@shadowthomas36 In my experience, it’s normal that a big picture window costs more than a standard double-hung. The one company that gave a flat per-window price might have been averaging or maybe all your windows are similar size except that one, hard to say.
In my case, I had a mix of sizes too. The quotes that were detailed showed something like: “Bedroom window: $600, Living room picture: $1500” (just as an example). Other quotes just gave a lump sum for all windows. I asked one of them for a breakdown and they explained which ones were driving the cost.
Ultimately, yeah look at the total, but make sure each quote covers the same windows and tasks. If one quote seems to be “not charging” for the big window, they probably built it in somewhere. They might just be presenting it differently.
When negotiating, I focused on the total project cost. Like I knew roughly what each window “should” cost from the breakdowns, but I haggled on the bottom line number for all of it. For example, I told my installer I needed the whole job under $10k for me to sign, and we got there.
If you're concerned, you can ask the flat-rate quote company to clarify how they arrived at that. Maybe they considered the big window as 2 units or something.
I agree with negotiating on the total price. That’s what I did too. Once I had all the quotes, I basically picked the company I liked best and said, “If you can do it for $X total, I’ll go with you.” (My $X was somewhat aggressive, but not crazy – like 15% lower than their quote). They went back and “talked to the boss” and then they met me in the middle, which I was happy with.
It can be easier for them to give a discount on the whole project than to quibble about each window. They might have some flexibility like “okay we’ll waive the permit fee and knock a bit off each unit” which all adds up.
Just make sure you have that final number and scope in writing when you do agree. My contract had the final price and stated it included everything (permits, removal, install, tax, etc.) so there were no last-minute add-ons.
I’m curious how people decided between going for a premium brand vs a budget option. For instance, I have one quote for Marvin fiberglass windows which is quite pricey, and another for a good vinyl window (Alside) that's much cheaper. The Marvin quote is almost 50% higher. For those who went with the expensive option, do you feel it was worth it? Or did anyone negotiate the premium guys down to near the vinyl price?
I like the idea of fiberglass for longevity (and the Marvin windows look great), but my wallet likes the vinyl quote more. 😅 I'm thinking maybe I can use the lower vinyl quote to get the Marvin dealer to come down a bit. Any thoughts or experiences?
@vr_jeff We faced a similar dilemma. We were looking at Marvin Infinity (fiberglass) vs a high-end vinyl (Okna). The Marvin quote was indeed about 40% more. We loved the fiberglass look and strength, but ultimately went with the Okna vinyl because of cost. However, I did negotiate with the Marvin dealer – I showed him the vinyl quote and he dropped the price a bit (maybe 10% off), but it was still significantly higher.
If money were no object, Marvin (or other premium brands like Andersen) are fantastic. But we had to balance budget. The Okna vinyl windows we got are excellent too, and they came with great energy ratings and warranty.
One strategy: see if the premium brand dealer can offer any promotions or maybe a slightly lower series. Marvin has a few lines (Infinity vs Elevate, etc.). In our case, they didn’t have much leeway. They emphasized their quality, which I won't deny is top-notch.
In short, we didn’t regret going with the high-quality vinyl in the end. If you can afford the premium and plan to stay in your home long-term, it could be worth it. But I wouldn’t go broke for it. And yes, definitely use the cheaper quote as leverage – even if they can’t match it, they might sweeten the deal with upgrades or something.
@vr_jeff Just chiming in: make sure you’re comparing apples to apples on the product quality too. Sometimes a quote is higher not just from “brand name” but because the window itself is better built or has more features. There are some cheap vinyl windows out there that won’t last more than 10 years without issues (warping, seal failures, etc.), whereas something like Marvin or a high-end vinyl will last much longer.
I’ve seen people jump at the lowest quote and end up with what we call “contractor grade” windows that aren’t great. Then they have to replace again sooner. So, consider the long-term value. If the cheaper quote is for a reputable mid-range or high-end vinyl window (like the Okna @gardener67 mentioned, or Soft-Lite, Sunrise, etc.), then it’s probably fine.
If it’s for a really entry-level product, you might be paying less now but more later. That can be a hidden cost in itself (future replacement or higher energy bills).
We actually negotiated our contractor up to a better window! We had a quote for a lower-end model, but we asked if they could do their higher quality model for a bit more, and we stretched our budget to get it. No regrets.
Has anyone dealt with exterior materials affecting cost? My home has stucco on the outside, and a couple companies warned me that replacing windows in stucco walls can be more labor-intensive (and might require some stucco patching). One quote was significantly higher because they included stucco repair work after installing the windows.
Another contractor suggested using insert windows that fit into the existing frames, specifically to avoid cutting back the stucco. That quote was cheaper and they said any exterior touch-ups would be minimal.
I ended up going the insert route for my stucco house and it worked out fine. Just had to do a little caulk and paint on the stucco edges, but no major repair. Saved quite a bit by not having to hire a stucco mason.
So if anyone has stucco or brick exteriors, that’s something to consider or ask about – whether they plan to disturb the exterior and if so, who covers the repair cost.
Something that helped us offset our window cost: tax credits and rebates. Depending on where you live, there might be incentives for installing energy-efficient windows. We got a $500 federal tax credit (the Energy Star thing) for our windows since they met the criteria. Also, our state energy company had a rebate of $50 per window for upgrading from single-pane to double-pane windows, up to 10 windows.
We only learned about these because one of the window sales reps mentioned it (funny enough, the expensive company tried to use it to justify their price: “you’ll get some of it back at tax time”). But hey, it was true – we did get some money back later.
It’s not exactly a negotiation tactic with the installer, but it’s good to keep in mind the net cost after such credits. If a premium window qualifies for more rebate or credit (for example, some programs give more credit for higher efficiency triple-pane windows), that could narrow the price gap.
Just thought I’d share that angle. It was a nice little bonus that took the sting off the cost.
I’ll share a cautionary tale on hidden costs: read the contract carefully! We had a situation where the quote seemed all-inclusive, but after we signed and the job started, the company hit us with a change order for additional work that “wasn't anticipated.” Specifically, they charged us extra for reinstalling some exterior trim that they had to remove to get the old windows out. In our view, that should've been part of the original scope.
We argued it, and eventually got them to reduce the extra charge, but we still paid a couple hundred more than the quote. It taught me that if something is vague in the quote, get clarification or have it written in.
Now, the job was done well in the end, and we love the windows, but that surprise cost left a sour taste. So, make sure everything you expect is listed. If your quote just says “Install 10 windows - $X,” maybe ask for detail like “includes removal of old windows, disposal, reinstalling interior/exterior trim as needed, cleanup,” etc. It can save you from “gotcha” fees later.
On the negotiation front, one trick I used: ask for upgrades instead of price cuts if they’re stingy on lowering the number. The company I dealt with had a set price they didn’t want to budge much on, but I got them to throw in some freebies:
They upgraded all my screens to the nicer fiberglass mesh at no charge (I think it was a $300 value).
They also gave me an extra year of labor warranty beyond the standard.
I figured, if they can’t drop say $1000 off the price, maybe they can include $1000 worth of extras. And it worked in a way that kept their “price” the same on paper, but I got more for it.
So if you find a contractor who won’t lower the dollar amount, see if they’ll do things like better hardware, better screens, extra warranty, or maybe finish some exterior trim work that they were going to charge for. Sometimes they have more flexibility on those things than on the base price.
How about after you sign the contract – is negotiating completely over at that point? Reason I ask: I initially only did 5 windows with my installer (budget reasons). Now, a year later, I want to do 5 more windows. I’m going back to the same company. I’m hoping they might give me a loyalty discount or something since I’m a repeat customer, but I’m not sure if that’s a thing.
It’s kind of like negotiating a new deal, but I already have an established relationship with them. Anyone done a split project like this and managed to get a break on the second phase?