A group of windows that projects outward from the wall. A bay usually uses three angled windows. A bow uses four or more in a gentle curve.
Exterior windows and doors only. We do not install interior doors or interior windows.
How it opens
A bay or bow window is a group of windows that projects out from the wall: a bay uses three angled units, and a bow uses four or more in a curve. They bring in light from three directions and add a little more space at the window. In North Alabama, the roof cap and flashing over the projection matter most for keeping water out.
The details
Living and dining rooms where you want light from three directions, a wider view of the yard or street, and a little more space at the window.
A bay or bow also changes how the front of a house looks more than any other window, so it suits homes where that is part of the goal.
The most striking option on the outside of a house and the most involved to install, because it is a structural and roofing job as well as a window job. A bay projects further from the wall for the same opening; a bow looks softer and gives a wider sweep of light.
The small roof over the projection is where both fail if the flashing is done carelessly.
A bay or bow is not one window. It is an assembly that projects out of the wall with its own small roof, and in this climate that roof is where they fail. Water that gets past the head flashing, the metal or membrane that sheds water over the top, has nowhere to go but into the framing that carries the projection.
When we are called to a failed bay, it is almost never the glass. It is the head flashing, the insulation in the projecting base, or the framing underneath that was never done properly.
A bay usually has a larger center window with an angled window on each side. It projects further from the wall and has a crisp, traditional shape. A bow uses four or more windows of similar size in a gentle curve, reads softer from the street, and gives a wider arc of light.
Both need support underneath and a properly flashed roof cap. Which suits your home often comes down to the width of the wall and the style of the house.
Because the trouble is usually the roof cap, the flashing or the support rather than the glass, it pays to find out why a bay failed before choosing its replacement. Look for these signs from outside.
We price after measuring, line by line, with the materials named. These are the things that move the number.
We walk your exterior, measure, and show you the options. There is no charge and no pressure.
You get a written scope with every line and material named. Then we order for your home.
Cut, fitted, trimmed, cleaned up and hauled away the same day. You never look at a pile of old frames.
Real ACM job photos. Every photo marked “ACM job photo” is from one of our own jobs.
ACM job photoPorch window replacement
Old porch windows with failing frames replaced with a new picture window and sliders, set and sealed from the outside.
ACM job photoDouble-hung window replacement in brick
A worn double-hung window with a deteriorated sill replaced with a new white double-hung unit.
ACM job photoNew picture window on a brick ranch
A large picture window installed on a brick ranch home, finished and cleaned up the same day.
ACM Pros replaced our windows and our front door in Hazel Green, AL. We are very happy with the work and the team.
A badly detailed one does, and it is the most common failure we see in this style. The head flashing above the projection and the insulation under its base are the two details worth asking any contractor about directly.
A bay uses angled flat windows, usually three, and projects further from the wall for a given opening. A bow uses four or more units in a gentle curve and looks softer. A bay gives more depth at the window, while a bow gives a wider arc of light.
Often, yes. The assembly cantilevers out of the wall, meaning it hangs out past the wall below it, and it carries its own weight. Whether that needs a support bracket or a cable system is decided at measuring, not on the quote.
Often, yes. If the bay needs a wider opening than you have now, the wall opening has to be enlarged, which adds structural work and cost. We look at that during the free estimate and spell it out in your written scope.
It adds glass, and the side windows face different directions, so they catch morning or afternoon sun. Low-E glass, a thin coating that reflects heat, is the practical baseline here. The coating can be chosen for the direction the bay faces.
Look it over from outside each spring. Check the caulk where the roof cap and sides meet the wall, look for stains or soft wood under the projection, and keep the gutter above it clear so water does not pour onto the roof cap.
No. We install the bay or bow from the outside: the windows, the support, the roof cap, the flashing and the exterior trim. We do not build window seats, shelves or any interior finish work, and we do no interior remodeling.
Every window style and frame material, measured and installed from the outside with a sill pan and proper flashing.
Learn moreA fixed window that does not open. The most durable and airtight style, ideal for framing a view and bringing in light.
Learn moreA small glass box that projects from the wall, often over the kitchen sink. Great for herbs and light, with venting for summer heat.
Learn moreSide-hinged and cranked open, a casement seals tighter than any other common style and catches the breeze.
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Entry, patio, exterior French and storm doors, set on a sealed sill pan so the threshold stays dry for years.
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Ranch homes, historic districts and glass for afternoon sun.
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We're based in Madison and work across North Alabama, providing bay and bow windows in every area below. We do not work in Tennessee.
Tell us what you're picturing. We'll come out, measure up, and give you a free written estimate, so you know exactly what to expect before any work begins.
