Bay & Picture Windows in Wells, Maine

Census estimates put Wells' median home built around 1989, the newest housing stock among the towns in this service area, with only about 8 percent of homes predating 1940 and roughly 18 percent predating 1960. Most of Wells' housing was built from the 1960s onward, as the town grew along its beaches and the Route 1 corridor rather than around an older mill or shipbuilding economy. Beach cottages at Wells Beach, Moody Beach and Drakes Island Beach range from smaller older camps to larger, newer builds raised up on pilings, while inland neighborhoods hold a straightforward mix of capes, ranches and contemporary homes.

Wells' identity runs along its beaches: Wells Beach, Moody Beach and Drakes Island Beach draw a mix of year-round residents and seasonal owners to cottages and newer homes built up close to the sand. Inland, the Route 1 corridor carries the town's commercial strip and a broad range of residential neighborhoods built out over the second half of the 20th century. The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge and the Wells Reserve at Laudholm Farm preserve large stretches of salt marsh and dune along the coast, giving Wells more protected shoreline than most towns its size.

Building permits in Wells go through the Code Enforcement Office on Sanford Road, covering siding, roofing, window and deck work. Because Wells has roughly seven miles of Atlantic coastline, the town maintains an active Shoreland Overlay Zone plus FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps that are directly relevant to construction near the shore, particularly at Wells Beach, Moody Beach and Drakes Island. Properties near the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge or the Wells Reserve at Laudholm Farm can face added shoreland-zoning review given the ecological significance of that land.

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.

For a deeper walkthrough of materials, code details and photos, see our full Bay & Picture Windows: The Structural Support Most Homeowners Never See guide.

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