18 Different Types of Home Windows Explained
Chris Rohrbach of Brennan Enterprises walks through the window styles homeowners run into most, what each one actually does well, and where it falls short.
If you're planning a window replacement project, choosing the right type of window is one of the most important decisions you'll make — it affects ventilation, natural light, energy efficiency, maintenance, and how much the project costs. Here's a real breakdown of each style, what it costs, and where it actually makes sense in a home.
Single-Hung vs. Double-Hung Windows
Single-hung windows have a bottom sash that slides up and down while the top sash stays fixed in place. They typically cost $150 to $400 per window installed, making them one of the more affordable operable window options. The simpler mechanism — only one moving sash instead of two — means fewer parts that can eventually wear out or need adjustment. The tradeoff is that only the bottom half opens, and cleaning the exterior of the fixed top sash from inside the home is difficult or impossible without going outside.
Double-hung windows let both the top and bottom sashes move independently, typically costing $250 to $600 per window installed. Beyond flexible ventilation — you can crack the top for airflow without a direct breeze, or open the bottom fully — most double-hung windows tilt inward for cleaning both sides of the glass from inside the home, a real convenience single-hung windows don't offer. The comparison of casement, double-hung, and sliding windows covers how double-hung stacks up against the other two most common operable styles in more detail.
Awning Windows
Awning windows are hinged at the top and open outward, typically wider than they are tall. They cost $300 to $700 per window installed. Because the sash swings outward and up, awning windows can stay open during light rain without letting water in — the sash itself acts as a small awning, which is exactly where the name comes from. They provide solid ventilation without compromising security, since the outward-opening design makes them harder to reach through from outside compared to a sliding or single-hung window. The tradeoff is size: awning windows are limited to modest dimensions before the hardware struggles to support the sash, which is why they're commonly used in bathrooms, basements, stairwells, and above kitchen sinks rather than as a primary living-room window.
Bay vs. Bow Windows
Bay windows typically consist of three window sections — one large center window flanked by two smaller angled windows — that project outward from the home's exterior wall. Bow windows use four or more window panels arranged in a gentle curve rather than sharp angles, creating a rounder, softer projection. Both styles add real usable interior space (often enough for a window seat or reading nook) and bring in significantly more natural light than a flat window of the same width, since light enters from multiple angles throughout the day.
Both are a bigger investment than a standard window — the projecting structure requires additional framing, a roof or overhang above the projection, and support brackets or a knee wall below it, all adding real cost beyond the glass itself. The bay vs. bow window cost comparison covers the price difference between the two styles and what drives it in more detail.
Arched Windows
Arched windows come in several distinct shapes — full-round gothic arches, shallow eyebrow arches, and elliptical or half-round designs are the most common. They typically cost $500 to $1,500 or more per window depending on the size and complexity of the curve, since the frame and glass both require custom fabrication rather than off-the-shelf standard sizing. Most arched windows are fixed — they don't open — and are used specifically for architectural character rather than ventilation, often placed above a standard operable window or door as an accent rather than as the primary window in a room. The custom shape also limits material and hardware options compared to standard rectangular windows, which is part of why they cost more per square foot of glass than nearly any other style on this list.
Casement Windows
Casement windows are hinged on one side and open outward by turning a hand crank, swinging the entire sash open like a door. They typically cost $300 to $700 per window installed. The crank mechanism pulls the sash tightly against the frame when closed, creating one of the best seals of any operable window style — this is why casement windows are consistently rated among the most energy-efficient options available. They also offer more usable glass area relative to the frame than a sliding or double-hung window of the same size, since there's no track or overlapping sash cutting into the view. The primary limitation is size: the crank hardware can only support so much weight and wind load before it becomes impractical, which caps how large a single casement window can reasonably be. The casement vs. double-hung vs. sliding windows comparison covers how casement's efficiency and sizing tradeoffs stack up against the other two most common styles.
Garden Windows
Garden windows project outward from the wall similarly to a bay window, but are built with glass on the top and sides to function like a small greenhouse box rather than a flat window. They typically cost $800 to $2,500 per window installed — meaningfully more than a standard window given the additional structure, and usually more than a bay window of similar size given the fully-glazed top and sides. They're almost always installed in kitchens, most commonly above the sink, where the shelf space inside the projection is used for potted herbs, small plants, or simply as extra light and depth in an otherwise flat wall. Because garden windows have more glass surface area exposed to the outdoors than a standard window, they can be a thermal weak point in colder climates if not specified with a quality low-E glass package — worth asking about directly if energy efficiency in a cold climate is a priority.
Glass Block Windows
Glass block windows are built from thick, solid glass blocks mortared together like masonry rather than a single pane in a frame. They typically cost $400 to $1,000 per window depending on size and block pattern. Their defining strength is privacy combined with security — the thick glass diffuses light so a shape is visible but not a clear image, while being extremely difficult to break through compared to standard window glass, making them historically popular in bathrooms, basements, and street-facing walls where privacy matters more than an actual view. The real limitation is that they don't open at all, providing zero ventilation, and the aesthetic reads as dated to many homeowners today. Modern alternatives — frosted or reeded glass in a standard operable frame — can achieve similar privacy while still allowing for actual airflow, which is part of why glass block has become less common in new installations even though it remains a legitimate option where security and privacy are the top priority.
Egress Windows
Egress windows are required by building code in bedrooms specifically because they serve as a legal emergency exit and a way for first responders to enter if the primary door is blocked. Code requirements specify a minimum clear opening size, and in a basement bedroom, an egress window typically requires a window well dug into the ground outside to meet the required opening height — a real cost factor beyond the window itself. Because this is a life-safety code requirement rather than a design preference, getting the sizing and window-well details right matters in a way it doesn't for most other window types on this list. The guide to egress window requirements covers the specific code minimums and what a compliant installation actually involves.
Jalousie Windows
Jalousie windows are made of narrow horizontal glass slats set in a frame, all connected to a single crank that tilts them open and closed together — similar in concept to venetian blinds, but built from glass rather than fabric or metal. They typically cost $200 to $500 per window installed. They offer genuinely excellent, fully adjustable ventilation control, which is why they were once especially popular in warm coastal climates and enclosed porches. The tradeoff is energy efficiency: the design inherently has a gap at every slat edge, and no amount of adjustment fully seals those gaps the way a single-pane casement or double-hung sash can. This is why jalousie windows have largely been phased out of modern residential construction outside of specific warm-climate or non-conditioned-space applications like a screened porch.
Picture (Fixed) Windows
Picture windows are fixed in place and don't open at all, designed specifically to maximize the unobstructed glass area and the view through it. They typically cost $300 to $900 per window installed depending on size, and are generally one of the more affordable ways to get a large amount of glass, since there's no operable hardware, track, or crank mechanism to manufacture and install. Because there's no moving sash and no seams where a sash meets the frame, picture windows also have fewer potential air-leak points than an equivalently sized operable window. The obvious tradeoff is zero ventilation — picture windows are frequently paired with a smaller operable window, often an awning or casement, on either side to provide airflow while the picture window itself provides the light and the view.
Round and Specialty Windows
Round, half-circle, octagon, and other custom-shaped windows are used almost exclusively as architectural accents rather than functional, everyday windows. They typically cost $600 to $2,000 or more depending on size and shape complexity, reflecting the fully custom fabrication required for both the frame and the glass — there's no standard-size inventory to pull from the way there is for a rectangular window. The large majority are fixed rather than operable, since hardware for a non-rectangular opening is either impractical or prohibitively expensive. These are chosen specifically for visual impact — above an entry door, in a stairwell, or as a single focal point on an otherwise plain wall — rather than for ventilation or view.
Storm Windows
Storm windows are a secondary window installed over or in front of an existing primary window, historically used to add an extra layer of insulation and weather protection without replacing the original window itself. They typically cost $100 to $350 per window installed for the storm window alone. Modern double- and triple-pane replacement windows have largely eliminated the need for storm windows on newer installations, since the insulating performance a storm window used to add is now built into the primary window's own glass package. Storm windows still make sense specifically for homeowners with older single-pane windows — especially in a historic home where replacing the original windows isn't desired or allowed — who want a meaningful efficiency improvement without altering the original window. The storm windows vs. full replacement comparison covers this exact decision in more detail, including when adding storm windows makes more financial sense than replacing the primary window outright.
Skylights
Skylights are installed directly into the roof to bring natural light into a room from above, rather than through a wall. They typically cost $1,000 to $3,000 or more installed, including the roofing work required to properly flash and seal the opening — a significantly more involved installation than a standard wall window given the roof penetration involved. Getting the flashing and waterproofing right is the single most important part of a skylight installation; a skylight that leaks is one of the more disruptive and expensive problems a roof can develop, since water intrusion at the opening can affect both the roof structure and the ceiling below. The skylight installation cost guide covers what drives the price and what to look for in a qualified installer in more detail.
Transom Windows
Transom windows are installed above a door or another window specifically to add extra light into a space without adding another full-size window at eye level. They typically cost $150 to $500 per window installed depending on size and whether it's fixed or operable. Historically, transoms above interior doors were often operable to help circulate air through a home before central HVAC existed; on modern exterior applications, they're almost always fixed, purely for the light and the visual proportion they add above a door or window. The transom windows cost guide covers sizing, placement, and pricing in more detail.
Sidelights
Sidelights are narrow, vertical fixed windows installed on one or both sides of an entry door, typically paired with a transom above the door to frame the entryway with glass on three sides. They typically cost $200 to $600 per sidelight installed. Beyond the natural light they bring into an entryway or foyer — often the darkest part of a home given a single door is usually the only opening — sidelights add real visual presence to a front entrance from the street. Because sidelights sit directly next to an entry door at eye level, privacy is a legitimate consideration; frosted, textured, or decorative glass is common specifically to let light through while obscuring a clear view directly into the home.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right window type depends on your goals for ventilation, aesthetics, energy efficiency, and budget — and for several of these styles, the real difference between two similar-looking options comes down to cost, code requirements, or how well a specific design performs in your climate. Understanding what each style actually does well, and where its real tradeoffs are, helps you make a decision you'll be comfortable with for the next 20 to 30 years, not just the one that looks best in a showroom.
FAQ: Types of Windows
What is the most common type of window?
Single-hung and double-hung windows are the most common in residential homes, largely because they fit standard wall openings without projecting outward and cost less than most other operable styles.
What type of window is most energy efficient?
Casement windows are among the most energy efficient due to the tight seal the crank mechanism creates when fully closed, with the sash compressing evenly against the frame rather than sliding along a track.
What windows are best for natural light?
Picture windows and other large fixed windows provide the most natural light per dollar spent, since there's no operable hardware or sash overlap reducing the usable glass area.
Do all bedrooms need egress windows?
Yes. Building codes require egress windows in bedrooms for safety and emergency escape, with specific minimum opening size requirements that a compliant window and, in basements, a properly sized window well must meet.
Are specialty windows more expensive?
Yes. Custom shapes like arched, round, or other non-rectangular windows typically cost significantly more than standard rectangular windows of a similar size, due to the custom fabrication required for both the frame and the glass.
If you are still narrowing down window styles, continue with five common window questions and 7 benefits of replacing your windows. For a specialized performance topic, see the best windows for soundproofing.
