Those hidden surprises are what make my blood pressure spike every time I hear a crowbar prying trim.
Right? It’s like, “what’s behind door number three today?” When we did our kitchen windows, one side had this weird old newspaper stuffed in there from the 40s. At first I thought it was a cool time capsule, but then I realized it was basically holding up the plaster. The guy installing the window just shook his head and said, “Well, that’s a new one.”
I get what you mean about materials vs. labor. The quote looked reasonable until they actually started poking around—then suddenly it was “oh, by the way, your sill is half gone and you’ve got carpenter ants.” Felt like every hour was a new surprise fee.
I will say, I used to think I could budget just by picking the window I wanted and adding install costs, but now I pad the number for “mystery problems.” Not the fun kind of surprise, but at least I don’t get as much sticker shock anymore…
I will say, I used to think I could budget just by picking the window I wanted and adding install costs, but now I pad the number for “mystery problems.”
I get why you do that, but I’m actually not convinced padding the budget is always the way to go. When I did my first window replacement, I kept hearing about “hidden issues” and let the contractor talk me into a pretty big contingency. Ended up spending way more than I probably needed to, because every little thing became “well, since you’ve got the extra in your budget…”
Maybe it’s just my luck, but I started asking for a more detailed initial inspection and quote, even if it meant paying a bit upfront. That way, I felt like I had a clearer idea of what I was getting into, instead of just bracing for endless “surprise fees.” Sure, you can’t catch everything, but having some specifics helped me push back a bit when they tried to tack on extras.
Curious if anyone else has tried pushing for more up-front detail before the demo starts, or if that’s just wishful thinking with old houses...
Curious if anyone else has tried pushing for more up-front detail before the demo starts, or if that’s just wishful thinking with old houses...
I’ve definitely pushed for a deeper inspection before signing anything, especially after getting burned on “surprise” framing repairs in my 1920s place. It wasn’t perfect—some stuff still popped up—but asking for photos and a breakdown of possible issues helped me feel less like I was writing a blank check. It’s not wishful thinking, just takes a bit of persistence. And yeah, sometimes you gotta pay a little for their time, but it beats sticker shock later.
asking for photos and a breakdown of possible issues helped me feel less like I was writing a blank check
Yeah, that's been my experience too. With my 1940s place, the window quote doubled after they opened up the first wall and found rotted sills. I started asking for more up-front detail after that—sometimes they grumble, but I’d rather have the awkward convo than a huge surprise bill. Getting them to walk through worst-case scenarios ahead of time isn’t just wishful thinking, it’s self-preservation. Still, there’s always something hiding behind old plaster...
- Been there more times than I care to admit—old houses are like a box of chocolates, except most of the surprises are rotten wood.
- Biggest price jumps I see? Hidden water damage and weird framing from previous “repairs” (aka shortcuts).
- I always tell folks: if your place is pre-1950, expect at least one “oh no” moment per window. Sometimes it’s just a little extra work, sometimes it’s a full-on sill replacement.
- Asking for photos is smart. Even then, you can’t x-ray through plaster... but it helps set expectations.
- Nailed it with the “oh no” per window. My 1920s place had me holding my breath every time we popped a sash. One looked fine, then—bam—half the sill was mulch.
- I’ve learned to budget at least 20% over whatever quote I get, just for those hidden gems. Water damage is sneaky, and old repairs are... creative, let’s say.
- Photos help, but man, you’re right—you never really know until you’re in there with a pry bar. Had a contractor send me pics that looked okay, then we found a squirrel nest behind the trim. That was a fun day.
- Honestly, sometimes the install labor ends up costing more than the actual windows, just because of all that “surprise” demo and patching.
- Don’t let it get you down though. Once it’s done, you’ll forget the pain (mostly) every time you open a window without it sticking or rattling. Worth it in the end... even if your wallet disagrees for a while.
Yeah, the install surprises are what really got me too. Here’s what worked for me: 1) Always assume there’s hidden damage—old houses just have layers of weird fixes and water sneaks in everywhere. 2) Ask for a detailed labor breakdown, not just materials. 3) If you can, get a second opinion before demo starts. It stings in the budget, but once those new windows are in and sealed tight, your energy bills will thank you. The pain fades... eventually.
Always assume there’s hidden damage—old houses just have layers of weird fixes and water sneaks in everywhere.
Yeah, that’s been my experience too. Our place is from the ’50s and every window project turned up some “creative” repairs under the trim. One thing I’d add: if you’re doing more than a couple windows, see if you can get a price lock for unexpected repairs. Some contractors will at least cap the extra charges, so you don’t get blindsided. And totally agree on the energy bills—ours dropped a lot, but it took a while to forget the sticker shock.
Our place is from the ’50s and every window project turned up some “creative” repairs under the trim.
That’s exactly it—whoever owned my house before me must’ve moonlighted as a “solutions guy.” Under one window we found a patch job using an old license plate. I’m not even kidding. Every time we open something up, it’s like a time capsule of questionable decisions.
About price locks, I tried that approach but the contractor only agreed to a “soft cap” unless we paid extra for a full inspection first. In hindsight, I wish I’d done it because the rot around the sills added a couple grand to our final bill. I’m curious—did you folks see bigger jumps from labor or from materials? For us, installation costs ballooned way more than the window units themselves, especially once they started dealing with the weird framing in our place.
Anyone else find that labor ends up being the real wild card, or am I just unlucky with my house’s “personality”?
Funny, but I actually had the opposite experience—materials were the budget-buster for us. We wanted to match the original wood windows (house is late '40s), and wow, the price jump compared to vinyl was wild. Labor was steady, even with a few “surprises” in the walls. Maybe it’s just that old houses each have their own flavor of chaos… but sometimes the materials side sneaks up on you too.