This thread is amazing. Quick question on warranties and such: one of my quotes is pushing an “extended warranty package” for an extra cost. Basically, standard is 1-year labor, but for $300 they’ll extend to 5-year labor warranty and include free glass breakage replacement for 10 years. Did anyone negotiate on things like that?
I’m thinking if I choose that company, I might try to get them to include that extended warranty for free, rather than paying extra. Also, how important do y’all think those warranties are? Another quote I got is from a smaller company that just offers 1 year labor by default (no fancy package), but the window manufacturer warranty (20 years on glass, etc.) still applies either way.
Just curious if anyone found the warranty stuff to be a deciding factor or a negotiating chip.
@knitter19 Yes! We had a very similar situation. One company offered a “platinum warranty” upgrade for about $500 extra – extended labor coverage and accidental glass breakage for 20 years. We told them we were deciding between them and another company, and that the other included everything with no extra fees. We straight up asked, “Can you throw in that warranty upgrade at no charge if we sign with you?”
They actually said yes. 😀 I think it helped that it was near the end of the month and they wanted to close the deal. So absolutely, warranty or add-on packages can be negotiable. If not free, maybe you can get it at a reduced price.
As for importance: it’s a nice to have, but not a deal-breaker. Most issues with windows (if any) will show up in the first year or two typically. After that, it’s mostly the product warranty (on the frame, glass seals, etc.) that matters. Labor warranties beyond a year give peace of mind though, especially if it’s a big company that you know will be around to honor it.
In our case, we figured if they’re willing to include it free, great – we’ll take it. If not, I wouldn’t have paid hundreds for it. So definitely use it as a bargaining chip.
I didn’t bother with the extended warranty when offered (I stuck with the standard). My thinking was similar to @dennis_rogue – if the install is done right, problems will surface pretty soon, and a good company will usually address issues even after the formal warranty if it was clearly an install defect. The product warranty is from the manufacturer and often long-term regardless.
That said, if you can get it free, why not. But I wouldn’t pay a lot for it. Another thing: sometimes those extended warranties are basically an insurance policy through a third party. One of my quotes had a brochure for it. It kind of felt like when you buy an appliance and they try to sell you the protection plan.
So yeah, nice to have but negotiable. Focus on the installation quality and the baseline warranties first.
Hidden cost/hassle that no one mentioned yet: window treatments and alarms. Not a big deal but something to plan for. When our windows were installed, we had to remove all our blinds/curtains beforehand. The installers put them back up for us on some windows, but on a few they just left them off and we re-hung them later. It wasn’t a cost, but if we weren’t physically able to do it ourselves, we might have needed to hire someone or ask a friend.
Similarly, our security system had sensors on the old windows. The window guys took them off, but we had to have the alarm company come out to reinstall and test the sensors on the new windows. That actually cost us a service fee from the alarm company ($100). In hindsight, I should have negotiated that the window installer cover any costs related to the alarm sensors, or at least coordinate it better.
So pro-tip: ask about who removes and reinstalls things like blinds, curtain rods, and alarm sensors. It could be a minor cost if you need a pro to help with the alarm part.
Good reminder @jroberts86. We had to move some furniture away from the windows too. Most installers will ask you to clear about 3 feet of space around each window inside. Not a cost, but if you need help moving heavy furniture that could be something to arrange in advance (we enlisted a buddy and paid him in pizza 😄). Our crew was nice and helped with one really heavy bookshelf, but generally they expect the area to be clear when they arrive.
Also, about alarms: one of the companies pointed out the alarm sensors during the quote and told us to schedule the alarm company for the same day after the windows were done. It was an extra step (and yeah, an extra $80 for the alarm tech visit), but at least we knew to do it. Communication is key.
@jroberts86 I'm glad you mentioned removing blinds and sensors. My installer didn’t tell me to do that beforehand either, and we scrambled to take down our curtains when they arrived. Now I know to clarify those prep steps next time.
We had a similar issue with heavy furniture. I actually paid a handyman $150 to help move a huge cabinet away from a window because I couldn't do it alone. Little things like that can become an extra cost if you’re not prepared.
I want to double down on the interior finishing aspect. Some quotes include making everything look nice inside, others don’t. For example, the company I hired replaced some interior wood trim because it got damaged during removal (it was old and brittle). They nailed up new trim but did not paint it. So I had these raw wood trim pieces around a few windows until I painted them myself. It wasn’t a huge deal, but if I wasn’t a DIYer, I might have had to hire a painter for a small job, which could be pricey.
So maybe ask your installer: if they have to put new interior wood, do they paint or stain it, or is that on you? Some full-service ones might do it (maybe that RBA $27k quote includes even painting!). Others, like mine, handle the carpentry but leave the finish work to the homeowner.
I was fine with saving a few bucks and doing the painting. The windows that didn’t need new trim were all caulked and finished nicely by the crew, no issues.
@snorkeler41 Good point. I had the same thing – new trim installed around one window, and I had to paint it to match the others. The installer did prime it, but final paint was on me. I actually prefer to do it myself rather than pay them extra. They offered to paint for $50 per window, and I was like nah, I’ll handle it.
One thing I’ll praise my installer for: he had a painter recommendation ready when I asked. He said, “if you don’t want to do it yourself, here’s a guy who can do a small job like this.” I ended up not needing that, but nice that he had a contact. The good contractors want you to have a seamless experience even for things they don’t do.
I have a question about how quotes scale with window size. For instance, I need to replace two small bedroom windows and one huge living room picture window. One company quoted roughly the same price per window across the board, but another specifically quoted the picture window as triple the cost of each small one. Is that normal?
I realize bigger window = more material and labor, so it makes sense it costs more. I just wonder if some companies average it out while others itemize each differently. I feel like I should compare the quotes in terms of “total project cost” anyway, but I’m curious how others saw it broken down.