First-party Joyce Window Cost Calculator insights on styles, colors, efficiency, project size, and budget.
If you’re thinking about replacing your windows in 2026, you’re probably asking some of the same questions other homeowners are: Which window styles are most popular? Are black windows really taking over? How much energy efficiency do I need? Should I keep my grids? And what should I expect to spend?
At Joyce, we have an interesting window into those decisions. Thousands of homeowners have used our Window Cost Calculator to explore styles, colors, glass packages, performance levels, financing options, and potential project costs.
For this guide, we looked at two sources of first-party Joyce data:
- Dashboard data from 1,266 completed Window Cost Calculator submissions. These results are used to understand broader homeowner preferences.
- Window Cost Calculator records from January 1 through July 31, 2026. This dataset is used for current project-size and estimated-cost findings.
Together, the results offer a useful picture of what homeowners are researching, prioritizing, and budgeting for as they consider replacement windows.
Which window styles are homeowners choosing?
Double-hung windows are the clear favorite among homeowners using the Joyce Window Cost Calculator. They were selected in 72.0% of completed calculator submissions, far ahead of any other window style.
Double-hung windows lead homeowner preferences. 72% of completed submissions included double-hung windows; homeowners could select more than one style.
Source: Joyce Window Cost Calculator completed-submission dashboard, cumulative data.
Double-hung windows remain popular for practical reasons: they work with a wide range of home styles, provide ventilation from either sash, and are familiar to many homeowners. But popular does not automatically mean best for every opening. A large living room may benefit from a picture window, while a hard-to-reach opening may be better suited to a casement window.
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What should you consider? Think about how you use each room before deciding that every opening needs the same window style. |
Explore Joyce’s guide to replacement window styles
Are white or black window frames more popular?
White is still by far the most popular window color among calculator users, while black has emerged as the strongest alternative.
White still dominates replacement window color choices. Black is the leading alternative, but it has not overtaken white.
Source: Joyce Window Cost Calculator completed-submission dashboard, cumulative data.
Despite the attention black windows receive in home-design media, the Joyce data does not suggest that black has replaced white. Black appears to have become the leading choice for homeowners who want stronger contrast, while white remains highly versatile across interior and exterior styles.
Are black windows replacing white? Not according to our calculator data.
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What should you consider? Consider your siding, roofing, trim and interior finishes, and decide whether you want your windows to blend in or become a stronger architectural feature. |
Do homeowners still want grids in their windows?
Most homeowners in the calculator chose no window grids at all. In fact, 66.1% selected a grid-free design.
Clean glass is winning. About two-thirds selected no grids, while Colonial remained the most popular grid pattern.
Source: Joyce Window Cost Calculator completed-submission dashboard, cumulative data.
Grid-free windows can make an opening feel less visually busy and preserve more of the outdoor view. But grids have not disappeared: more than one-quarter selected Colonial grids, which remain a natural architectural element on many traditional, Colonial and Cape Cod homes.
Explore Window Grids: Styles, Function, and What’s Right for Your Home
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What should you consider? Let the architecture of your home guide the decision. The right grid pattern should look like it belongs on the house. |
How important is energy efficiency to homeowners?
Energy efficiency appears to matter to a large majority of Window Cost Calculator users. Nearly three-quarters (74%) selected a glass level above the standard-efficiency option.
Nearly 74% selected above-standard glass efficiency, and High Grade was the most popular overall performance level.
Source: Joyce Window Cost Calculator completed-submission dashboard, cumulative data.
That suggests homeowners are not simply thinking about what a window looks like. They are considering what it can do for the comfort and performance of the home. But “most efficient” is not automatically the same as “best for your house.” Glass packages, Low-E coatings, frame construction, weatherstripping, installation quality, orientation and climate all matter.
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What should you consider? Look at the entire window system and choose a glass package and performance level that fit your climate, home and goals. |
Learn what makes a replacement window energy efficient
What types of existing windows are homeowners replacing?
Vinyl and wood are the two most common existing window types reported by calculator users. Vinyl was selected by 39.7% and wood by 35.0%, followed by metal at 13.4% and Other / Unsure at 15.0%.
The type and condition of the existing window can affect what happens during replacement. Older wood windows may present different frame or trim conditions from modern vinyl units, and metal windows can create another set of installation considerations.
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What should you consider? The new window is only half of the equation. The opening, frame condition, trim and installation method matter too. |
How soon are homeowners planning to replace their windows?
Nearly six in ten completed calculator users said they were considering their project either immediately or within the next three months. 23.3% selected Immediately and 35.9% selected 1 to 3 Months.
Another 20.4% selected 3 to 6 Months and 20.5% selected 6+ Months. That suggests many people use a pricing calculator after a project has moved beyond a vague “someday” idea and into active planning.
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What should you consider? Research before the project becomes urgent. More time means more room to compare products, pricing, warranties, financing and installation. |
Which financing options interest homeowners most?
Same-as-cash or 0% interest financing was overwhelmingly the most popular option among those who answered the financing question. Of 976 completed submissions that answered it, 83.4% selected that option.
Low-payment financing accounted for 10.3%, while the longer-term low-rate option accounted for 6.3%. The bigger lesson is not that one financing approach works for everyone, but that financing should be evaluated as part of project planning rather than as an afterthought.
Read more about financing options available with Joyce.
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What should you consider? Compare payment amount, interest rate, promotional period and total repayment cost, not just the monthly number. |
How many windows are homeowners replacing at once in 2026?
The typical 2026 calculator project is much larger than a one- or two-window replacement. Among records with window quantities, the median project included nine windows, about 48% included 10 or more, and about 27% included 15 or more.
That suggests many homeowners are thinking about their windows as a larger home system rather than tackling one failing unit at a time. Replacing several windows together can also create more consistency in color, frame style, glass, grids, sightlines, and operation.
What might a multi-window replacement project cost in 2026?
Window replacement costs increase considerably as project size grows, but window quantity is not the only factor affecting the estimate.
Larger projects naturally move the budget higher. These are median starting estimates from
2026 calculator records and are not final project quotes.
Source: Joyce Window Cost Calculator records, Jan. 1-July 31, 2026.
Two homeowners replacing the same number of windows can still receive very different estimates depending on window style and size, glass package, performance level, color, grids, specialty shapes, existing opening conditions and installation requirements.
Across the 2026 records with window quantities, the median starting estimate was about $10,142. Calculator estimates are planning tools, not completed-project prices or guaranteed quotes.
Explore your own project with the Joyce Window Cost Calculator
What should you compare besides the price of a replacement window?
Homeowners should compare much more than the number at the bottom of the estimate. The window itself, installation, warranty, manufacturer and service after the sale can all affect long-term value.
- Who actually manufactures the window?
- Is it custom-built for your opening?
- Which glass package and frame construction are included?
- Who performs the installation?
- What product and labor warranties apply?
- Who handles service if there is a problem years from now?
Read: Joyce Windows vs. Big Box - What Nobody Tells You
So, what does the 2026 window shopper look like?
The data suggests today’s window shopper is practical, research-oriented and willing to invest in performance when the benefits make sense.
- Double-hung windows remain the most frequently selected style.
- White dominates color choices, with black the leading alternative.
- Grid-free glass is favored by about two-thirds of completed submissions.
- Nearly three-quarters selected above-standard glass efficiency.
- High Grade was the most popular overall performance level.
- Many 2026 projects involve multiple windows rather than one isolated replacement.
There is another trend underlying all of those choices: homeowners want more information before they want a sales pitch. They want to understand pricing, products and tradeoffs before someone comes into the home.
Where should you start if you’re planning replacement windows?
Start by understanding your home, your priorities and your potential budget. You do not need to choose every detail before you begin researching.
Use the Joyce Window Cost Calculator
Then use that information to compare products and companies more intelligently. A window project should not begin with “What can someone sell me?” It should begin with “What makes the most sense for my home?”
About the data
Preference statistics in this article are based on 1,266 completed submissions available in the Joyce Window Cost Calculator reporting dashboard. The dashboard reports cumulative submission data. Project quantity and estimated-cost statistics are based separately on Window Cost Calculator records submitted between January 1 and July 31, 2026. Calculator selections represent homeowners researching potential projects and should not be interpreted as completed Joyce purchases, final project pricing or the preferences of all U.S. homeowners.
