Don’t you wish the weekends lasted 5 days and the work week / school week lasted two? Well, on second thought, I may get way less done if the school week only lasted two days. Scratch all that. Ha. Anyways, I thought I would do a post with all the details about enlarging a window. I shared a blog post on how to mud drywall so you kinda got a sneak peek of the window. Today, I’ll share what was involved and a general estimate of what this type of thing runs. I’m always curious about how much things cost and whether or not different ideas are even possible… So, hopefully this will help out those of you who are curious about enlarging a window.
Before we dive in to how to install a larger window in a brick house and the process behind making a window opening bigger, let’s look at the before!
It’s kinda crazy how good that kitchen looks when I’m looking at a construction zone in our current kitchen.
But let me tell you, after all the ups and downs… I’m so happy with the direction of the kitchen.
Enlarging a Window Opening
Ok, so let’s talk more about enlarging a window opening.
See the metallic tape? That’s roughly the size that we ordered and had installed. The only difference is that we did have the window centered above the sink. Who doesn’t center a window and a sink? I think that’s so random that the original builder would place a window over a sink and not center it.
The original window size was 38” x 36″ and the new window is 70” x 36″.
We specifically wanted a window that would match with the existing windows in our house. I really liked the idea of a french casement. We would like to be able to hand bbq stuff in or out the windows and also possibly add a bar on the outside of the window on the patio.
We ordered a french casement and it arrived without my brass hardware. Two weeks went by with calls and issues and finally I find out that this specific window can’t be ordered with brass hardware. To get the brass hardware in the size/type of window… it would be another $1000. What? No thank you. So, I took the window that came in (with white hardware) and the antique bronze hardware (extra $50) was ordered.
The construction guys were here about 3.5 days! Crazy, right? To take the window out in the first place they put a support beam up about 4 ft in from the original window.
Then, they took the old window out and all the drywall (poor Luke… he ended up doing part of the window wall and he didn’t need to!).
After they got the window out, they rerouted plumbing lines and electrical lines so that the new window could fit in.
Next came the brick work. The construction guys tacked in a piece of plywood so that the brick dust didn’t get everywhere. Taking brick out is quite the job! Apparently our brick length can’t be sourced, so the guys were super careful to preserve the brick upon demolition because they knew they would have to reuse it.
They exposed so much of the outside, that I asked how hard it would be to add some outdoor sconces. We had no backyard patio lights, so I knew it would be great to add something back there. They said it would be super simple, so I ran up to Lowes and grabbed some modern patio lights. For $12 and a modern style. They definitely work for now.
All the brick had to be put back in, the soldier-style casement had to be recreated and all the finish work on the outside had to be done. They got all of that done and I think we all were pretty happy. We had multiple issues getting the right window, so I’m sure they were happy to be closing in on the finish line for this job.
They finished the drywall mudding inside but it was not in the bid to trim out the inside of the window.
I’ll share a post, hopefully next week, on trimming out the window. I did it by myself, which I’m pretty proud of. At that time, I’ll also do a side-by-side comparison so that you can see the before/after. It’s kinda hard to get a visual when the window isn’t pretty yet.
Cost To Enlarge Window Opening
*I’m sharing the details on the cost of enlarging a window because I think it’s something that’s generally lacking on the web. A lot of times, I want to consider a new project like this one and just have no idea about what it will cost. So, hopefully this will help. Also, remember we live in MO which may run cheaper than what it would in the coastal states.
We ordered a fiberglass window in the french casement style and it was just over $875. The labor was right around $1400. This was a pretty big job and took two guys about 3.5 days to complete.
It was a big investment for us and one that we just weren’t sure about. In the end, we love our backyard view and we love getting great light, so we decided to go for it. We LOVE the new window and think that it’s really going to be the focal point of the kitchen.
*Edited 06/3/2017
See the full kitchen reveal for all the details on how it all came together!
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The after makes me want to go: aaaaahhhh! I so love it. What a difference! It might be a big expense but it was totally worth it.
I know, right? I can’t wait to see the finished space. It’s pretty close, but the cabinet doors aren’t finished yet.
What a difference! I think you got a great labor price for the amount of brick work that was involved. A big investment, but when it’s something that will last the lifetime of the house and will never go out of style, definitely worth it!
I know, right?! I thought the price was pretty good. We had some ups/downs during the process, so I politely mentioned that I should get free electrical wiring added to the outside of the patio. I got it, but I think the contractor would rather not work with me again. Lol.
Looks great and this was very interesting and helpful info for me! I think we are eventually going to enlarge some windows in our basement when we convert unfinished space into bedrooms.
Thanks Anni! I think siding would be cheaper if you have that instead of brick, but the overall look is so worth it!
Oh I think that was such a good call! We did some windows when we first bought our house and it was the best thing we spent money on by far. Good light just changes everything. I can’t wait to see how this space turns out!!
When you are in DIY mode, it’s so hard to actually pay for things! But, I think this was definitely worth it!
I love the outcome! You guys did a great job! My husband and I are planning a kitchen reno and we’re on a tight budget so we’re planning on doing most of the work ourselves. Our sink window is much like the one in your before picture and I really want a larger one put in but we’re worried about cost so this was definitely helpful. I’m a little confused about what goes on with the brickwork though. We have an odd brick that I don’t think can be matched and I worry about this part of the process. How much of the brick is actually removed? Is it just enough of an opening for the window to go in? And what do you do about the exterior ledge? Would you mind clarifying for me? Thanks in advance!
Hi Amanda,
Thank you! So, removing brick is a really tough process from what I observed or atleast removing it without damaging the brick.
Our windows have a soldier style brick pattern that the window sill sits on. So, when they did the demo work, they had to remove enough bricks completely in tack so that they had enough bricks to mimic the soldier style window sill that the other windows had in it. If you don’t have that added detail, then you probably have less to worry about with the demo process.
As far as how much brick is removed, more bricks than just what the window size were removed. They placed the window and then re-mortared the brick around it.
I hope that helps! For us, there was no way this would fit with a DIY project (but we don’t have that skillset). BUT, for a professional, it’s definitely doable and the change is crazy awesome!
OK. It looks like we have the soldier style sill as well; I just didn’t realize that’s what it’s called. We actually found several bricks that match our house laying around our property so maybe we can use those for the sill. We were worried about the labor cost but I think after seeing the transformation it made in your kitchen, it’s definitely worth it. Thanks so much for taking the time to respond and for being an inspiration!
Of course! Good luck on your reno! We love our window and think it was the best decision ever. Hope you feel the same.
Hi. I realize this is a really old post. But I also have a blog and people comment on old posts all the time so…hi! I just wanted to say: thank you for this! You stated near the end that you shared the cost breakdown because you saw a lack of information online. And this was EXACTLY the info I was looking for! Thank you! Also the amount of time and effort this took was eye-opening! I’m embarking on a crazy reno project, and this post helped. Thank you! (I’m so replacing all of our uppers with windows and open shelving. I’m certain I’ll regret that some day but whatever. Light! Space!)
Hi Tracy,
Thanks for your comment! I don’t think you’ll regret the windows and open shelving! Seriously, we love how ours turned out. Thanks again for your comment. Good luck on the renovation!
I have a question about the costs. You mentioned the cost for the window and labor. Did you also have to hire an engineer?
No, we didn’t. It’s pretty standard here to just put in a larger header to accommodate going up in size for the window.