All great advice! I wish I had this thread before I started, would have saved me a lot of grief (and money). Reading all these now, another memory popped up of what not to do. This might sound silly, but: don't procrastinate on scheduling the work once you have your windows. In my case, I ordered windows through a contractor and they actually arrived at the contractor's warehouse sooner than expected. But I was in the middle of some other home reno chaos and I delayed scheduling the install for a couple of weeks. During that time, one of the windows at the warehouse cracked (they said something fell on it). It was nobody's fault exactly, but because some time had passed, it took a bit to sort out getting a replacement pane in. Meanwhile, if I had scheduled installation ASAP, maybe that window would have been in my house and not broken at the warehouse.
So I guess the tip is: once your windows are ready, get the project done rather than let things sit around. Less chance for something to go wrong or get damaged. Plus, you get to enjoy your new windows sooner!
This might be a smaller thing, but one mistake I made was not ordering a few extra screens at the time of purchase. A couple of months after our install, one of our window screens got a tear (thanks to a lawn maintenance accident). I went back to the window company to get a replacement and it was a hassle matching the exact screen and size since it was a custom window. I realized it would have been much easier (and possibly cheaper) if I had gotten a couple of spare screens initially with the order.
So consider asking your window supplier or installer if you can buy an extra screen or two for common window sizes in your home. It might save you trouble down the road. The mistake is assuming you'll never need them – Florida life can be tough on screens (kids, pets, hurricanes, you name it). And if you end up not needing them, great, but if you do, you'll be glad to have a spare.
Haha @georgesewist, I wouldn't have thought of that, but it's true. I have a cat that already put a small run in one of my new screens trying to chase a lizard. Having a backup screen sounds smart now that you mention it.
Also, since we have so many posts now, I want to loop back to one thing: post-installation follow-up. It's not exactly a "mistake," but more like something you should do to avoid future issues. After your windows are installed, do a thorough walk-through (preferably with the installer or project manager) and check everything. Operate each window, make sure it opens, closes, locks smoothly, and that all the screens fit well. I initially missed checking one high window in a vaulted area; turns out its latch wasn't fully catching. I only discovered weeks later when I went to clean it. The company did come back and adjust it, but if it was something more serious I might have had trouble proving it was an install issue vs me messing with it.
So, don't make the mistake of not doing a final inspection before the crew leaves or shortly after. And don't feel bad about taking your time to really look things over – it's easier to get things fixed right away than months or years later.
Great addition @nancyshadow574. I did that walk-through too and found one window that needed a bit more caulk in a corner. They fixed it on the spot. Installers are human and can miss small things, so it's always good to double-check.
This thread has grown huge! Maybe we should try to summarize some of the top mistakes mentioned:
Skipping or delaying permits/inspections — just don't.
Not getting multiple quotes or falling for high-pressure sales.
Choosing price over quality (both in contractor and materials).
Bad timing (ignoring weather/season or rushing the project).
Not checking HOA or local requirements.
Lack of preparation (house prep, clear communication, reading contracts).
Forgetting about post-install steps (warranty, insurance, final inspections).
I'm sure I'm missing a few, but those are big ones. This is like a masterclass in what not to do, lol.
@data750 thanks for that summary! I actually have a follow-up question now that I'm getting quotes for my project. The prices I'm seeing are all over the place. For the same 10 windows, one company quoted me $8k and another quoted $15k 😮 (with similar specs). Is it normal to have such a huge difference? How do I figure out what's causing the gap? I don't want to make the mistake of just choosing the cheapest and ending up with problems, but the highest quote seems crazy expensive. Any tips on comparing quotes to make sure I'm getting a good deal without sacrificing quality?
@lpaws72 Yeah, it can be pretty confusing. Huge price differences happen, but there's usually a reason. Make sure each quote is for the same scope of work and materials. Sometimes one contractor might include things like exterior wrapping, permit fees, or upgraded hardware in their quote, while another might list those as extra costs later. Also check if they're using the same brand of windows and the same style (double-pane vs triple, impact glass vs not, etc.). A quote for a top-of-the-line impact window will cost a lot more than a basic non-impact window, for example.
In my experience, the really low quotes tended to be missing something or using cheaper products. The really high quotes might be from companies with big overhead or trying to upsell premium options. What I did was line up my quotes side by side and compare line by line. I asked each company to clarify anything I didn't understand. By the end, it was clear why one was cheaper (it didn't include repainting the interior trim they had to remove) and why one was pricier (they were quoting a high-end brand and also included some warranty add-on).
So the tip is: break down each quote and see what's different. Don't be shy about asking the companies to explain. Reputable ones will happily walk you through it. And if a quote isn't detailed, that's a red flag. Good luck!
Jumping in on the quote conversation – another thing to watch is the payment schedule each contractor wants. It might not be in the quote itself but will be in the contract. A mistake some make is paying too much upfront. You want to structure payments so the contractor has incentive to finish the job properly and timely.
For example, my contract was 10% down to secure the order, then 50% when the windows arrived at their warehouse, and the remaining 40% after installation was completed and inspected. That worked well. I know someone (my neighbor) who, unfortunately, paid a contractor almost the full amount upfront (it was one of those storm-chasing companies after Irma). That contractor disappeared on him with the money 😞. He had to pursue legal action to get any of it back.
So, big lesson: never pay 100% upfront. A reasonable deposit is normal (to order the windows), but the bulk of payment should come when the materials are delivered and when the work is done to your satisfaction.
@gaming_duke is spot on. The payment plan you mentioned is pretty standard. In my case, I paid 30% upfront, nothing more until the install day, then the rest after everything passed inspection. Each company might do it a bit differently, but any contractor asking for full payment before starting (or even before finishing) is a huge red flag 🚩.
Also, when comparing those quotes @lpaws72, check if any require a big deposit. If one quote is cheap but they demand, say, 50% or more upfront, I'd be wary. Sometimes less established companies need more upfront cash to buy materials, whereas the bigger, reputable ones might only take a smaller deposit and not collect the rest until later. It's another factor to consider when weighing who to go with.
You all are giving great advice. I want to add a cautionary tale about the contractor you choose: make sure they're likely to be around in the future. I made the mistake of hiring a small mom-and-pop window installer a few years back because they were a bit cheaper. They did an okay job installing, no major issues at first. But a year later, one of my window seals failed (got foggy) and when I tried to call that company, I found out they'd gone out of business. 😬
Because they were gone, their labor warranty meant nothing, and I had to deal directly with the window manufacturer for a replacement pane. The manufacturer honored the product warranty, but I had to pay another installer to swap the glass. So, price isn't everything. Pick a contractor with a solid reputation and longevity in the area, even if it costs a little more. In Tampa Bay, if a company has been around 10+ years with good reviews, that's a good sign. Fly-by-night outfits might leave you high and dry if something goes wrong down the line.
That's a really good point @dwhite46. Longevity matters. I actually looked up each company on BBB and the Florida license lookup to see how long they'd been in business and if there were complaints. It's not foolproof, but if someone has been serving Tampa Bay for decades, they're probably doing something right and will stick around.
And just to echo everyone: when you compare quotes, consider the quality of the company and their service, not just materials. The best windows in the world can still leak if installed wrong. So a mistake is focusing only on the window specs and price, and not the installer's track record.