Window Repair Services
Crank and Operator Repair (Casements and Awnings)
Casement and awning windows open with a crank that drives a gear and an arm on the sill. Fixr points out these unique parts as one reason repair costs vary by window type. The common failures are a handle spinning on a stripped spline, a gear that grinds, or an arm that has come off its track on the sash. The operator is a separate part screwed to the sill, so a matching one can often be ordered by the window's brand and series or matched by arm length and mounting holes. Fixr puts a window that's hard to operate at $100 to $500 to fix nationally. If a crank turns stiffly, stop forcing it. Clean and lubricate the track first, because forcing a stiff crank is how a cheap fix turns into a stripped gear.
Locks, Latches and Keepers
On a casement, the lock pulls the sash tight against its weatherstrip, and on a double-hung or slider it draws the sashes together at the meeting rail. A broken cam lock or a keeper knocked out of line leaves a gap you can feel on a windy day. HomeGuide's national range for hardware or latch repair is $75 to $200, and Fixr's is the same. Bedroom windows matter most here. The residential code says escape windows must open from inside with no key, tool or special know-how, so a lock that jams or a sash painted shut in a bedroom is a safety problem.
Hinges and Stay Arms
Casements and awnings ride on hinges at the top and bottom or sides of the sash, often the sliding stay arms that let the window open wide. When they bend or wear, the sash drops, rubs the frame and stops closing square. That puts more load on the crank and the lock, so a sagging sash often shows up as a crank problem first. New hinges are matched to the old ones by length and type. Fixr lists hinges with latches and handles among the repairs a handy owner can tackle, but a sash hanging off one hinge on an upper floor is a job for two people and the right part.
Weatherstripping and Drafty Windows
Weatherstripping is the compression bulb, fin or pile strip that seals the sash to the frame. It flattens, tears and shrinks with age and sun. Fixr puts fixing a drafty window at $50 to $400 nationally, from replacing the weatherstripping around the sashes to resealing the outside of the frame. Do the paper test: close and lock the window on a strip of paper. If it pulls out with no drag, the seal isn't touching. A draft from around the frame rather than the sash usually points to how the window was installed, not to the strip.
Slider Window Tracks and Rollers
Sliding windows run on a bottom track, and many have rollers in the sash. Grit packs into the track, rollers flatten or crack, and the sash starts to drag or jump. Cleaning and a new set of rollers often fixes it. HomeGuide's national range for sash or track repair is $200 to $500 when a part has to be replaced. A track that has bent or cracked in an aluminum frame is harder, and that's where repair starts to compete with a new sliding window.
Repair or Replace Check
Some problems belong to a different job. Fog between the panes is a failed seal: see foggy window repair. Cracked or broken glass goes to window glass replacement. A double-hung that won't stay up needs new balances or a sash: see window sash replacement. Soft wood at the sill is window sill replacement. Water coming in around the window is window leak repair, and old wood sashes with loose putty and broken cords are window restoration.
Why Troy homeowners call Troy Windows
- Free in-home measure of every opening
- Written, itemized quote before any work
- Frames and sills checked before a price
- One local window installer, not a call list
- No charge to homeowners for the referral
Window Repair Cost in Troy
National figures from HomeGuide (February 2026) and Fixr (January 2026):
| Repair | HomeGuide | Fixr |
|---|---|---|
| Typical window repair | $175 to $600 | $150 to $600 (average $400) |
| Balance or spring | $50 to $100 | n/a |
| Hardware or latch | $75 to $200 | $75 to $200 |
| Sash or track | $200 to $500 | n/a |
| Drafts or air leaks | n/a | $50 to $400 |
| Hard to operate | n/a | $100 to $500 |
Labor rate
HomeGuide lists window repair services at $45 to $90 an hour and handymen at $50 to $80. Fixr's range is $30 to $90.Window type
HomeGuide puts casement and double-hung repairs at $150 to $600 and sliders at $135 to $575.Height
Upper-floor windows that need a ladder or scaffolding cost more to reach.Parts
A discontinued operator or lock may need an adapter or a close match, which can take longer to find.
Window Repair Rules in Older Troy Homes
The median Troy home was built in 1978 (Census Bureau, 2024 survey), so many houses here fall under EPA's lead rule for paid work that disturbs paint. Minor repair and maintenance that disturbs 6 square feet or less of paint per room inside, or 20 square feet or less outside, is exempt. Swapping a crank or a lock usually stays under that. Planing a sticking sash, scraping a sill or cutting out painted stops may not, so ask whether the repair crosses the line and whether the firm is RRP certified if it does.
Michigan's $600 licensing threshold (see the question below) rarely matters for one crank or lock, but a house-wide weatherstripping and hardware job can cross it, so check the license number on that quote. When you send a request, list the windows by room and what each one does wrong. A photo of any brand name or label on the frame, plus a close-up of the broken part, helps the installer order the right parts.