Let me share our complete experience to add to the knowledge base. We have a mid-century home (built 1955) in Pinellas, and we replaced ALL 20 windows last year with impact windows. Yes, 20 windows! It was a big investment and we debated doing just shutters + regular windows, but ultimately decided on impact for everything for a one-and-done hurricane protection solution. We chose custom white vinyl, double-pane impact windows (mix of single-hung and a couple of fixed picture windows). The total damage was about $25,000 for 20 windows. That breaks down to $1,250 per window on average. This included everything (permits, materials, install, even repairing some exterior trim and repainting around the windows).
A couple of notes from this project: the impact windows are heavier and have thicker frames than our old single-pane jalousie windows. They look great and are so solid, but one quirk is they are a bit harder to open/close due to the weight (especially the larger ones). Not a big deal, just something we noticed. Also, our home is much quieter now—traffic noise and even lawn mowers are barely noticeable inside. And no more drafts! We haven't been through a major storm yet with these, but feeling a lot more secure going into hurricane season. One downside: we had to remove and redo some interior woodwork because our old windows had unique wooden sills that didn't fit with the new inserts, so we had a carpenter do custom sills after. That was an extra ~$1,500 not in the window contract. Overall, expensive project, but having modern windows has improved our quality of life and home value significantly. We also got a small insurance discount for having all openings impact-rated (around $200/year off our homeowner's insurance).
For those who went with impact windows, did your home insurance premium actually go down? I'm considering impact vs non-impact, and one factor is insurance. I'm in Tampa city limits, not on the water. My insurer said something about needing all openings impact-rated to get a wind mitigation credit. I already have an impact-resistant garage door and will have an impact front door soon. If I do windows too, that would mean everything except maybe the skylight would be impact. Wondering if it's worth it purely from an insurance $$ perspective, or if the discounts are minimal here. (I know in Miami/South FL it's more significant because their code basically requires impact or shutters.)
@cyclist20 Good question. I did full impact windows and an impact front door two years ago, and my insurance did give a discount. It wasn't huge though. I think it knocked about $150 off my annual premium. The insurance company wanted proof (the wind mitigation inspection report + photos/invoice of the window install). The key is, like you said, all openings must be protected to get the credit. If even one window or the door isn’t impact or protected by shutters, they usually deny the discount. In the Tampa Bay area, the credits aren't as big as in South Florida, but hey, $150/year adds up over the life of the windows. I mostly did impact for the convenience and peace of mind, and consider any insurance savings a bonus.
I'll second what @sailing891 said. No discount unless every single opening is impact or has a rated shutter. I learned that when I tried to get a credit after doing all my windows. They asked if my entry doors were impact-rated. They weren't (just solid wood doors), so no credit for me until I also upgraded doors or added approved shutters for them. It's kind of an all-or-nothing deal. So if insurance savings are your main goal, plan to address doors, skylights, etc., too. If it's just for general safety and convenience, then do what makes sense for your budget.
We just wrapped up a window replacement project, so I'll share details while it's fresh. Our home had 15 old aluminum single-pane windows (so inefficient!). We got four quotes:
Local Company A: $15,300 (non-impact vinyl double-pane)
Local Company B: $19,800 (impact, vinyl frame - they use Simonton windows)
Károly Windows & Doors: $22,000 (impact, vinyl frame, PGT windows)
A big national window chain: $25,000+ (also impact, but their own brand)
We decided to go with Company B for $19.8k (impact glass). It was a tough call because Károly has an excellent reputation, and we did like their presentation. They were actually the only ones who mentioned things like using their own crews (not subcontractors) and they have a lifetime warranty on installation. But in the end, $2,200 saved is $2,200 saved, and Company B had good references too (a neighbor used them). So far, no regrets — installation went smoothly last month. All 15 windows were done in 3 days. They did include stucco repairs, and they even fixed a bit of water-damaged drywall under one of the windows. Looking back, I'm glad we invested in impact windows. The house feels more secure, and the difference in our A/C runtime is noticeable. If someone is reading this and overwhelmed by choices, my advice is: mid-range quote from a well-reviewed local company is usually a safe bet. The cheapest might cut corners, and the most expensive might not deliver proportionate value. The sweet spot is somewhere in the middle with a contractor you feel you can trust.
This thread is gold! Thank you all for sharing your experiences and numbers. I'm planning to do my windows this fall. Leaning towards Károly Windows & Doors because I've heard so many good things (and their sales guy at a home show was not pushy, which is a plus). Has anyone here used their financing options? The rep mentioned something about 12-month no interest financing if approved. I normally prefer to pay cash, but with costs being what they are, I might finance half of it to spread it out. Just curious if anyone has gone that route and if it was straightforward.
@golfplayer86 I didn't use Károly's financing, but I did do financing through the company I chose (a smaller local contractor). Many window companies have relationships with financing firms (like Greensky or Service Finance, etc.). In my case, we had 0% interest for 18 months, which was awesome. It let us get the project done all at once and pay it off over a year and a half. Just be sure to pay it off in time because those deals are often deferred interest (if you don't pay by the end of promo, interest from day one might hit you). The process for us was simple: a quick credit application, got approved in minutes, and the window company got paid by the finance company, then we make payments. If Károly offers 12-month no interest and you can comfortably pay it off in that time, it's a good way to go. Also, some companies give a discount if you pay cash up front (because they avoid credit card fees or financing fees). It doesn't hurt to ask: "Is there a discount for cash?" Then compare that vs the value of the no-interest period. Good luck!
I'll add a tidbit on negotiating: We ended up getting about a 5% discount on our window project just by politely asking. 😅 When we got our quotes, I told our top-choice contractor that another company had come in a bit lower and asked if they could price match or do something. They knocked off a little bit (not a huge amount, but on a $10k job, even $500 saved is nice). Also, we opted to pay by check (so they avoid credit card processing fees); some companies appreciate that and may give a small discount. It’s not like buying a car with haggling or anything, but there’s sometimes a little wiggle room, especially if you have multiple quotes to compare. Worst case, they say no. Best case, you save some cash.
We got a quote from Renewal by Andersen (the Andersen windows people) and nearly fell out of my chair. It was astronomical compared to the others – like double or more. 😵 We have 8 windows and they quoted something like $28,000! To be fair, their product is fiberglass and very high quality, but we just couldn't justify it. We ended up going with a local window contractor for vinyl impact windows at about $10k for the same 8 windows. The Andersen sales pitch was slick and the product seemed great, but unless you have a very high-end home or money is no object, you don’t need to spend that kind of money to get good windows. This is just to say, don't be shocked if you get one quote that's crazy high; every forum I've read has someone with a wild Andersen (or similar) quote. Some people do it, but most of us go a more budget-friendly route. We are happy with our decision—saved a ton of money and still got good quality windows that look fantastic.
@breezec63 Haha, we had almost the exact same experience. Got an Andersen quote, laughed, and said "no thank you." They wanted $1,500+ per window for non-impact, which in our opinion was overkill for our modest house. It's a premium brand for sure, but yeah, don't feel bad turning down those high quotes. There's a market for everything, I guess!