All-wood or clad wood
Every wood window is wood on the inside. The difference is the outside face, which is the part that takes the sun and rain.
| Type | Exterior | Upkeep | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-wood | Painted or stained wood | Repaint or refinish on a schedule | Historic or character homes where the exterior wood is part of the look |
| Clad wood | Aluminum or fiberglass cladding over the wood | Exterior is low-maintenance; interior stays wood | Most replacement jobs where you want wood inside only |
Clad wood is what most installers will suggest for a sun-exposed wall. All-wood exteriors look right on older houses but need attention on south and west faces.
Caring for wood in Sacramento sun
Valley summers are hot and dry, with a normal July high around 94°F and about 20 inches of rain a year, most of it in winter. Dry heat and strong afternoon UV break down exterior paint and stain faster than shade does, and winter rain finds any open joint at the sill.
- Check exterior finish on west- and south-facing sashes every year; touch up before bare wood shows.
- Keep sprinklers aimed away from window sills and trim.
- Inside, wipe condensation off sills in winter so it doesn't sit on the wood.
- Lubricate hardware and check that casement cranks and double-hung balances move freely.
Wood casement and double-hung windows
Wood is offered in most operating styles. Wood casement windows crank outward on side hinges and seal tightly against the frame when closed, which suits kitchens and modern or Prairie-style homes. Wood double-hungs with divided lites are the traditional match for Craftsman, Colonial Revival and Tudor houses. See casement windows and double-hung windows for how each style works.
If you want grids, ask whether they are true divided lites, simulated divided lites (bars bonded to both sides of the glass), or grids between the panes. The look up close is quite different, and so is the price.
Rules that come up on older homes
Lead-safe work on pre-1978 houses
The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule applies to paid work that disturbs paint in pre-1978 homes, and pulling out an old window falls under it at any size. The firm doing the work must be EPA certified. Ask for the certification along with the license.
Historic districts in the City of Sacramento
The city's planning exemption for window and door changes (form CDD-0187, $132, filed through the Public Permit Portal) cannot be used in historic districts. If your house is in one, expect a separate review of the design and material. Outside historic districts, the exemption covers swaps that match the existing windows with no change to opening size, style, trim, sill or material, and it also allows replacing street-facing aluminum or vinyl windows with wood if the original operating style is kept.
Bedroom egress
Bedroom windows are emergency exits under CRC R319. In the City of Sacramento, guideline CDD-0327 lets a retrofit match the egress code that applied when the house was permitted, as long as the new opening doesn't shrink below that. Divided-lite wood casements and double-hungs can have smaller clear openings than the old unit, so confirm the clear size on bedroom windows before ordering.
Wood window cost
Wood is the most expensive common frame material. These are national guide figures per window installed; we found no Sacramento-specific price data.
| Source | Wood, per window installed |
|---|---|
| Fixr | $600–$2,000 |
| HomeGuide / Angi (search summary) | $800–$3,800 |
| Pella by-material page (wood and fiberglass) | $1,100–$2,200+ |
Custom sizes, true divided lites, interior staining and full-frame installation push toward the top. A cost comparison across materials is on window replacement cost in Sacramento.
Brands and energy values
Pella's Lifestyle Series is a wood line, and some Lifestyle products offer blinds or shades between the glass. Sacramento Clear View Windows is not a Pella dealer or authorized installer, and an installer in our network may or may not carry it; see Pella windows.
Wood frames insulate well, but the 2026 Title 24 limits (U-factor 0.27, SHGC 0.23 in Climate Zones 11 and 12; U 0.40 / SHGC 0.35 for jobs of 75 sq ft or less) apply to the whole window. Check the NFRC label for the exact unit quoted. If you want a lower-upkeep exterior with a painted look, compare fiberglass windows. For the overall process, see window replacement in Sacramento.
Main guide: window replacement in Sacramento.