Picture Window Types
A picture window is a fixed sash: it doesn't open. The types differ in shape and in what sits next to the fixed glass.
Fixed picture windows
With no moving parts, a picture window is cheaper to install than an operable one of the same size, and HomeGuide's fixed line is the lowest in its impact table. Fixr notes the trade-off: fixed glass gives the most light but no ventilation, and the outside can't be cleaned from inside.
In a 2025 This Old House survey of 1,000 homeowners, picture windows were among the most-bought styles, behind double-hung and sliding.
- Installed, impact (HomeGuide): $400 to $750.
- Installed, non-impact: $300 to $1,300 (HomeGuide), $300 to $1,600 (Fixr).
Picture windows with opening units
For air, a picture window can be joined to operable units. HomeGuide says contractors often put awning windows below large picture windows to add ventilation. The joint between units is a mullion, and Florida code has its own test for it in the HVHZ (below).
Transom windows
A transom is a narrow fixed pane above a door or another window. Fixr's per-window range is $200 to $700 for a standard unit. Glass beside or close to a door can need safety glazing; the glass replacement page covers where.
Arched and custom-shape windows
Arches, half-rounds and other shapes are custom units. Fixr says you'll almost always pay more for non-standard sizes and lists custom windows at $1,000 and up. HomeGuide's impact table has a separate "architectural" line at $500 to $2,400 installed, well above its plain fixed range.
Why Pompano Beach homeowners call Pompano Windows
- One independent installer calls back, not a list of five
- The request costs you nothing
- Ask for approval numbers and design pressures on the quote
- Permit, removal and stucco patching priced in writing
Big Fixed Glass: Code and Wind Load
Approval
A fixed unit needs the same approved, labeled HVHZ unit as any window, and its size must fall within the maximum size tested.Size and anchoring
This Old House notes that larger windows need more material and labor and may need extra structural support or upgraded anchoring, especially in older homes or high-wind regions.Mullions
Florida code says mullions and mulled assemblies are tested to TAS 202 in the HVHZ or engineered to practice such as AAMA 450, and must carry the window loads to the rough opening. For spans up to 13 feet 6 inches, a mullion may deflect no more than its span divided by 175.Safety glass
A large, low pane near a walking surface is a hazardous location; see safety glazing.Heat gain
A wide sunny pane still has to meet the 0.25 SHGC limit.
Picture Window Cost Drivers
Size
This Old House's hurricane window chart runs from $100 to $200 at 19 x 26 inches up to $850 to $1,700 at 53 x 76 inches.Glass
Fixr says a laminated or tempered upgrade adds $100 to $800 to a standard window.Labor
HomeGuide puts impact-window labor at $100 to $400 a window, and HomeGuide notes that larger windows need at least two installers to lift.Interlayer
Bob Vila names PVB as the budget interlayer for impact glass, with EVA the other common option.Lifespan
HomeGuide gives impact windows 10 to 40 years, depending on material quality and glass.Permit
Each replacement needs a city permit in Pompano Beach.
See Bay and Bow Windows for fixed glass that projects from the wall.