I’ve heard horror stories from coworkers who used less experienced contractors – windows not sealed right, stucco left a mess, etc. One friend had a crew that apparently never properly sealed around a couple of windows, and during a windy rainstorm, water got in and ruined some drywall 😱. They had to fight to get it fixed. So, adding to what others have said: choose a reputable installer. It might cost a bit more or have a waiting list, but it's worth it.
Given that Karoly and ProTech have been mentioned positively by folks here, they sound like solid picks. I went with a smaller company in Pinellas and got lucky (they did fine), but in hindsight I wish I’d gone with a more known name. At least with an established company, if something goes wrong, they're more likely to still be around and come fix it. Fly-by-night guys might vanish. It's your house – you want it done right.
For those who went through this, did you have to pull a permit for window replacement? I'm aware Florida has regulations about window installations (especially impact ones). Did your contractor handle permits/inspections? I'm just curious if it adds a lot of time or cost to the project. I'm in Pasco County, replacing old windows with likely impact ones, and I want to make sure we do everything by the book (insurance can be picky about that too).
@lindafisher438 Yes, definitely get a permit and inspection for your window project. Any legit window contractor in Florida will handle that for you. The company I used (ProTech Windoors) took care of pulling the permit and scheduling the county inspection. It was all included in the process. The inspector came after the installation and checked a few of the windows to make sure they were installed according to code (they look at things like the anchoring, shims, proper hurricane clips if required, and the window labels to verify they're impact-rated if you claimed they are).
It didn’t add much time – we scheduled the inspection for the day after install was complete, and it passed without issue. Cost-wise, permit fees were in our quote (a few hundred dollars basically). It's important for your safety and legality. Plus, if you ever sell the house, unpermitted window replacements could cause issues. And as you said, insurance might not give you the wind mitigation credits if you can't prove the windows were permitted/approved. So yeah, make sure whoever you hire does the permit.
@lindafisher438 To echo what @slewis17 said, always insist on permits. I know some contractors (or especially handyman types) might offer a slightly lower price to do it without permits, but that's a big no-no. In Florida, window replacements (especially with changing to impact glass) are a structural alteration in the eyes of code. You want that paper trail that it was done correctly. Not to mention, if something goes wrong (like a bad install causing water damage or a window failing in a storm), your insurance could give you trouble if it wasn't done with a permit.
When I did mine, the permit process was straightforward since the contractor handled it. We just had to be home for a short time when the inspector came. He basically tried a few windows, checked the stickers, and signed off. Easy. So don't let any contractor convince you to skip it.
Let’s talk cost a bit more, because that tends to drive the decision. I paid about $700 per window for standard size, non-impact vinyl replacements (insert style) here in Pinellas. That included installation and removing the old windows (we did 12 windows total, and that price was after a multi-window discount). If I had gone with impact glass, it would have been around $1100 per window with the same company. We actually decided to go non-impact to save money and instead we keep our hurricane shutters for storm protection.
Now, if you go to a high-end product or full frame with lots of stucco work, price can go up. I've heard wood-clad windows or fiberglass can be $1000+ each even non-impact. And like others mentioned, the big national companies quote crazy numbers. But roughly, for Tampa Bay area, I'd say expect $600-1000 per window for vinyl, more for other materials, and add a few hundred more per window for impact. So a whole house can be anywhere from say $8k on the low end to $20k+ on the high end depending on choices. It's a wide range, which is why those multiple quotes help.
I'll share my quote experience: Renewal by Andersen (the well-known but pricey option) quoted me about $2,000 per window 😳 for their Fibrex (composite) windows with impact glass. Granted, those are high-end and included full installation, but still, that would have been like $30k+ for my house. No thanks. In contrast, Karoly Windows came in around $900 per window for a similar setup (vinyl frame, impact glass). Needless to say, I went with Karoly and saved a small fortune 😂.
So, it really pays to shop around. Andersen/RBA has a good product but their sales tactics and prices are something else. The windows I got from Karoly are great and came with good warranties. I don't feel like I sacrificed anything except maybe a brand name sticker. Everything is tight, no leaks, easy to open/close. If I only listened to the first quote, I would've either broken the bank or given up on the project. So definitely compare!
@natemusician233 Same here! We had RBA come out just to see, and the quote was outrageous. Renewal by Andersen is always high-end (and they push things like that Fibrex composite, which is fine but not magic). We ended up with a local company (not Karoly or ProTech in our case, another smaller one) and paid maybe 50% of what RBA wanted. No regrets 🙄. My new windows are vinyl double-pane, not composite, but they work perfectly and look nice. Unless you have a historical home or really want wood interiors, you probably don’t need those ultra pricey options in our climate.
Regarding doing all windows at once vs spreading out: we decided to do them all in one go. Partly because once we started, we just wanted it done, and partly because many companies give you a better price per window if you're doing a larger job. It was a big chunk of money at once, but the project was over in two days and we didn't have to revisit it.
The crew came in and knocked out 15 windows in about 2 and a half days for us (full replacements). It was surprisingly efficient. Of course, our house was a bit of a mess during that time (we had to move furniture, take down blinds, etc.), but imagine doing that multiple times if you do a few windows at a time... I preferred to rip off the band-aid. If you can manage the cost or financing, getting it done all at once is less overall hassle. Just my view – if you need to do phase by phase, that's okay too, but prepare for the repeated disruption each time.
I'll share my timeline: We had 10 windows replaced (insert replacements) and the installer did it in just under 2 days with a team of three guys. Day 1 they did like 7 windows, day 2 they finished the last 3 and did finishing touches. It was pretty quick. They'd take one window out, put the new one in within maybe 30 minutes or so, then do the insulation/trim. The longest part was actually some of the exterior capping/caulking to make it look nice.
We had prepped by removing curtains and clearing around the windows inside. They put down drop cloths everywhere to catch debris. There was some dust, but nothing too crazy. By the end of day 2, we had all new windows and just had to do a bit of cleaning and paint touch-ups on a couple of interior trim pieces. I was impressed it wasn't a longer ordeal. I think if it had been full frame replacements, it might've taken a day or two longer plus the stucco work time. But good companies can do even full frames efficiently. Just coordinate so you're ready and can be home to supervise/answer questions during the install days.
Is there any difference in energy performance between an insert window vs a full-frame install of the same window? Like, if I use the same double-pane window model, will it be just as efficient if it's installed inside an old frame versus as a new construction window? I'm wondering if the old frame left in could cause more air leakage or something. Or is it mainly identical results as long as it's done correctly? Essentially: is there an efficiency argument for full replacement beyond what the window itself provides?