I get the appeal of sticking with a big name like Pella for the warranty and parts, but I’ve had a different experience with independents—especially when it comes to service after the sale. Had a bay window put in by a small local crew about six years ago. Three years later, one of the crank handles stripped out. Called the installer, and he was at my place within a week fixing it himself, no runaround or “submit a claim” nonsense. Can’t say I’ve ever had that kind of quick response from a corporate showroom.
On the other hand, I do see where the consistency argument comes in. The last time I used an independent for an upstairs window, their finish work was… let’s call it “creative.” Ended up doing some touch-up myself to get it looking right. That’s probably the biggest risk—quality control is all over the map unless you know exactly who’s coming to your house.
About semi-custom options, you’re spot on—most showrooms don’t really advertise what they’ll do off-menu, but if you push a little, they can surprise you. I got quoted on some oddball casements at my last place and once they realized I wasn’t going to walk away over price alone, suddenly there were more options than what’s in their catalog.
One thing missing from this thread: lead times. Local outfits have been way faster for me, even during busy seasons. The bigger brands sometimes quote 8-12 weeks just to get your order processed, then add installation scheduling on top of that.
Bottom line for me? If your house is older and nothing is standard size (like mine), independents are usually more willing to get creative—even if there’s some gamble on craftsmanship. If you’re in a newer place with standard openings and want zero hassle down the line, showroom route might make sense... but you could be waiting months just to get started.
You nailed it—there’s no one-size-fits-all answer here. My place is 80+ years old and nothing’s square, so I’ve leaned on independents too. Yeah, quality swings a bit, but the speed and flexibility make up for it. You’re right about lead times—waiting months is brutal when you’ve got a drafty window in January.