Senate Passes Senator Wiener’s Bill To Streamline Window Weatherization and Reduce Costs

For too many homeowners, upgrading a drafty old window to improve energy efficiency and comfort and to reduce costs is an expensive slog through dense regulations. SB 908 will streamline the process and cut red tape to give homeowners more affordable options to upgrade windows.

SAN FRANCISCO – The Senate voted 31-7 to pass Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) SB 908, legislation to streamline the permitting process for replacing windows. In many parts of California, homeowners face a difficult and costly process to upgrade old, inefficient windows. SB 908 streamlines the approvals process, giving homeowners more options to lower their energy costs, improve energy efficiency, and improve their home’s coziness. The bill heads next to the California Assembly.

Replacing old windows with newer, more energy efficient options is often less expensive than the older styles sometimes required by historic preservation standards and cities with complex planning codes. Contractors estimate that historic wood-framed windows can run $40,000, or nearly double the $20,000 cost for modern fiberglass, aluminum, or vinyl alternatives.

"Updating your home to be more comfortable and energy efficient should be easy and straightforward. Too often, it’s anything but,” said Senator Wiener. "California homes waste millions of dollars each year through leaky, single-pane windows that fail to meet modern efficiency standards. The permitting process itself should be part of the solution to this problem, not one of the biggest barriers to fixing it. SB 908 rights this situation by protecting homeowners' right to make common sense energy efficiency improvements without unnecessary delays or costs."

Renters are particularly affected by these policies. Landlords often won't upgrade windows due to the high costs, leaving tenants with drafty interiors, higher heating bills, and exposure to outdoor noise and pollution. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates 30% of home heating energy is lost through windows, and the majority of California homes are heated with fossil fuels.

SB 908 would prohibit homeowner's associations from restricting window replacements that comply with the California Energy Code and other California building code standards. It also requires local governments to treat qualifying window replacement permits as ministerial approvals, meaning homeowners can move forward without getting caught up in aesthetic design hearings. A permit can only be denied if there is substantial evidence of an unmitigable health or safety issue. The bill also applies to new residential construction in San Francisco.

The bill preserves protections for truly historic properties by exempting buildings individually listed on the State Historic Resources Inventory or local historic resources from the streamlined permitting requirements.

By streamlining approval for energy-efficient window replacements, SB 908 helps lower energy bills, reduce emissions, and make it easier for Californians to maintain their homes, even in our most historic communities. 

SB 908 is supported by the Building Decarbonization Coalition, Association for Energy Affordability, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), Mission Housing Development Corporation, California Apartment Association, California Yimby, and Housing Action Coalition.

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