I know all the practical stuff is covered, but I have to say, one of my favorite unexpected outcomes of getting new windows is how it transformed the look of my house. 😃 I got rid of old bronze aluminum frames that were faded and replaced them with crisp white vinyl windows. The whole house looks cleaner and more modern now. Several neighbors even commented on how nice they look. It’s like an instant facelift. We focus on the numbers and performance a lot here (rightly so), but there’s something to be said for the aesthetic upgrade too. If your old windows were ugly, you’re going to love how new ones improve your curb appeal.
One neighbor down the street saw our project and is now planning to do hers, partly because she liked the look of ours. We’re in Pasco, so not a fancy historic area or anything, but it’s a 90s stucco home that just looked dated until this update. Now it looks a bit closer to new construction (at least the windows do).
I mention this because I think it will even add to the resale value of the house. Buyers love seeing “new windows” in listings around here, and it’s a visual selling point too. @meganw35 mentioned this as well – I totally agree that it’s an upgrade that you can enjoy now and get paid back later if you sell.
So while we’ve talked dollars and cents, I’ll add: my house feels better, looks better, and is objectively safer and more efficient. Hard to put a price on all that combined. For anyone on the fence, in my opinion, if you plan to stay in your home for a while, go for it when you can afford it. It’s one of those investments you won’t regret every time you open, close, or even glance at your windows. I know I sound like a salesman now, haha – I’m just a really happy homeowner post-replacement. 😁 Good luck to everyone going through the process!
(OP here) – Wow, I am blown away by the number of responses and the depth of information shared! This has been incredibly eye-opening (no pun intended). Huge thanks to everyone – you all provided exactly the kind of real-world insight I was hoping for.
What I’ve gathered (in summary): For a full-home window replacement in Tampa Bay, it sounds like typical costs can range quite a bit depending on choices. On the low end, some folks paid around $500-700 per window for basic non-impact vinyl windows with a smaller outfit, whereas on the higher end, impact windows are often $1,000+ per window (usually somewhere between $1k and $1.5k each installed, from the many examples given). Of course, premium brands or specialty cases (historic homes, top-of-the-line materials) can shoot that up to $2k or more per window, but those seem to be outliers. For most standard homes, I should expect, say,
10k−
10k−
15k for a smaller house and
20k−
20k−
30k for a larger house if doing quality impact windows across the board. My own house is mid-sized (12 windows), and I’m leaning toward impact, so I’m mentally preparing for something like ~$15k give or take, which matches what a lot of you have shared.
Crucially, I learned what influences those costs: going impact vs non-impact (adds a big percentage), vinyl vs aluminum vs wood frames, 1-story vs 2-story labor, any custom shapes, including sliding doors, etc. And I need to ensure quotes are apples-to-apples with permits, stucco repairs, old window disposal, all that included. Thanks to @alexsnowboarder and others who provided itemized breakdowns – that helps me know what line items to look for.
I also picked up great tips about checking contractor credentials and ensuring they pull permits (thank you @lindaharris430 and @tylerclark995 for the warnings – I will definitely avoid the mistakes mentioned). I’ll make sure any contract spells out the permit and inspection process. And I’ll be wary of too-good-to-be-true cheap quotes or, conversely, super high-pressure expensive quotes. Getting multiple quotes (sounds like 3-5 is a good number) is clearly the way to go. I’ll be including Karoly and ProTech in those quotes for sure, given the multiple positive mentions here for each – it seems they are tried-and-true in this area.
I’m also grateful for the discussion on financing and incentives. I might look into the My Safe Florida Home program that @waffles_campbell detailed, to see if I qualify for any grant money – that could be a big help. And I won’t forget to take advantage of the sales tax exemption if it’s still active when I do this. Plus, I’ll be sure to get my wind mitigation inspection updated afterward to snag the insurance discount. All these little things add up to making the project more affordable.
Finally, hearing about the post-install experiences (energy savings, noise reduction, improved home value, etc.) is really encouraging. It reinforces that this will be a worthwhile investment. I’m excited (and far less nervous) to move forward now. I plan to start scheduling quotes this month.
Thank you again to everyone (Users 2 through 42 and counting!) for sharing your costs, stories, and advice. This is truly the kind of community knowledge that turns a daunting project into a manageable one. I’ll update you all once my project is done and let you know how it went and what I ended up paying, to contribute back to this amazing thread. You all rock! 🙏