Hopper Windows: How They Open, Where They Fit, Cost

A hopper window is a short, wide window hinged at the bottom that tilts into the room from the top. Andersen describes it as an upside-down awning window, used mostly to let fresh air into basements and bathrooms ¹. Because it opens inward, it works where there is little clearance outside, and because it is small, it is usually one of the less costly operating windows: Modernize reports $250 to $750 installed for a typical hopper, with a national average around $350 per window (page updated August 18, 2026) ².

What a hopper does not usually do is serve as an escape window. Fixr's basement window guide says hoppers cannot be used as egress windows because of how they open ³. The sections below cover how it opens, where it fits, the egress limit and the cost ranges.

How a hopper opens

The sash sits on hinges along its bottom edge. Opened, its top edge leans into the room, usually held by side arms or a latch that stops it at a set angle; Modernize says most open with a hinge or a crank ². Air comes in over the top of the tilted sash.

That shape has three practical effects:

• Outside clearance. The sash opens inside, so a window well, a walkway or a shrub outside is not in its way. This Old House describes hoppers as providing ventilation in basements or other areas where outside clearance may be limited ⁵.
• Space inside. The open sash leans into the room. On a high basement wall that rarely matters; over a counter or shelf it may.
• Screens. Because the sash swings in, the screen goes on the outside. This Old House notes that hopper windows feature exterior screens ⁵.

When closed, the sash presses against the frame. Modernize says this reduces drafts ², and This Old House lists sealing capability as a feature of hopper and awning windows ⁵. How well any one window seals depends on its weatherstripping and installation, so compare the air leakage ratings on the quotes.

The types of windows guide shows how a hopper compares with every other style, and awning window cost covers its top-hinged, outward-opening counterpart.

Where a hopper fits

Basements. This is the classic location. Fixr says hoppers are common in basements because they can go in without a well ³, and that small hopper and awning windows are typically installed above ground, which makes them easier to replace ³. A narrow strip of wall between the foundation top and the floor joists suits a short, wide window.

Bathrooms and laundry rooms. Modernize lists bathrooms and laundry rooms alongside basements, and suggests opening a hopper before a shower to help keep the room from fogging ². A hopper set high on the wall lets steam out while the lower glass can stay frosted for privacy. Modernize also notes that hoppers can be hard to cover with blinds, which may limit privacy when they sit at eye level ².

Above or below other windows. This Old House lists compatibility with other window styles for custom configurations among the features of hoppers ⁵, and Modernize says the style was originally known as the transom hopper window ². A hopper stacked over a picture window or a door gives a fixed pane a way to vent. If the bottom edge of such a grouping sits low, or the glass is near a door, safety glazing may come into it; where tempered glass is required covers those locations.

Who makes them. Andersen says it no longer makes hopper windows, though it still offers replacement sashes for its basement windows built between 1934 and 2009 ¹. We are not affiliated with the manufacturers named. If an existing hopper only needs new glass or a new sash, that may be a repair rather than a new window.

Egress: why a hopper is rarely enough

A basement bedroom needs an escape opening, and the size of that opening is measured as the window actually opens. The City of Boise's handout of Section R310 of the International Residential Code, dated March 2022, says basements, habitable attics and every sleeping room need at least one operable emergency escape and rescue opening, with a net clear opening of at least 5.7 square feet (5 square feet for grade-floor or below-grade openings), a clear height of at least 24 inches, a clear width of at least 20 inches and a sill no more than 44 inches above the floor ⁴. The same Boise handout says those clear dimensions are obtained by the normal operation of the opening from the inside ⁴.

That last clause is the problem for a hopper. The sash stays in the opening when tilted, and side arms or stops may limit how far it leans, so the clear space a person could climb through may be a fraction of the frame. Add the small sizes hoppers usually come in, and they may not reach those minimums; that is consistent with Fixr's statement that hoppers cannot serve as egress windows ³. Andersen names its casement and gliding (sliding) windows as options that can meet egress requirements ¹.

The IRC is a model code, and the edition your state or city adopted, with its amendments, governs your house. Egress window requirements goes through the rules in full, including wells, ladders and the exemption for replacement windows.

What hopper windows cost

Two surveys price hoppers, and they measure different things.

Modernize's tiers run from $100 to $200 installed for basic vinyl to $600 to $850 for custom or high-end models ². Fixr's unit prices are before labor, which it puts at $200 to $300 to replace a hopper or awning window ³; adding the two gives roughly $300 to $1,050 for a basement hopper, our arithmetic from Fixr's figures, not a Fixr total.

The surveys disagree mostly on labor. Modernize lists labor at $12 to $25 per window ², far below Fixr's $200 to $300 ³. Fixr's page is older and covers basement replacements specifically, where access and trim may add work; Modernize covers hoppers anywhere in the house and links its own method page without stating a sample ^{2 3}. Treat both as rough guides and a written quote as the real number. How the cost surveys differ explains the pattern.

What moves the price on a hopper:

• Size and custom sizing. Fixr's custom units cost several times its prefab ones ³.
• Frame material. Vinyl sits at the low end of Modernize's tiers ².
• Access. A basement window above grade is easier to reach than one in a well ³.
• The wall around it. Rot or damage at the opening adds work; basement window replacement cost covers the basement-specific extras, such as wells and new openings.

Questions to ask before you get quotes

• Will this room ever be used as a bedroom? If so, a hopper alone will not cover egress.
• How far does the quoted hopper open, and does it have a crank or a latch?
• Is the screen included, and is it on the outside?
• If the hopper sits above another window, are the two joined in one unit or separate?
• Is the installer licensed where your state licenses this work?

For a whole-house budget, window replacement cost covers the other styles. When you are ready, you can compare quotes from window installers.

About these figures

• ¹ Reported: Andersen's basement window guide: hopper description, basements and bathrooms, no longer making hoppers, replacement sashes for basement windows from 1934 to 2009, and casements and sliders sized for egress, checked October 27, 2026.
• ² Reported: Modernize hopper window guide: $250 to $750 typical installed, $100 to $850 full range, about $350 national average, $200 to $400 mid-range, $100 to $200 basic vinyl, $600 to $850 high-end, $12 to $25 labor, uses, sealing, privacy and transom history, updated August 18, 2026, checked October 27, 2026.
• ³ Reported: Fixr basement window replacement guide: $100 to $250 prefab and $500 to $750 custom hopper units, $200 to $300 labor, hoppers common in basements without a well and not used as egress, updated December 13, 2023, checked October 27, 2026. The $300 to $1,050 total in the text is our arithmetic (unit plus labor).
• ⁴ Official record: City of Boise IRC handout #438 (March 2022) reproducing Section R310: sleeping rooms, 5.7 and 5 square foot openings, 24 and 20 inch minimums, 44 inch sill, and clear dimensions by normal operation, checked October 27, 2026.
• ⁵ Reported: This Old House window style guide: hoppers hinged at the bottom, ventilation where outside clearance is limited, sealing, exterior screens and compatibility with other styles, updated June 10, 2026, checked October 27, 2026.