Window Replacement Timeline in Tampa Bay

The rep I signed with (from ProTech Windows & Doors) was pretty candid. He said their average was 12 weeks but sometimes it goes 14-15 if something goes wrong, and they’d let me know. In my case it was done in 12 as promised. I appreciated the honesty.
I’d rather have a real expectation set than an overly optimistic “oh sure, 6 weeks no problem” and then get disappointed.

It’s refreshing when companies are realistic about the timeline. I had a few come out for quotes that made me suspicious - like one guy promised 4-week installation which is almost unheard of for custom impact windows. I didn’t go with that one; felt like a sales tactic.
I chose a company with a more average timeline but a great reputation. It paid off in peace of mind.

I’ve actually replaced windows twice (two different houses) in the last 10 years here. The first time was in 2015 after those big 2004-2005 hurricanes (I procrastinated a while). Back then, the wait was crazy because everyone was upgrading to impact windows. It took 6 months.
Recently did my new house last year, and that took about 3 months. The process has improved, and I think companies have gotten better at managing permits and orders. Now a lot is done digitally which speeds up permits. Just wanted to note how far things have come. 😊

The big takeaway: plan for a few months. If it happens sooner, great! 🙂
I told myself from the outset that it would probably be 4+ months so I wouldn’t get antsy. And indeed, mine was about 4 months total. No disappointment since I expected it. If you expect 4 weeks and it turns into 12, that’s when frustration kicks in.

And definitely don't remove any old windows yourself ahead of time (sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised). The installers will handle everything when the time comes. I had a friend who thought he'd save the crew time by taking out a couple of old windows himself before the install date... Then his window delivery got delayed another week, and he had two big holes boarded up. 😆 Not worth it.

Haha, oh no @tim_joker! Yeah, let the pros do the removal when they're ready to install the new ones the same day. In my install, they went one window at a time: take one out, put one new in, then move to the next. That way the house was never open to the outside for long. By evening, all openings were closed with new windows or at least covered securely if they had to pause.

One more thing about weather: keep an eye on hurricane/tropical storm forecasts as your installation date nears. If a storm is coming, even a small one, the installer might postpone. We had a tropical storm watch on the week my install was originally scheduled.
The company pre-emptively rescheduled by a few days just to be safe. It only pushed us back 3 days, and I totally understood. You don’t want workers caught in nasty weather or your house open if something sudden came up.

Good advice. Safety first for sure. I actually got lucky with perfect weather on my install days (October install, mild and sunny). But yeah, Florida can be unpredictable. A rain shower here or there is fine, they know how to deal with that. But anything more severe and it's better to delay a bit.

Speaking of seasons, do window companies offer better deals in the slow season? I timed mine for winter hoping not just for faster timeline but maybe a discount. The company I went with gave me a small off-season discount (5% off) because I signed in November.
In summer they weren’t offering any deals because they had more demand than they could handle. So it might be something to consider - some companies run promotions when business is slower.

I've seen that too. Around the holidays or just after New Year, some companies advertise promos. For example, I recall Karoly Windows & Doors had a winter special last year (my neighbor mentioned it). It wasn't huge, but any savings help.
More importantly, like you said, in off-peak the crews have more availability so you might get things done sooner. Just don't expect like a massive price drop or anything; windows are a pretty fixed-cost item.

True. My strategy was to get multiple quotes and then politely let my preferred company know another had a slightly lower price. They matched it. 😁 It didn’t change the timeline but I felt good getting a fair price. As for timeline, they all were quoting roughly 3-4 months at that time (this was springtime, busy season). No one promised anything crazy fast, which made me trust them more actually.

Patience is definitely key from what I’m reading here. I haven't done mine yet, but I'm planning to. Initially I thought I could get new windows in like a month or so (naive me). Now I realize I should start the process well ahead of when I actually want them. Thinking of starting quotes this summer for a project I want done by end of year.

Good plan, @film495. I started later than I should have and was sweating bullets as hurricane season approached with my old windows still in place. I was praying a storm wouldn’t hit before my impact windows were installed.
Thankfully, we got them in late August just in time for the peak of the season. Next time (though hopefully I don't need to replace windows again for a long while), I'd start early in the year.

Did any of you guys do the project in phases? Like a few windows now, a few later? I'm considering splitting the cost over two years – half the windows this year, half next year. Not sure if that complicates things or if I should just wait and do all at once.

I debated splitting, but ended up doing all at once. If you split, you’ll likely pay for two permits, two mobilizations of the crew, etc. Also, if you do half now and half later, the windows might look or age slightly differently if they’re from different batches.
I figured it was more cost-effective in the long run to just bite the bullet. Some companies also give a better total price if you do everything at once versus piecemeal.

I did it in two phases due to budget constraints. It’s doable. I replaced the most critical windows (facing the wind/weather) first, and did the rest a year later.
It did cost a bit more in terms of two separate installs and permits, but that helped me spread out payments. If you do this, try to use the same company and same product line for both phases so they match. Mine kept the records from phase 1 and ordered the exact same window model for phase 2, so in the end it all looks consistent.

That’s a good tip, @elizabethhill590. If using the same company for both phases, they might be willing to lock in the price for you too, or at least not increase it too much. Mine mentioned they would honor the same quote within a year. Just make sure everything matches like you said.

Keep in mind if you wait too long between phases, product lines update. A friend of mine did half his windows, then waited 5 years (too long). When he went to do the rest, that original window series was discontinued, so the new ones, while similar, had slight design differences. Not a huge deal but if you look closely they’re not identical. So, if you’re splitting, try not to wait too many years between.

Has anyone had issues with permits or inspections failing? That part makes me a bit nervous. I trust the installer, but if something doesn’t pass inspection, does that mean a huge delay to fix?

For me, the inspection was smooth. The inspector just checked that the windows installed matched the permit and were sealed properly. If something does fail, usually it’s a minor fix and you get a re-inspection.
One of my windows had a missing screw on a bracket (installer oversight). The inspector noted it, the company came out the next day and fixed it, and then the inspector came back later that week. It delayed final sign-off by only a few days. I didn’t have to pay extra or anything - the company handled it.