Window Replacement in Custer, SD
Custer has two housing stories. The city itself is old, with a 1971 median build year and a fifth of its homes built before 1940. The rest of Custer County is much newer and nearly all owner-occupied. Whichever one you live in, independent local window companies can send free quotes.
Get Free QuotesTown, county and Hermosa compared
Census 2025 population estimates and 2020–2024 American Community Survey. Distances are straight-line from downtown Rapid City; the drive through the Hills is longer.
| City of Custer | Custer County | Hermosa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population, 2025 | 1,803 | 9,431 (+13.4% since 2020) | 370 |
| Median year built | 1971 | 1994 | 1991 |
| Era notes | 20% before 1940; 59.8% before 1980 | 23% built in the 2000s | 1990s 22%, 1970s 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 69.5% | 85.6% | 69.9% |
| Distance | About 28 mi SW | — | About 17 mi S |
Old houses in town
One home in five inside Custer city limits predates 1940, a much older mix than Rapid City. Some likely still have wood sash, or wood frames hidden behind later storm windows. Replacing them raises two questions that newer homes don't.
Lead. With nearly 60% of the city's homes built before 1980, most window jobs here involve pre-1978 paint. Federal law requires an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm, and EPA administers the rule in South Dakota.
Look. Many owners want new windows that still suit an older house. Wood-clad and fiberglass windows can be made with similar sightlines, and full-frame installation lets the installer deal with any rot in the old opening. Ask each company to explain its approach.
Hail in the Southern Hills
Roofers working the area describe Custer as having “seen so much hail,” and regional news has referred to a Custer–Hill City hail corridor. Those are local observations, not official rankings. What NWS and AP reports do confirm is the July 27, 2015 storm, with hail up to 3.5 inches across western South Dakota and baseball-size stones in Hill City, just up the road.
If hail breaks a window: cover it from the inside, take photos, and call your insurance agent. South Dakota law requires insurers to respond to claim communications within 30 days (SDCL 58-33-67). Rapid City Window Pros doesn't handle or negotiate claims, and an offer to pay your deductible is a red flag. More on the hail damage page.
Newer county homes and Hermosa
Outside town, Custer County's housing is mostly from the 1990s on, and 85.6% of homes are owner-occupied. Those requests tend to be about basements and upgrades: adding an egress window for a new bedroom (which requires a permit and must meet code sizing), or replacing builder glass that frosts up in January. Hermosa, on the plains side of the county, has similar 1990s and 1970s stock and sits closer to Rapid City. Permit and licensing rules for Custer weren't something we could confirm, so ask your installer to check with the city or county, and ask for an SD contractor's excise tax license number and proof of insurance.
Custer and Southern Hills questions
Can I keep the look of old wood windows in a Custer home?
Yes. Wood and wood-clad replacements are made to look like traditional sash while sealing much better. Fixr's January 2026 range for a wood unit is $600 to $2,000. In a pre-1978 house the installer must be an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm, and if original frames are sound, ask whether repair is an option before replacing.
Do installers from Rapid City travel to Custer and Hermosa?
Some do. Custer is about 28 miles from downtown Rapid City in a straight line, and Hermosa about 17 miles, with longer drives through the Hills. Include your address in the request so only companies serving the Southern Hills reply. Ask how travel affects price and scheduling, and how they handle warranty visits.
Is the Custer area more prone to hail?
Local roofers and news reports talk about a hail corridor between Custer and Hill City, but we haven't found official data that ranks it against other parts of the Hills. What is documented is that baseball-size hail fell in nearby Hill City on July 27, 2015. Either way, check your policy's wind/hail deductible before storm season.
Free window quotes for Custer County
Say whether you're in town, out in the county or in Hermosa, plus the age of the house and how many windows you want replaced.
Elsewhere in the Hills
The closest town pages to Custer and the services that come up most here.
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Hail-cracked, drafty or foggy windows? Get free quotes.
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