What Equipment Do I Need to Install Windows?

Windows are weight plus a hole in a wall. First-story replacements are often still two people and a ladder. Second-story units, especially glass-heavy packages, want a boom for the crew and sometimes a telehandler or glazier kit for the unit. A 19 ft scissor on the lawn is how you crack a new window and the irrigation main.

Equipment for installing windows

Primary machines

Articulating boom

Primary

Z-30 electric for tight, occupied lots; 45–46 ft diesel for most two-story homes.

Park on the driveway and work the second-story openings.

Skip it when every opening is first-story and you have a crew that is happy on ladders.

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Optional / nice to have

Boomlift glazier kit

Optional

Fits the boom — confirm which machine is in the yard that week.

Support and place glass when the unit is too awkward for hands in a basket.

Skip it when units are light vinyl the crew can lift from inside.

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19 ft electric scissor

Optional

30–32 in wide class for doors and hallways.

Interior installs, casing, and punch-list in a dried-in house.

Skip it when there is no floor yet, or you are only working from outside.

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Compact telehandler

Optional

19 ft 5,500 lb for most homes.

Stage crates and, with a chart, some exterior picks.

Skip it when the glass truck is placing crates at each elevation.

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Typical pairing

Replacement on a two-story occupied home: electric or 45 ft articulating boom for the crew, glazier kit only if the units are heavy. New construction: boom outside until floors exist, then a 19 ft scissor inside.

People at the opening

Articulating booms let you sit next to a second-story opening without parking on the shrub line. Electric Z-30 class is for tight courtyards and occupied homes that do not want diesel at the kitchen window. Measure the unit and the reach; a 80 ft stick is not a window machine.

The glass itself

Some packages want a glazier kit on the boom. Some want a telehandler with a proper pick. We rent a boomlift glazier kit — tell us the unit weight. Do not free-hand a 200 lb window from a boom basket as a lifestyle.

Interiors

If you are finishing from inside, a 19 ft electric scissor in the room can beat any exterior lift. Confirm floor load and door width. New construction with no floors yet is still an exterior boom problem.

FAQ

Can we set a window with a telehandler?

Sometimes, with the right attachment and a chart. A boom plus a glazier kit is the usual people-and-glass combo. Do not invent a method on the driveway.

Will a towable boom work?

For a few openings, yes, if you can set outriggers on firm ground. All-day window packages want self-propelled.

Occupied house, kids, dogs, HOA?

Electric boom or scissor, protect the concrete, and a delivery window that is not 7 a.m. in a cul-de-sac. We have heard every version of this story.