How much does it cost to fix drafty windows and doors?

Short answer

Finding and sealing drafts yourself costs $10 to $40, for weatherstripping, a door sweep and caulk, and takes 30 to 60 minutes for the check plus the sealing. A home energy audit costs $100 to $300, and it finds the drafts with a blower door and an infrared camera rather than a candle. The DIY check catches the drafts you can feel. The audit catches the ones you can't, which in most houses are in the attic and the basement rather than at the windows.

Cost breakdown

The DIY column is the weatherstripping, the door sweep and the caulk. An incense stick or a candle and a flashlight are the only tools. The pro column is the energy audit, which includes the testing and a report of where the house leaks and what to fix first, though not the fixing itself.

What drives the cost

• How many openings leak. A house with a couple of drafty doors needs a sweep and some weatherstripping. One where every window leaks needs a roll of each type.
• The weatherstripping. Foam tape is the cheapest and lasts a season or so. V-strip and silicone bulb seals cost more and last for years.
• The audit. The utility company often subsidizes an energy audit, and in some areas it's free, which makes the pro figure the top of the range rather than the norm.
• What the audit finds. The report usually points at attic air sealing and insulation ahead of the windows, and those are separate jobs with their own prices.
• The house's age. An older house has more gaps, and sealing them has a bigger effect on the heating bill.

DIY vs. pro

The candle check and the sealing are yours. How often to check windows and doors for drafts is once a year before heating season, and a flickering flame at a window or a door shows where the $10 to $40 of weatherstripping goes. A door sweep and a strip of foam around a leaky door is one of the best returns in home maintenance.

Pay the $100 to $300 for the audit, or take the utility's subsidized one, if the heating bills are high and the candle check doesn't explain why. The blower door finds the leaks in the attic floor and around the foundation that no candle will, and the report ranks the fixes by payback. The audit is a one-time spend that tells you where the next few years of sealing money should go.

FAQ

How much does it cost to weatherstrip a door?

A door sweep and a set of weatherstripping cost a fraction of the $10 to $40 for a whole house, and the job takes a few minutes with a screwdriver.

How much does a home energy audit cost?

$100 to $300, and often free or subsidized through the utility company. Ask before paying full price.

Is an energy audit worth it?

If the bills are high and you can't find why, yes. It finds the leaks you can't feel and ranks the fixes by what they'll save.

Do new windows fix drafts?

They fix the drafts at the windows, at a cost far beyond sealing. Weatherstripping and caulk get most of the benefit for $10 to $40, and the audit will tell you whether the windows are the problem at all.