Top Mistakes Tampa Bay Homeowners Make During Window Replacement Projects

I'll chime in! One of my biggest mistakes was choosing the first contractor that knocked on my door without doing much research. A salesman came by offering a "great deal" on window replacements. I was naive and figured why not, since I needed it done. Well, it turned out to be a nightmare. The "too good to be true" price should have been a red flag. The contractor was unlicensed (found out later) and did shoddy work. A couple of the new windows weren't sealed properly and we had leaks during the next rain. 😭
To fix that mess, I ended up calling a more reputable local company (Karoly Windows) to come in and redo the installation properly. They were fantastic and the difference was night and day. But of course, I had to pay twice for the same windows due to my early mistake. Lesson learned: always get multiple quotes and check the credentials and reviews of the installer. Don't fall for the first slick sales pitch that comes along. In Tampa Bay there are a lot of legit window companies – make sure you pick one of them and not some fly-by-night crew like I did initially.

Oh man, @robertblogger, your story sounds rough. Glad you got it sorted eventually. I can relate to getting multiple quotes. We got three quotes before deciding, and the prices and approaches varied a LOT. One guy tried the whole "today only price drop" trick on us too, which leads me to the mistake I almost made: falling for high-pressure sales tactics. The first quote we got (from a big well-known company) was insanely high. When we hesitated, they suddenly offered a "50% discount if you sign right now". 🙄 It felt so sketchy, like they inflated the price just to drop it. We almost signed because it sounded like a good deal with the discount, but thankfully we wanted to sleep on it. The next day I did some more research and realized that kind of pressure is a common tactic. We ended up going with a local contractor who gave us a fair price from the start.
So I'd say a top mistake to avoid is rushing into a contract because of a "limited time" offer. Take your time, get a few quotes (I always hear at least 3), and don't let anyone bully you into signing on the spot. If the deal is only good for that day, that's a red flag.

Absolutely agree with you all. I'd add another big mistake on my part: timing the project poorly. We scheduled our window installation for late August last year, thinking we'd beat the hurricane season rush. Bad idea. 😅 August ended up being super rainy and even had a close call with a tropical storm. The installers had to stop and start because of weather, and at one point we had a couple of window openings boarded up for a week waiting for storms to pass. It was stressful worrying about a storm hitting when our windows weren't fully in place.
In hindsight, I wish we had planned the project for a calmer weather period (like winter or early spring when it's drier in the Tampa Bay area). Or at least been better prepared with temporary coverings. So, mistake to avoid: not accounting for weather and season. If you do schedule in rainy/hurricane season, make sure your contractor has a solid plan for sudden weather changes, and have some tarps or boards ready just in case.

Jumping in as a homeowner from St. Pete. One mistake I saw neighbors make (and almost did myself) is not checking Homeowner Association (HOA) rules before getting new windows. In our neighborhood, the HOA has strict guidelines on window styles and even the frame color. We were about to order windows with a bronze frame (which I personally prefer), but a neighbor warned us that our HOA only allows white frames facing the street. I double-checked and sure enough, the HOA would have made us repaint or replace them if we had gone with bronze. 😬
Another neighbor actually did get non-compliant windows and had to spend extra money modifying them to appease the HOA. So if you live in a community with an HOA (quite a few here in Tampa Bay do), always get approval or at least read the architectural guidelines before making your window selection. It can save you a massive headache and extra costs.

Great point @streamer44. HOAs can be a pain. I'd like to mention a mistake about permits and city inspections (kind of like what @robotics445 started talking about). My cousin replaced his windows in Tampa without pulling permits, trying to save a few bucks and avoid the "hassle." Big mistake. Not only is it required in most cases here, but it came back to bite him when he went to sell his house. The buyer’s inspection noticed the new windows and asked for permit documentation. Since he didn’t have it, the sale got delayed for weeks while he scrambled to get an after-the-fact permit and inspection. He ended up paying a fine too.
In my case, I made sure my contractor pulled all the necessary permits through Pinellas County for my window job. They took care of scheduling the inspector visit after installation. It went smoothly for me, but seeing my cousin’s ordeal, I'd warn everyone: do not skip the permit. Even if your installer says "we can do it without a permit" or something shady like that, insist on doing it by the book. It's not just about rules – permits ensure the work is checked and meets code (important for hurricanes especially). And you don't want legal troubles or issues when insuring or selling your home later.

I've got another one: assuming the cheapest materials are good enough. When we were shopping for windows, we were on a tight budget and thought all windows were pretty much the same. We almost ordered some no-name brand vinyl windows that were really cheap. But after doing some homework, I realized not all vinyl is created equal – cheap vinyl can warp in the Florida heat over time and might not have good UV resistance. We also learned about the importance of things like Low-E glass and argon gas fills for energy efficiency.
So a mistake to avoid is going too cheap on the windows themselves just to save money upfront. You might end up with windows that don't perform well or last long, especially in our hot, humid climate. We ultimately spent a bit more for a well-known brand (with good reviews for Florida use) with Low-E coated impact glass. And I'm glad we did – our electric bills dropped and the house is more comfortable now. Basically, look at the long-term value (energy savings, durability, hurricane protection) not just the initial price tag.

Totally agree, @breezec63. And speaking of going cheap, another mistake is trying to DIY a window install if you're not experienced. Guilty as charged here 🙋‍♂️. I figured I'd save money by installing a couple of smaller windows myself in my garage and a bathroom. How hard could it be, right? Well... I ended up with one window that wouldn't close perfectly (my measurements were slightly off, I think) and another that later developed a leak because I didn't flash/seal it properly. I eventually had to call in pros (I went with ProTech Windoors for the fix) to remove and reinstall those windows correctly. They were very kind about it and even showed me what I did wrong, but it was still embarrassing and not to mention it cost me more in the end.
I'm all for DIY in general, but window installation is one of those things where experience really matters. If it's your first time doing it, consider practicing on a shed or something, not your actual house 😅. Otherwise, hire a professional or you might end up paying twice like I did.

Yikes, @psychology_mario, at least you gave it a shot and learned something. Thanks for sharing that. My contribution: not clarifying what the installer will and won't do as part of the job. When we signed our contract, I assumed a bunch of things that weren't actually included. For example, I thought they'd take care of all the interior trim work and touch-up painting after putting in the new windows, but turns out our contract only covered installing the windows and exterior sealing. I had to scramble to hire a handyman to fix some interior drywall gaps and repaint around the frames because the window install guys just left it as-is (they told me that is standard for window installs, which I didn't know).
It was partly on me for not reading the fine print carefully. So big lesson: ask exactly what's included in the installation service. Do they do interior finishing? Will they reinstall your blinds/curtains? Do they haul away the old windows and debris? (Ours did, thankfully.) Knowing this upfront will prevent surprises later. And if it's not in writing, assume it's not included.

That's a good one, @kathyw32. I have one to add about timeline expectations. @robotics445 touched on this, but I'll expand with my experience. We thought our whole project would be done in a week or two. In reality, from signing the contract to final installation was almost 3 months! 😮 Part of that was waiting for the windows to be manufactured and delivered (we had a couple of custom sizes and special order glass). The other part was scheduling the installation crew, and then the city inspection after that.
What I learned is that window projects often take several weeks at minimum. The mistake is not planning ahead or being prepared for a long lead time. If you think you can call today and get new windows installed by next week, you'll likely be disappointed. So, if you have a deadline (like you want new windows before hurricane season starts, or before a new baby or whatever event), start way early. Ask the contractor for estimated lead times on the windows you choose. And also, once windows are out, if any issues pop up (like @breezec63 mentioned wood rot or @psage55 mentioned weather delays) it can extend the timeline.