willard Beach. Inland, the city is home to the Maine Mall, Rigby Yard and the oil terminals along the harbor.

Building permits in South Portland come from Code Enforcement, part of the Department of Planning and Development, which issues permits and conducts inspections for building, electrical and plumbing work. Applications can go through the city's online portal or by email. The city enforces the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code, based on the 2021 International Residential Code, and a permitted project must make a substantial start within 180 days. Since 2019, a building permit for exterior work on a designated historic property or any structure built in 1940 or earlier may be delayed up to 90 days. Shoreland zoning applies along the harbor and bay.

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 South Portland exterior services overview, or see every town on our Cumberland County service areas page.