Do impact windows already cut street noise?

Somewhat, because impact glass is laminated. In one glass maker's lab estimates, a single 6 mm pane rates OITC 28, while two 6 mm panes bonded with a standard PVB interlayer rate OITC 32. Switching to an acoustic-grade interlayer raises that to 35. Ask which interlayer your impact units use.

Should I compare STC or OITC on a window quote?

OITC, for an outside wall. It measures the reduction of traffic, rail and aircraft noise, while STC is built around the human voice and suits interior glass. The two aren't linearly related, so a window with a strong STC may have an ordinary OITC. Ask for both numbers and for the test standard behind them.

Is triple-pane glass quieter than double-pane?

Not much against outdoor noise. In one glass maker's estimates, a triple-pane unit of three 6 mm lites rates OITC 29, the same as a 6 mm double pane, though its STC is higher. Two laminated lites with acoustic interlayers around an air space reached OITC 38. Lamination and unequal glass thicknesses do more than extra panes.

Can a window be made completely soundproof?

No. HomeAdvisor says fully soundproof windows aren't possible, only quieter ones. Installation matters too: one glass maker warns of up to a 6 dB loss between a lab sample and a panel fitted on site, roughly a third of the perceived benefit. Gaps around the frame let noise past even good glass.

What does a quieter window run per opening?

HomeAdvisor averages $900 per soundproof window, mostly between $300 and $1,500, with labor at $100 to $800. Its figures run from $250 to $500 for an interior insert, through $350 to $850 for a double-pane replacement, up to $3,540 for triple-pane. It prices laminated glass at $10 to $20 a square foot.

Soundproof Windows in Pompano Beach, FL

Typical cost: HomeAdvisor's 2026 guide averages $900 per soundproof window, with most falling between $300 and $1,500.
Install time: Bob Vila puts one impact window at about two hours of labor, and double that upstairs.
Rating to compare: OITC, the outdoor-to-indoor rating; a rating of 30 cuts perceived volume to roughly an eighth, according to one glass maker.
Lab vs installed: the same maker warns of up to a 6 dB loss between a lab sample and a fitted panel.

Pompano Windows brings in a glazier who can quote laminated and acoustic glass makeups for the noisy side of the house. Say what the noise is (traffic, aircraft, neighbors) and which rooms face it; the glazier calls to arrange a measure.

Soundproof Window Types: Laminated, Acoustic and Insulated Glass

The glass makeup decides most of a window's sound rating. The numbers below are Guardian Glass's lab estimates for the center of the glass, as OITC / STC; a fitted window usually scores lower.

Laminated impact window in a quiet bedroom facing a busy street

Laminated impact glass

Impact windows use laminated glass, two panes bonded to an interlayer, so an impact replacement already starts ahead of a single plain pane. Bonding two 6 mm panes with a standard 0.030-inch PVB layer moves the estimate from 28 / 30 for one 6 mm pane to 32 / 36.

HomeAdvisor price for laminated glass: $10 to $20 a square foot.

Large acoustic laminated window in a home office with a view of traffic

Acoustic PVB laminated glass

An acoustic-grade PVB interlayer does more than the standard one at the same glass thickness. With two 6 mm panes and a 0.060-inch layer, Guardian's table shows 35 / 40 for acoustic PVB against 32 / 36 for standard PVB.

Double-pane laminated window in a living room with traffic outside

Insulated glass with a laminated pane

Adding a sealed air space to a laminated pane raises the rating again. A 6 mm pane, a half-inch air gap and an acoustic laminated inner pane come to 35 / 41. With both sides laminated using acoustic PVB, the estimate reaches 38 / 48, the highest in the table.

Insulated window with visibly thicker outer glass pane in a bedroom

Unequal glass thicknesses

Guardian says mixing glass thicknesses in one unit adds sound reduction. Two 6 mm panes around a half-inch air space estimate 29 / 34; swapping the outer pane for 12 mm glass raises that to 33 / 38.

Clear interior window insert fitted inside an existing window frame

Interior window inserts

An insert is a second glazed panel set inside the existing frame, usually on the room side. HomeAdvisor prices inserts at $250 to $500 per window, well below a full replacement.

Installer measuring a window opening in a stucco wall before a new window goes in

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

STC vs OITC: Reading a Soundproof Window Rating

OITC for outside noise. Guardian describes OITC as the approximate decibel reduction for roadway and rail traffic and for nearby aircraft takeoffs. STC measures the reduction of human speech, and fits interior glass better.

What the numbers mean. A 10 dB step is roughly a doubling or halving of perceived volume, so a rating of 30 brings sound down to about an eighth and 40 to about a sixteenth.

Lab vs house. Published ratings are often lab figures for the center of the glass. Guardian warns that a site-installed panel can lose up to 6 dB, about a third of the perceived benefit, so ask for the tested rating of the whole window, not just the glass.

Test standards. OITC is classified under ASTM E1332 and STC under ASTM E413; ASTM E1425 covers measuring windows and doors.

What to Ask for on a Soundproof Window Quote

The interlayer. Ask whether the laminated glass uses standard or acoustic PVB, and the thickness of each pane.

Approval and labeling. A quieter window still has to be an approved, labeled HVHZ unit, and the energy rule still applies to its glass (0.25 SHGC limit).

Which openings. Quote the rooms that face the noise first; HomeAdvisor's range runs from $300 to $1,500 a window, so the count drives the total.

See window glass replacement.