Draft work is priced by the opening and by what is letting the air in: new weatherstripping on a window that closes properly is the base case; a sash that will not shut because a balance or a lock has failed, a door that no longer meets its frame, and gaps around a frame that need old caulk cut out and resealed move it up the tables. The window table is the calculator on this page; doors and sealing have their own tables below.
Every figure is labor. Weatherstrip, sweeps, balances, locks and sealant are supplied by you or quoted separately, and a photo of the gap is usually enough to price it.
Draft-proofing doors and windows prices in NYC: from $150 for window repairs and weatherstripping
Across the jobs in this guide, labor runs $150 – $780 — the low end is a single small job, the high end the largest scope in the tables (a whole apartment or a multi-room project where the guide covers one). Every figure is from the current price catalog (calc-2026-09-28), floored at the $150 work minimum; the exact quote is confirmed from your photos before booking, and prices are plus NY sales tax where applicable.
Window repairs and weatherstripping
| Job | Size / scope | Typical NYC price (labor) |
|---|---|---|
| Stuck, painted shut, or won't stay open | 1 window — free the sash, clean and wax the track | $150 – $195 |
| Stuck, painted shut, or won't stay open | 2–3 windows, or paint-sealed and needs scoring | $260 – $420 |
| Stuck, painted shut, or won't stay open | 4+ windows / a full room serviced | $365 – $545 |
| Lock, latch, handle, or crank operator | 1 window — latch or lock replacement | $150 – $200 |
| Lock, latch, handle, or crank operator | 2–3 windows, or a crank operator swap | $225 – $330 |
| Lock, latch, handle, or crank operator | 4+ windows | $370 – $555 |
| Broken balance, spring, or sash cord | 1 window — one balance/spring set, part in hand | $165 – $240 |
| Broken balance, spring, or sash cord | 1 window — both balances, sash removed and re-set | $240 – $350 |
| Broken balance, spring, or sash cord | 2–3 windows | $400 – $600 |
| Drafts — weatherstripping and seals | 1 window — replace weatherstrip, seal drafts | $150 – $195 |
| Drafts — weatherstripping and seals | 2–4 windows | $215 – $315 |
| Drafts — weatherstripping and seals | 5+ windows / whole-apartment draft seal | $360 – $540 |
| Screen torn, loose, or missing | 1 screen — re-mesh or spline repair | $150 – $190 |
| Screen torn, loose, or missing | 2–4 screens | $180 – $265 |
| Screen torn, loose, or missing | 5+ screens, or new frames measured and ordered | $290 – $435 |
| Cracked or broken glass | 1 single-pane sash — glass cut, glazed, re-set | $190 – $275 |
| Cracked or broken glass | 1 single-pane sash — measure, order, return to install | $290 – $430 |
| Cracked or broken glass | 1 standard-size insulated glass unit (IGU) — measured, ordered, installed on a return visit | $430 – $645 |
Door adjustments and hardware
| Job | Size / scope | Typical NYC price (labor) |
|---|---|---|
| Sticks, rubs, sags, or won't close | 1 door — hinge adjustment / minor shave | $165 – $205 |
| Sticks, rubs, sags, or won't close | 1 door — plane the edge, re-hang, prime the cut | $205 – $295 |
| Sticks, rubs, sags, or won't close | 2–3 doors, or a warped slab we review for replacement | $305 – $455 |
| Won't latch — strike plate is off | 1 door — strike adjustment | $165 – $195 |
| Won't latch — strike plate is off | 1 door — strike relocation + latch mortise rework | $190 – $275 |
| Won't latch — strike plate is off | 2–3 doors, or frame movement corrected first | $280 – $415 |
| Handle, knob, hinge, or door closer | 1 knob/handle, or one pair of hinges | $165 – $205 |
| Handle, knob, hinge, or door closer | 1 door — full hardware set or a door closer | $205 – $295 |
| Handle, knob, hinge, or door closer | 2+ doors / full apartment hardware refresh | $320 – $475 |
| Damaged jamb, frame, or trim | Loose stop, trim, or jamb screws | $165 – $235 |
| Damaged jamb, frame, or trim | Split jamb repair / strike-area reinforcement | $255 – $370 |
| Damaged jamb, frame, or trim | Jamb section replaced + new casing | $475 – $780 |
| Hole, dent, or scratch in the door | Small dent or scratch — fill and sand, primer-ready | $165 – $220 |
| Hole, dent, or scratch in the door | Knob-size hollow-core hole — backer, fill, sand | $220 – $310 |
| Hole, dent, or scratch in the door | Large hole or multiple panels, or slab replacement review | $320 – $475 |
| Closet slider or bi-fold off its track | 1 opening — back on track, rollers adjusted | $165 – $215 |
| Closet slider or bi-fold off its track | 1 opening — new rollers, track, or floor guides | $220 – $310 |
| Closet slider or bi-fold off its track | 2–3 openings / full bypass hardware replacement | $345 – $505 |
Sealing gaps around frames and trim
| Job | Size / scope | Typical NYC price (labor) |
|---|---|---|
| Tub or shower surround | One tub or shower — fresh bead on a clean, sound joint | $150 – $195 |
| Tub or shower surround | One tub/shower — strip old caulk, clean, re-seal (to ~20 ft) | $190 – $280 |
| Tub or shower surround | Two bathrooms, or one bath with heavy old-caulk buildup stripped and fully re-sealed | $305 – $460 |
| Sink, vanity, or countertop edge | 1 sink or vanity edge (under 8 ft) | $150 – $180 |
| Sink, vanity, or countertop edge | 2–3 fixtures, old caulk removed | $175 – $260 |
| Sink, vanity, or countertop edge | Full bathroom or kitchen fixture set | $265 – $400 |
| Kitchen backsplash and counter seam | One run under 8 linear ft | $150 – $190 |
| Kitchen backsplash and counter seam | 8–20 linear ft — strip and re-seal | $195 – $290 |
| Kitchen backsplash and counter seam | Full kitchen perimeter + appliance gaps | $305 – $460 |
| Window and door perimeter (drafts) | 1–2 windows — interior perimeter | $150 – $200 |
| Window and door perimeter (drafts) | 3–5 windows / doors — draft sealing | $210 – $315 |
| Window and door perimeter (drafts) | 6+ openings / whole-apartment draft seal | $350 – $535 |
| Baseboard, trim, and crown gaps | One room — baseboard and trim gaps | $150 – $210 |
| Baseboard, trim, and crown gaps | 2–3 rooms | $230 – $345 |
| Baseboard, trim, and crown gaps | Full apartment — paintable caulk ahead of painting | $375 – $570 |
| Other joint or gap | Short run, under 8 linear ft | $150 – $190 |
| Other joint or gap | 8–20 linear ft | $200 – $300 |
| Other joint or gap | More than 20 linear ft / multiple areas | $325 – $490 |
What drives the price
- Where the air comes in: worn weatherstrip, a sash that does not close, a door with daylight under it, or a gap between the frame and the wall — each is a different line.
- Window type: double-hung wood sashes, aluminum sliders and casements take different weatherstrip profiles and different fixes for a sash that sticks or drops.
- Number of openings: a single window is the base case; a whole apartment of windows and doors is priced as a set, which is where it makes sense to do it in one visit.
- Hardware: a broken sash lock, a snapped balance or a bent latch is replaced rather than sealed around, and the part is priced separately.
- Doors: a sweep and a new strike plate are quick; planing a door that has swelled or shimming a frame so the door meets its stop takes longer.
- Old caulk: cutting out cracked or painted-over sealant around a frame before the new bead goes in is what moves a sealing job up its line.
What's included
- Finding the leaks with the window and door closed, including the gaps you cannot see from the room
- Fitting weatherstrip, sweeps and stops sized to the opening, and adjusting sashes and doors so they close and latch
- Cutting out failed sealant and laying a clean bead around frames and trim
- Clean-up and a check that every window and door still opens, closes and locks
What's quoted separately
- Weatherstrip, sweeps, balances, locks and sealant — supplied by you or quoted separately
- Painting touch-ups where old caulk or trim came away — see the interior painting guide
- Replacing a whole door or a broken pane — the door installation guide and the glass line of the window table
When it's not a handyman job
- Replacing windows, and the co-op, condo or Landmarks approvals new windows need, are a window contractor's job; we make the windows you have close tight.
- A radiator that does not heat, its valves and steam or hot-water piping are a NYC Licensed Master Plumber's; drafts are what we fix.
How the assessment visit and the work minimum are priced
Photo and text estimates are free — send photos and you get a real range. If the job needs eyes on site first, the assessment visit is $99 plus sales tax and is credited toward approved work done within 30 days — longer when agreed in writing in advance. There is a $150 work minimum. After a $99 assessment, a $150 job means you pay the $51 difference plus tax. Repair ASAP LLC is a NYC DCWP-licensed home improvement contractor (License No. 2137199-DCWP) and carries general liability insurance with COI support for co-ops and condos.
Frequently asked questions
Is the cold coming from the window or the wall?
Usually both, and they are different fixes. Air moving through the sash gap or a failed lock is weatherstripping and hardware; cold coming from around the frame is a gap between the frame and the wall that old caulk or plaster used to cover. Hold a hand or a lit candle along the frame on a windy day: the flame tells you which line of the table you are in.
Which weatherstrip lasts in a pre-war building?
For wood double-hung sashes, a spring-bronze or silicone bulb strip fitted into the channel outlasts stick-on foam by years; for aluminum sliders, the pile strip in the track is replaced like for like. Foam tape is a one-winter fix and is what most tenants have already tried.
My window will not stay up or will not close all the way — is that a draft job?
It is a balance or a lock, and it has its own line. A snapped balance lets the sash drop and leaves a gap at the top; a failed sash lock cannot pull the two sashes together. We replace the part and then weatherstrip the sash, because sealing a window that does not close does nothing.
Can you stop the draft under the front door?
Yes. A door sweep, a threshold gasket and a new strike plate so the door latches tight cover most apartment doors; a door that has swelled or dropped is planed or the frame is shimmed so it meets its stop. Fire-rated apartment entry doors keep their rating: sweeps and gaskets go on, nothing is cut into the door slab.
Should the whole apartment be done at once?
If more than two or three openings leak, yes: one visit prices better than three, the same profile of weatherstrip is fitted throughout, and the difference at the radiator bill shows up the same month. Send a photo of each window and door and we quote them as a set.
What should I send for a draft-proofing quote?
A photo of each window or door from inside, a close photo of the gap or the failed part, the window type (wood double-hung, aluminum slider, casement), roughly how many openings, and whether the building requires a certificate of insurance for the visit.
How much does draft-proofing doors and windows cost in NYC?
By job, labor in New York City runs: Stuck, painted shut, or won't stay open $150 – $545; Lock, latch, handle, or crank operator $150 – $555; Broken balance, spring, or sash cord $165 – $600; Drafts — weatherstripping and seals $150 – $540; Screen torn, loose, or missing $150 – $435; Cracked or broken glass $190 – $645. Photo and text estimates are free; an on-site assessment visit is $99 plus sales tax, credited toward approved work done within 30 days — longer when agreed in writing in advance. There is a $150 work minimum, every job is quoted before anything begins, and prices are plus NY sales tax where applicable.
Ready for a real number?
Text photos and get a free estimate. DCWP-licensed & insured, COI support, work from $150.
