Summerset and Piedmont sit next to each other off I-90 in Meade County, but their houses are a generation apart. Summerset is mostly 2000s construction; Piedmont leans 1990s with a strong 1970s layer. Here is what that means for windows, plus free quotes from independent local installers.
Get Free QuotesCensus figures (2025 population estimates; housing from the 2020–2024 American Community Survey). Distances are straight-line from downtown Rapid City.
| Summerset | Piedmont | |
|---|---|---|
| Population, 2025 | 3,030 | 1,245 |
| Median year built | 2007 | 1990 |
| Biggest building decades | 2000s 50%, 2010s 30% | 1990s 42%, 1970s 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 78.7% | 86.9% |
| Distance from Rapid City | About 9 miles NW | About 13 miles NW |
With 80% of homes built since 2000, most Summerset requests are about adding or upgrading rather than replacing worn-out units: finishing a basement and needing an egress window, swapping a few early seal failures, or improving the glass on a cold north side. A local development group has reported about 60 new homes a year here, so the town is still growing.
Piedmont's 1990s homes are now around 30 years old, often on their first set of vinyl. The 1970s houses are older still. Those built before 1978 need an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm for window work, because replacing a window disturbs painted surfaces in a way federal rules don't treat as a minor repair.
Many Summerset houses were built with full basements left unfinished. Turning one into a bedroom means adding an egress window, a job with more digging than glazing. An egress window requires a permit and must meet code sizing, and the window well has to let someone climb out.
| Egress item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Window only | $300–$1,500 (Fixr, Jan 2026) |
| Excavation and well | $3,000–$7,000 (This Old House, 2026) |
| Permit | $100–$500 (This Old House, 2026) |
Typical published ranges, not quotes. The egress window page covers sizing and wells in detail.
Both towns sit in IECC climate Zone 6A, like the rest of the Black Hills. The nearest long-term weather station, at Rapid City's airport, averages about 174 nights a year at or below freezing. Reports from the August 14, 2017 storm put 1.50 to 1.75 inch hail over Piedmont as well as Black Hawk and west Rapid City, and newer subdivisions are not immune: builder windows crack the same as old ones.
If you are upgrading glass, the Black Hills are almost certainly in ENERGY STAR's Northern zone (U-factor 0.22 or lower), but check the label on any window you are quoted. No federal tax credit applies to windows installed after December 31, 2025, and South Dakota declined the IRA home-energy rebates. More on energy-efficient windows.
Before you hire: South Dakota has no state window-contractor license. Ask for the installer's SD contractor's excise tax license number (DOR, 1-800-829-9188) and proof of insurance. We could not confirm whether Summerset or Piedmont requires its own contractor license, so have the installer check. Rapid City Window Pros doesn't verify licenses.
Yes. Cutting a new egress opening in a foundation requires a permit and must meet code sizing for the opening, sill height and window well. Your installer should pull the permit with the City of Summerset or Meade County, depending on where you live, and the permit fee belongs on the written quote. This Old House puts typical permit costs at $100 to $500.
Many are getting close. A lot of 1990s houses got early vinyl windows, and after about 30 years of Zone 6A winters, seals, weatherstripping and hardware tend to fail. Clear glass, tight locks and no drafts mean you can wait. Fogging, frost on the inside of the frame or sashes that won't stay up are good reasons to get quotes.
Possibly, if the house is recent. Check your closing paperwork for the window manufacturer's warranty and whether it transfers to a second owner. Warranty terms vary by product and installer, so ask each company quoting replacements to put their own warranty terms in writing. Rapid City Window Pros does not offer a warranty and can't confirm what yours covers.
Mention which town you're in, the year the house was built, and whether you're replacing windows or adding an egress opening.
Other towns on the north side of the Rapid City area, and services that come up most here.
Describe your windows once and independent Rapid City-area installers can reply with no-obligation quotes.
