I’m in Pinellas County and can confirm permits are required here too. The timeline for my permit was about 2 weeks. If you were in an HOA, you'd need their approval first, but it sounds like you're not. Don’t skip the permit—it’s there for safety and can affect insurance.
I went through a big-box store (Home Depot) for my window replacement in Tampa... and it was slow. It took nearly 6 months from order to install. I think one reason is they contract out the work, and there was an extra layer of scheduling. Plus the manufacturer they used had delays.
In hindsight, I’d rather go with a local specialized window company directly. Just sharing so you know not all routes are equal in timeline.
Here’s my timeline for a full house window replacement (10 windows) in Clearwater:
Initial Quotes: Reached out in early February to 4 companies. Took about 3 weeks to finish consultations and get all the quotes in hand.
Choosing Company & Contract: Went with my top choice by end of February. Signed contract and they took initial deposit.
Measurements & Permit Application: First week of March, the company came for precise measurements. They submitted the permit application right after. Permit approval took ~3 weeks.
Manufacturing Windows: Once the permit was in hand (late March), the windows were ordered. This was the longest part – about 8 weeks of waiting for the factory to build them and ship to the installer.
Installation Scheduled: Windows arrived late May. Installation was scheduled for the first week of June.
Installation: It took 2 full days to remove old windows and install 10 new ones.
Inspection: The city inspector came a week after installation (mid-June) to sign off on the permit.
Total Time: About 4.5 months from first quote to final inspection (early Feb to mid-June).
Hopefully that gives you an idea of what each step can involve!
Wow, some of you had it pretty smooth. I had a nightmare experience with a not-so-great contractor. I signed with a small window installer who gave me a low quote. He said 8-10 weeks... Well, it turned into 9 months! 😡
There were excuses like “supplier delays” and “waiting on permits” (which I suspect he filed late). He also rescheduled my install twice. Lesson learned: don’t just go with the cheapest quote. Make sure the company has a good track record for hitting their timelines.
I went with ProTech Windows & Doors (protechwindoors.com) for my windows, and thankfully it was a good experience. They promised about 12 weeks from order to installation. In reality it took 11 weeks, so they were actually slightly early. 😀
A neighbor of mine went with some no-name company and is still waiting (like 8 months and counting). So I’m glad I chose a reputable company like ProTech. They kept me updated at each step, which eased my worries.
In my case, the biggest factor was the manufacturer lead time. The installer was ready, permits were done quick, but the factory building the windows took 3 months to deliver.
Some window brands or types take longer. I chose a special color (bronze exterior frame), which they said added a couple of weeks extra wait. If you stick to standard white frames, it might be a bit faster.
Another thing to consider: sometimes one window can hold up the whole order. My project had 15 windows and one large arch-shaped window took longer to make than all the others. So the whole batch came late.
We were all set to install in September, but because of that one specialty window, we ended up installing in October once everything arrived. Frustrating, but at least the company explained the situation.
For anyone getting impact windows, remember to ask your insurance about discounts after installation. It doesn’t speed up the install, but it’s a nice post-installation perk 😁.
I got my new impact windows in August and my home insurance gave me a wind mitigation credit once I showed proof. So even though I waited 4 months for the windows, I’ll be saving money each year now.
I aimed to get mine done in the winter. Signed a contract in November and had new windows by February. About 3 months total. I think that timing helped avoid the rush.
Also, the cooler weather made installation easier (the crew told me they prefer doing installs in 60-70°F than in summer heat). In Florida, we have the luxury of year-round installs, but avoiding hurricane season rush definitely worked in my favor.
If you’re only replacing one or two windows, it can be quicker. I had a single cracked bedroom window replaced in the spring. One of the window companies had a matching size in stock (non-impact glass though).
From quote to install was just 2 weeks because there was no permit needed in that case (it was considered a repair) and they had the window ready to go. But for a full replacement with multiple custom windows, yeah, it’s going to take a while as others said.