Bow window prices vary by the size, frame material and other factors broken down in this guide. Our table of bow window price details gives ranges that take these factors into account to give you a clear idea of what you can expect when getting bow window estimates. The table and other information will assist you in comparing bow window prices with costs and features for other windows covered in our guides – Bay Windows, Casement Windows, Double-hung Windows and more.
Overview of Bow Window Prices
The bow window cost for the window assembly and installation starts at about $1,500 and can easily top $5,000 for a large wood bow window. Material, size, number of individual windows and your location all factor into the cost – but the material you choose really does set the tone for pricing.
Bow window prices by brand are found in the extensive charge below – more comprehensive pricing than you’ll find anywhere online.
Bow windows deliver a lot of extra light and wonderful views of the landscape, but these advantages come with a fairly high price tag compared with using the space for standard double-hung windows or casement windows, for example.
Your options include all today’s most popular materials from elegant, rich wood stained to your liking to affordable vinyl and tough-as-nails fiberglass with a painted wood appearance right down to the texturing.
| Bow Window Prices and Costs | ||
| Window Type | Unit Price (Supply Only) | Unit Price (Including Installation) |
| Vinyl | $885-$2,350 | $1,285-$3,550 |
| Composite | $975-$2,400 | $1,375-$4,550 |
| Fiberglass | $1,200-$2,550 | $1,400-$3,750 |
| Wood | $1,200-$4,200 | $1,450-$5,400 |
Bow Window Features and Options
Let’s start with two common questions. What is a bow window? It is a group of windows, typically five or more, that extends gradually away from the house and then flows back to the house.
What is a bay window vs. a bow window? A bay window may have just three windows with the side windows extending sharply away from the house, typically in 45-degree angles, though 90-degree box bays and 30-degree bays are common too. Bow windows feature gentler arches and more windows to complete the arch, so each angle is 30 degrees or less.
Another difference is that the windows in a bow window assembly are often of the same type and width, 24” casement or fixed windows, for example. In a bay window, the center window is often a large fixed window with movable windows on the side.
Note: A bow window can be constructed from separate windows in their own frames or from a series of windows made into one frame assembly and installed as a unit. Both types are covered in this guide.
Most window types can be bought as pre-made or custom windows. Bow window assemblies are almost exclusively custom-made. This means they are only built when an order is placed for them in the size, window combination, materials and accessories the customer wants. Your options for custom bow windows are:
- Materials – Window frames are built from vinyl ($-$$$), wood composite ($$-$$$), fiberglass ($$-$$$) several species of wood ($$-$$$$) and wood with aluminum-clad or vinyl-clad exteriors ($$-$$$$).
- Window types – Casement, double-hung window and fixed windows are the most common window types used in building custom bow window assemblies.
- Color and Finish – You have excellent options for wood stain colors and for aluminum and vinyl cladding on the exterior of some wood window lines, but your color choices are fewer for vinyl and fiberglass.
- Locks and hardware – Powder-coated and vinyl hardware comes in a handful of colors; your options for metal hardware in a range of finishes from polished to oil-rubbed to brushed are more varied.
- Glass, Grilles and Screens – Glass, known as glazing, comes in single, double and triple panes, Low-E and energy efficient glass options. Light-dividing grilles come in many styles too. Screen choice for moving windows is limited.
Bow windows can be floor to ceiling and nearly any width. However, the windows used in the bow window assemblies typically fall into these size ranges:
- Movable windows: Width – 24” to 32” / Height – 35” to 72”
- Fixed windows: Width – 12” to 32” / Height – 35” to 72”
The total width of most residential bow window assemblies is 66” to 160”.
Pros and Cons of Bow Windows
Bow windows are a striking construction element that opens a home to the beauty and natural light of the outdoors. With window type, materials and accessory choices, it is possible to create a distinctive window grouping for your home.
Bow window prices are significant, as the chart below demonstrates, and installation is costly too. Finally, with so much glass, the heat gain or loss can make the room uncomfortable and drive up energy expense. It makes sense to pay a bit more for quality double-pane insulated glass for your bow window design to reduce energy use in your home.
Bow Window Prices for 2021
While expensive, bow windows give you a good return in terms of beauty, light and ventilation. Is a bow window worth the cost? It really depends on your budget, what the world immediately outside the window looks like and the interior design scheme you desire for that part of your home.
Bow Window Prices by Brand and Series
In the table below, bow window prices by brand are given. To see how bow window cost compares with other window styles like picture/fixed windows or operational windows, see the specific brand reviews and costs for Andersen, Marvin, Pella, Jeld Wen, Ply Gem and many others on this site.
To do this, at the top of the page, choose or hover over Windows > Window Prices > Prices by Brand > Brand (the brand you want to research).
| Bow Window Prices | |||
| Brand | Series | Material | Ave. Installed Cost |
| Alside | Alside | Vinyl | $2,300 |
| Andersen | 400 Series | Wood | $3,200 |
| E-Series | Wood | $5,300 | |
| Champion | Champion | Vinyl | $2,350 |
| Harvey | Harvey | Vinyl | $2,500 |
| Majesty | Wood | $4,250 | |
| Jeld Wen | V-4500 | Vinyl | $2,600 |
| Siteline | Wood | $3,950 | |
| W-5500 | Wood | $4,200 | |
| Custom | Wood | $5,000 | |
| Marvin | Elevate | Wood/Fiberglass | $3,650 |
| Ultimate | Wood | $4,150 | |
| MI/CertainTeed | 6500 Series | Vinyl | $2,800 |
| Milgard | Ultra | Fiberglass | $2,350 |
| Tuscany | Vinyl | $2,700 | |
| Pella | 250 Series | Vinyl | $2,500 |
| Impervia | Fiberglass | $2,250 | |
| Lifestyle Series | Wood | $4,150 | |
| Architect Series | Wood | $5,200 | |
| Reserve | Wood | $5,500 | |
| Ply Gem | 1500 Series | Vinyl | $2,300 |
| 5000 Series | Vinyl | $2,550 | |
| Classic | Vinyl | $2,350 | |
| West Pro 200 | Vinyl | $2,000 | |
| West Pro 700 | Vinyl | $2,400 | |
| East Pro | Vinyl | $2,100 | |
| East Premium | Vinyl | $2,800 | |
| MIRA | Wood | $4,500 | |
| Simonton | Simonton | Vinyl | $2,850 |
| Window World | Window World | Vinyl | $2,600 |
Brand notes:
Alside is a good value in bow windows. The company makes them in 3 interior colors and 10 exterior colors. For a wood look, consider Alside bow window frames with laminate veneer or a seatboard/headboard clad in Alside laminate in 4 colors.
Andersen bow windows are manufactured in the popular 400 Series wood windows with vinyl-clad or Fibrex exteriors and the high-end Andersen E-Series windows with aluminum-clad exteriors.
Harvey – Local installers of Harvey windows might be difficult to find where you live. However, if you have a Harvey window contractor, consider these high-quality windows. Harvey bow windows are produced in vinyl and wood (Harvey Majesty) in a range of appealing options.
Jeld Wen is challenging the market for competitive pricing and very good windows. Jeld Wen bow windows options include wood windows in three series plus quality vinyl windows.
Marvin is a well-known brand with a reputation for making some of the most beautiful bow windows available. Consider Marvin Elevate bow windows with pine interiors and fiberglass exteriors or Marvin Ultimate, a classic wood window with aluminum cladding.
Milgard has long made vinyl bow windows and more recently began an attractive line of fiberglass bow window assemblies. Milgard Tuscany vinyl bow windows are a homeowner favorite.
Pella is one of the best-selling brands today. Pella makes five series of bow windows – three wood and one each vinyl and fiberglass. Pella Reserve might be the prettiest, and most expensive, bow windows available. The Architect Series (wood), Lifestyle Series (wood), Impervia Series (fiberglass) and 250 Series (vinyl) give you many appealing options.
Ply Gem – With 10 bow window series to choose from, you have more options with Ply Gem bow windows than any brand. It manufacturers six new construction and 4 replacement bow window series. Not all Ply Gem series are available in all regions of the country.
Simonton makes many different vinyl window series, but it gives you one series of vinyl bow windows designed to work beautifully in a design scheme with any of them. Vinyl tones and woodgrain appearances are among your finish options.
Window World bow windows are attractive vinyl windows made in your choice of a nice range of window types and options.
The Advantages of Bow Replacement Windows
Are you thinking about replacing an old bow window with a new one – or creating a brand-new space for a bow window where a fixed or operational window is currently located?
If a bow window is in the budget, most homeowners are happy with the results:
- Added natural light
- A dramatic visual feature of any room
- Ventilation
- Added value to your home
Added Natural Light
The outward-stretching design of a bow window opens the wall to the world outside and the available natural light. If your home was built a generation or so ago, it might be a little dark, since windows weren’t used as generously in the past.
Dramatic Visual Feature
Bow windows can be gorgeous, really drawing the eye to their construction and beauty. A new or replacement bow window will turn a dull room into space you’ll enjoy showing off to guests.
Ventilation
When operational windows are included in the bow window assembly, you have the opportunity to increase airflow into the room from the fresh outdoors. This is important for comfort – and because, according to the EPA – indoor air is almost always more polluted than air outside. Exchanging the air is a healthy idea!
Value
Let’s say you spend $5,000 on an Andersen wood bow window. Your home’s resale value will immediately go up. However, it is difficult to recoup the full price of a bow window when you sell, so don’t install one thinking you’re making an investment. Cost to value for bow windows is 60% to about 70%. On the example above, your home’s sale price would increase by about $3,000 to $3,500.
The Disadvantages of Bow Replacement Windows
Look at both sides of the equation when deciding whether to install a bow window. There’s a potential downside.
- Cost
- Energy Efficiency Losses
- Structural Issues
Cost
We have noted that adding value to your home and getting all the money out that you put into a bow window are not the same. Bow windows, like bay windows, are expensive. See our Bay Windows Cost Guide for comparisons.
Energy Efficiency Losses
Other than a fireplace, and leaking ductwork in poor condition, windows are a source of energy efficiency losses. In winter, more heat transfers through glass, even low-E Energy Star certified glass, than through a well-insulated wall.
Structural Issues
While not the focus of this Window Price Guide page, structural enhancements to your home might be required before installation of a bow window. The window assemblies are heavy and need bracing and support. The result could be a final bill over $10,000. And if the insulation isn’t properly sealed and water infiltrates the framing, rot might quickly destroy your significant financial investment.
These two potential pitfalls are why it is essential to work with an experienced window contractor. Choose an efficient window and have it installed properly, and it’s unlikely you will have major problems.
Factors That Affect Bow Window Cost
Apart from the windows themselves, your total price will be impacted by time of year and who installs the windows.
Windows aren’t typically installed during freezing weather, so in cold climates, early spring and later fall are good times to find deals on windows and installation. In mild climates, winter is slower but suitable for installation, and installers might offer deals during that time.
The second factor in bow window installation cost is who does the work. A handyman will cost the least of your reasonable options, and a window company will cost slightly more. If a general contractor hires the installer, your prices will likely be even higher. It is important to choose an experienced installer that is also licensed and insured, and hiring the company yourself ensures this. We recommend that you request estimates from three experienced window installers, and let them know they’re competing for the work. If they are eager to get the installation, they will provide you with their most competitive bow window installation estimates.
