Window Installer Job Description: Duties, Template & Pay (2026)
This window installer job description is for the employer hiring someone to pull old units, set new ones plumb, level and square, flash and seal them so they never leak, and leave a homeowner’s living room cleaner than they found it. Below: a template you can copy, the lead-safe certification federal rules require on older homes, and an honest answer on pay — because there is no federal wage series for this job.
What a window installer does
There is no federal occupation called window installer, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. The Bureau of Labor Statistics defines glaziers (SOC 47-2121) as workers who install glass in windows, skylights, storefronts and display cases, and O*NET lists “install pre-assembled metal or wood frameworks for windows or doors” among their core tasks. But BLS also defines carpenters (SOC 47-2031) as building and installing structures that include window and door frames, and O*NET lists “install doors or windows” as a carpenter task. A residential replacement-window installer could be reported under either, or elsewhere, depending on the employer. Treat both as reference points, not as a count of window installers.
What the work involves is consistent across employers: measuring openings, removing old sash and frames, preparing and squaring the opening, setting the new unit plumb and level, shimming, fastening, insulating, flashing, sealing and trimming, then cleaning up and walking the customer through what was done. O*NET’s glazier tasks add reading specifications, checking plumb with levels and plumb lines, and erecting scaffolds or ladders safely.
For residential replacement, the part most postings leave out is the customer. The installer is often the only person from your company the homeowner meets on the day, in their home.
| Working conditions (glaziers) | Share reporting it |
|---|---|
| Face-to-face discussions | 87% every day |
| Using hands on tools and materials | 82% continually or almost continually |
| Protective equipment such as safety glasses and gloves | 74% every day |
| Outdoors, exposed to all weather | 54% every day |
| Exposed to high places | 33% every day |
| Being exact is extremely important | 49% |
Window installer job description template
Copy this, replace the bracketed fields and delete what does not apply. It is written for a residential replacement company; the customization section covers new construction and commercial work.
Job title
Window Installer [/ Window and Door Installer / Lead Installer / Install Helper] — [Company name], [City, ST]
Summary
[Company name] replaces windows and doors in homes across [service area]. As a window installer you will remove old units and install new ones that are square, sealed and finished right the first time, and you will be the face of our company in the customer’s home.
[Schedule, start time and whether you meet at the shop or go direct]. [Pay: hourly range / per-unit rate and how it works]. [Company truck, tools and ladders provided / you supply hand tools].
What you will do
• Verify measurements and inspect openings before removal
• Remove existing windows and doors without damaging interior or exterior finishes
• Install [vinyl / wood / fiberglass / aluminum] replacement and full-frame windows and patio doors plumb, level and square
• Shim, fasten, insulate, flash and seal every unit to manufacturer instructions
• Install interior and exterior trim, [capping / coil wrap], and caulk
• Follow EPA lead-safe work practices on homes built before 1978
• Protect floors and furniture, clean up completely and haul away old units
• Walk the homeowner through the finished job and answer questions
• Work safely on ladders and [scaffolding / roofs]
What you need
• [Experience installing windows, doors, siding or trim / any carpentry experience — we train the rest]
• Valid driver’s license
• Able to lift [weight] with a partner, climb ladders and work at heights
• Comfortable working outdoors in all weather
• Courteous with customers and careful in their homes
• [EPA RRP Certified Renovator, or willing to earn it — we pay for the course]
Nice to have
• [Manufacturer installation training]
• Experience with full-frame, new construction or bay and bow windows
• [Lead installer experience running a two-person crew]
What we offer
• [Pay range or per-unit rate, with a realistic weekly example]
• [Year-round work / how slow season is handled]
• [Truck, tools, fuel card]
• [Benefits and the date they start]
• [The path: helper to installer to lead installer to crew lead]
How to apply
[One step. A short form and a call back the same day.]
Requirements: what to ask for, and what to drop
| Requirement | What to know |
|---|---|
| Experience | For helpers, ask for none. For installers, any carpentry, siding, trim or door experience transfers. BLS lists apprenticeship as typical training for glaziers, which fits commercial glazing better than residential replacement. |
| Education | 44 percent of O*NET glazier respondents said a new hire needs a high school diploma; 36 percent said less than that. Drop the diploma requirement. |
| EPA RRP | Required for work on pre-1978 homes. Offer to pay for it rather than requiring it up front — see the note below. |
| Driving | Nearly every install job involves a truck and a trailer. Say what license and driving record you need. |
| Physical | Ladders, heights, units that take two people to lift. Say whether you use scaffolding or lifts. |
| Tools | Say what you provide and what the installer brings. It is one of the first things experienced installers ask. |
| Pay structure | If you pay per unit, show the math: what a typical day and week pay. A per-unit rate with no example reads as a risk. |
Customizing it by setting
Residential replacement
In-home, customer-facing, often two installers per truck. Lead with pay, schedule and the truck. EPA says approximately three-quarters of U.S. homes built before 1978 still contain some lead-based paint, so make RRP certification part of onboarding. The roofing, siding and exteriors hiring guide covers recruiting across these crews.
New construction
Setting units in framed openings, flashing and housewrap integration, working to the builder’s schedule. Closer to the carpenter job description; say how many homes a week and whether you follow framers or siding crews.
Commercial glazing
Storefronts, curtain wall, large glass, cranes and hoists. This is glazier work, often through apprenticeship; use the glazier job description instead.
Windows, doors and exterior combo roles
Many remodelers want one installer for windows, entry doors, patio doors and trim. Say which, in which proportions, and whether siding or roofing is ever part of it. The handyman job description fits if the role is broader still.
What window installers earn
BLS does not publish a wage series for window installers. The two closest occupations had these May 2025 wages. Glaziers are the closer match on tasks; carpenters are the broader trade whose definition also covers window frames.
| May 2025 annual wage | Glaziers (47-2121) | Carpenters (47-2031) |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,300 | $40,410 |
| 25th percentile | $46,320 | $48,510 |
| Median | $57,080 | $60,580 |
| 75th percentile | $66,610 | $76,830 |
| 90th percentile | $89,790 | $99,910 |
O*NET places 72 percent of glaziers in construction and 13 percent in retail trade. BLS projects glazier employment to grow 1.9 percent, from 59,200 in 2025 to 60,300 in 2035, with about 3,900 openings a year. Use your own market’s rates for residential installers; neither column is a direct benchmark for per-unit work.
What it costs to reach a window installer
Skilled trades roles have a median cost per applicant of $14.14 on Meta across our managed campaigns, with the middle half of campaigns between $7.58 and $21.49, a blended figure of $10.74 and a 15 percent apply rate, across 35 campaign-months. The all-role median is $13.88.
Across the whole benchmark, applicant conversion explains about 70 percent of the variation in cost per applicant. Ask the questions that disqualify — license, ladders, availability — on an instant form and save the rest for the phone call.
Building an install crew? See the glazier, carpenter, roofer and construction laborer job descriptions, and how to hire installers and specialty techs for the recruiting side.
The job description is not the job ad
The template goes in the ATS. The ad has one job: get an installer who is working for someone else to stop scrolling.
- Open with pay and schedule. If you pay per unit, give a real weekly example.
- Say what you provide: truck, tools, ladders, fuel.
- Say whether work is year-round and how slow season is handled.
- One application step.
Meta employment ads have to target at least a 15-mile radius and cannot target by age, gender or ZIP code, so write for everyone in your service area. More in job ad copywriting.
Frequently asked questions
What does a window installer do?
A window installer measures openings, removes old windows, and installs new units plumb, level and square, then shims, fastens, insulates, flashes, seals and trims them. In residential work they also protect the home, clean up, haul away old units and walk the customer through the finished job.
What should a window installer job description include?
The type of work (residential replacement, new construction or commercial), the pay structure with a realistic example, the schedule, what tools and vehicle you provide, the physical demands, the EPA RRP requirement for older homes, and the path from helper to lead installer.
Do window installers need to be certified?
For homes and child-occupied facilities built before 1978, EPA’s RRP rule requires the firm to be certified and the work to be done by or under a certified renovator, and window replacement is always covered regardless of square footage. Manufacturer installation training is optional but useful.
What is the difference between a window installer and a glazier?
A glazier cuts, fits and installs glass and glass framing, often on commercial storefronts and curtain walls, and typically learns through apprenticeship. A window installer usually sets complete manufactured units into homes. The work overlaps, and there is no separate federal occupation for window installers.
How much do window installers make?
BLS does not publish a wage series for window installers. The closest occupation, glaziers, had a median wage of $57,080 a year, or $27.44 an hour, in May 2025; carpenters had a median of $60,580, or $29.12 an hour.
How long does EPA RRP certification last?
Under EPA’s rules, renovators who take a hands-on refresher are certified for five years, and those who take the online refresher, allowed for every other recertification, are certified for three.
Is window installation hard work?
It is physical. Glaziers report working outdoors in all weather (54 percent every day) and at heights (33 percent every day), with constant hand work, ladders and heavy units.
How much does it cost to recruit a window installer?
On Meta, skilled trades roles run a median of $14.14 per applicant across our managed campaigns, with the middle half between $7.58 and $21.49 and a 15 percent apply rate. The all-role median is $13.88.
Other job description templates
Hiring window installers?
The description is the document. Getting it in front of installers who are not on a job board is the part we do.
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, glaziers (SOC 47-2121) and carpenters (SOC 47-2031). Employment, projections and training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Tasks, work context, education responses and industry shares: O*NET OnLine 47-2121.00 and 47-2031.00. Lead-safe requirements: U.S. EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting Program pages for contractors and rules. Read at source 28 September 2026. Cost-per-applicant and apply-rate figures: Boostpoint 2026 Social Job Advertising Benchmark, 891 managed campaigns and 1,334 campaign-months.