Which neighborhoods this applies to
The City's ordinance-designated historic districts are Benton Park, Central West End, Cherokee-Lemp Brewery, Compton Hill, Fox Park, Hyde Park and the Hyde Park Extension, Kingsbury-Washington Terrace, Lafayette Square, McKinley Heights, North I-44, Shaw Neighborhood, Skinker DeBaliviere, Soulard, The Ville, Tower Grove East, Union Station and Visitation Park. If you are in one of them, the City's own permit page says approval "is usually required by the Cultural Resources Office even though it is not required by the Building Code."
Tower Grove South, Old North St. Louis and the Compton Heights name are not local districts. Being on the National Register alone does not put a privately funded window job under CRO review. If you are not sure, the office offers a free preliminary review, and we will check the map for you before quoting.
What the City will approve
The approved replacement window list (updated June 2025) allows three kinds of product, in this order of preference:
- All-wood sash replacement kits that replicate the original sash inside the existing frame — the Marvin Tilt-Pac is the named example.
- All-wood full-frame replacements that replicate the original.
- Approved non-wood products: color-finished aluminum historic replicas (Crown M-1400, Quaker H650 Historic single-hung, EFCO Historic double-hung) and one composite (Andersen Renewal double-hung).
Beyond those, the list names conforming clad-wood and wood lines — Marvin Ultimate double-hung, Jeld-Wen Custom Wood, Kolbe Heritage and Sterling with the St. Louis checkrail, Andersen E-Series, Pella Architect Series Traditional and Reserve Traditional, Sierra Pacific Westchester, Loewen, Weather Shield Premium, Lincoln Quantum and others — and it names non-conforming ones you will be turned down for, including Jeld-Wen Siteline and Builders, standard Lincoln double-hungs and sash kits, Windsor, ZapPak and Pella's other wood double-hungs. Every approved window "must replicate historic double-hung windows in configuration, size, dimension of individual members, placement and trim." Some districts add restrictions on top.
We keep the list current and we do not quote a product in a district where it will fail. That is the service.
What the districts say, façade by façade
The standards are written by façade, and the material rules loosen as you move from the street to the alley:
| District | Street-facing / public façade | Side (semi-public) | Rear / private |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soulard, Benton Park | Repair, or replacement duplicating the original; "wood or finished aluminum" | Wood, vinyl-coated wood, or finished aluminum | Material not regulated |
| Lafayette Square | All-wood or composite-clad wood, paintable; metal-clad prohibited; sill/jamb inserts prohibited | Adds fiberglass, composite, metal-clad (but wood within 10 ft of a public sidewalk) | Same as side |
| Central West End | "Wood, clad wood, or a composite material"; no size change, no new openings | Highly visible sides: wood, wood-clad or aluminum; oblique sides may be vinyl | Any material; openings may be altered |
| Skinker DeBaliviere | Standard windows may be replaced with products from the CRO list duplicating profile, dimension and design; "special windows" repaired or custom replicated; no coil stock over brickmould | — | — |
| Shaw, Hyde Park | "Wood or color finished aluminum"; raw aluminum prohibited; Hyde Park color code white, dark green, gray or wood tones | — | — |
| Compton Hill | Wood or color-finished; mill-finish aluminum prohibited | — | — |
| Tower Grove East | Adopted standards cover new construction and additions only | — | — |
The full guide, with the ordinance citations and the districts we have not yet read, is the historic district window rules guide.
How the job runs
- Online estimate and shortlist, from the approved-list products only. The instant estimate has a historic-district setting that prices the right product class.
- Measure visit. We photograph each street-facing window, record the sash configuration (one-over-one, two-over-two, cottage, segmental head), measure the opening and the brickmould, and check the sill and lintel.
- CRO submission. We prepare the application with product data, elevation photos and the configuration match, and submit it with or on behalf of the permit application. The office's own guidance is that a matching replacement is typically approved within days.
- Order and install. Lead times on historic-replica and clad-wood units run eight to fourteen weeks. Installation is full-frame or sash-kit as approved, with the brickmould retained, and lead-safe practices throughout — nearly every house in these districts predates 1978.
What it costs
Historic-district product is the most expensive class we install, because it is wood, clad wood, composite or finished aluminum built to replicate a specific sash, not stock vinyl.
| Product class | Installed, per opening (2026 planning band) |
|---|---|
| Wood sash replacement kit in a sound frame | $1,100 – $1,900 |
| Clad-wood or composite full-frame replica | $1,500 – $2,800 |
| Finished-aluminum historic replica, full-frame | $1,500 – $2,800 |
| Rear/private façade where the district allows vinyl or fiberglass | $700 – $1,900 by material and method |
Many owners use the façade rules to their advantage: replica units on the street side, a lower-cost approved material on the rear. The quote shows both.
Not ready to talk yet?
Start with the planning layer: the complete St. Louis replacement window guide and then the historic district rules, which quotes each district's standard.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use vinyl on the back of the house? In the Central West End, rear elevations may be any material. Soulard and Benton Park do not regulate material on private façades. Lafayette Square's secondary façades allow fiberglass and composite but not vinyl. Each district is different; we check yours.
Do the storm windows count? Yes, in most districts. Soulard allows wood, aluminum or plastic storms, painted, with clear-anodized aluminum prohibited; Lafayette Square's primary façades require painted wood storms. Interior storms are generally unregulated.
Can I repair instead of replace? Yes, and the standards prefer it. Original weight-and-pulley sash are repairable; see window repair.
My house is on the National Register but not in a City district. Does any of this apply? Not through CRO. You are free to choose any product, though a historic tax credit project would carry its own standards.