Has anyone here actually gone with NewSouth? I did 😬. I’ll come clean as the person who perhaps overpaid but here’s my experience:
We got 10 NewSouth impact windows last year. Original quote was sky high (like $20k as someone mentioned), but after negotiations and a "manager special", we paid $15,000. Still more than some other quotes we got, but they really pitched their product hard and we fell for the sales tactics somewhat.
The good:
The windows themselves are very solid. They build them here in Tampa, and you can tell they are made for Florida conditions. Heavy gauge vinyl, nice tilt-in design, very clear glass. They have something they call "eVantage glass". Not sure what exactly that is, but our energy bills did drop and they claim it’s specially formulated for FL sun.
Lifetime warranty on basically everything (including screens, hardware, even accidental glass breakage). It's transferable one time if we sell. That gave us some peace of mind.
Installation was done by their own crews and was pretty smooth. They did some of the nicest trim work and caulking I've seen (our neighbors commented that the finish looked great).
The not-so-good:
The price, of course. Even at $15k for 10 windows, we know we paid a premium. At the time, we didn’t know about some of these other local companies. We kind of got caught up in their polished sales presentation.
The sales experience was long. The rep spent 3 hours at our kitchen table demonstrating samples and writing up the deal. In hindsight, that was a red flag (most efficient companies don't need to do the marathon sales session).
We had one minor service issue: one window had a faulty latch. It took them about 6 weeks to get a technician out to replace the latch, which was a bit slow. It got fixed under warranty no problem, but communication could have been better.
All in all, do I regret it? Maybe a little, when I see others got similar quality for less. But I will say the product is good and we are happy with the end result performance-wise. If money was no object, I'd recommend them, but if you're budget-conscious, you can probably get equal windows for less through other companies.
Consider me the cautionary tale of “shop around and don’t say yes on the first day.” 😅 Live and learn! My windows are great, I just wish I had paid 20-30% less for them.
For those curious about using the big box stores: I actually went through Home Depot for my window replacement on a rental property I own in Tampa. It was a smaller project (4 windows in a bungalow). Home Depot basically subcontracts local installers, but they supplied PGT WinGuard impact windows for me.
Cost: $5,200 for 4 windows (average $1,300 each). This included everything (windows, install, permit). It was comparable to some independent quotes I got, maybe slightly higher by a few hundred bucks, but I liked the idea of going through HD for the financing and perceived reliability.
Experience:
The measurement and quote was done by a Home Depot partner who came out. It took a couple weeks to get that scheduled.
Windows took about 9 weeks to arrive (PGT factory timeline).
Installation crew was actually a local window company that contracts with HD. They did a good job, no complaints there. Workmanship was clean, and they even finished in one day.
I did have to be a bit proactive in communication, as the project coordination wasn't super hands-on (I had to call to get updates on window arrival, etc., versus an independent company who might keep you more in the loop).
Home Depot gave a 1-year labor warranty (the manufacturer warranty on windows is of course longer).
Would I do it again? Possibly, for a small job. The convenience of arranging financing through my Home Depot credit card was nice (got 0% for 12 months on it). But for a larger project on my primary home, I think I’d rather work directly with a local specialist for a more personalized service.
So, big-box route is viable, especially if you catch a promo or need a straightforward job done and maybe don’t know who to trust locally. Just manage your expectations on communication. The end result quality was just as good in my case.
A cautionary tale from my neighbor’s experience: they tried to go the ultra-cheap route and hired a handyman (unlicensed) to replace their windows under the table. It did not end well.
He installed 6 windows for them and skipped permits. The workmanship was shoddy – one window actually leaked water the next time it rained because it wasn’t sealed properly. The worst part: when they went to sell the house, the home inspection flagged that those 6 windows were not permitted or up to code (the sizes didn’t meet egress requirements for bedrooms!). They ended up having to rip them out and do it all over with properly permitted, code-compliant windows before the sale could go through. Talk about paying twice.
It was a mess and they were out a lot of money. They eventually used a reputable company to fix it, but learned a hard lesson.
Moral: don’t cut corners with unlicensed contractors for windows. The up-front savings are NOT worth the potential headaches. Always ensure permits are pulled and the installer is licensed and insured. If something goes wrong with a licensed contractor, you have recourse (and they’ll likely make it right). If something goes wrong with a fly-by-night installer, you’re on your own.
Most of us here are using legit companies, which is good. Just had to share that story in case anyone reading is tempted by a too-good-to-be-true cash deal from someone who “has a friend that can put windows in cheap.” Learn from my neighbor: just don’t do it.
Speaking of code and permits, one thing to keep in mind is egress requirements (especially for bedroom windows). This is something the permit office will check. Basically, every bedroom needs a window or door that a person can escape out of (and a firefighter can climb into) in an emergency.
For most homes, that means at least one window in each bedroom must meet a minimum openable size. The Florida Building Code (and international codes) have specs like minimum opening width/height and total opening area (often around 5.7 square feet of open area, and at least 20 inches width, 24 inches height minimum when open, etc.).
If your current windows are old, you likely already have something that meets this, but if you have oddly small windows in a bedroom (like some old homes with high small windows), you might need to ensure your replacements aren’t smaller. The code allows a little reduction in size (up to 5% in some cases for replacement windows in existing openings), but you can’t drastically reduce the opening size.
Case in point: my friend had those classic mid-century jalousie windows in a bedroom – they were long but not tall. When replacing, the contractor had to convert it to a single-hung that was taller to meet egress. It involved cutting the wall a bit larger. Because if they just put in a window that fit the old opening, it wouldn’t open wide enough for egress.
For most of us doing like-for-like size replacements, it’s not a problem. Just make sure your contractor is aware and pulling permits, so they ensure any egress issues are addressed. If you do a permit-exempt or unpermitted job, you might inadvertently create a code violation if the new window is too small to crawl out of.
All licensed window companies will know this, but it’s good as homeowners to be aware too. During my inspection, the inspector actually opened a couple windows to verify they met the size. Passed with no issues since we kept the same dimensions and they were adequate.
Just another reason permitting matters – it’s about safety, not just red tape.
@golfplayer86 I'm curious, did you ever get that quote from Morgan Exteriors, and how did it compare? I’ve seen their ads too and wondered where they fall on price/quality.
I got bombarded with their commercials on the radio ("Morgan Exteriors, your home improvement source!") 😄. If anyone has experience with them, would love to hear. I'm considering getting a quote from them just to have one more data point.
I had Morgan Exteriors give me a quote last year for 8 windows and 2 doors. Their quote was on the high side in my opinion. They wanted $18,000 for the package (8 impact windows + 2 impact French doors). The windows were their own branded line (I suspect they use a manufacturer like CWS or PGT but relabel). The sales guy was nice enough, but definitely tried to sell me on financing and signing that day for a "special".
I ended up not using them because I got a better vibe (and price) from another company (I went with Karoly actually, which did it all for about $15k). From a quality standpoint, Morgan’s offering seemed fine, but not notably different to justify the premium.
I will say Morgan has been around a while and I’ve heard they do good work, but just expect a similar pitch to NewSouth or RBA in terms of price point – higher than many local competitors.
Curious to hear what @golfplayer86 got from them too, since more data helps!
This thread has been such an eye-opener. Based on what I’ve read here, I'm likely going to reach out to both Karoly and ProTech for quotes. I had been considering a big national company, but it's clear the local guys are highly regarded and often more reasonable.
Thank you to everyone who contributed - you're helping me (and many others, I'm sure) make a smarter decision!
One more tip for after installation: contact your homeowners insurance to update your policy discounts. A few people mentioned it, but I want to emphasize because I almost missed out.
After I got my impact windows and doors installed, I let my insurance agent know. They asked for proof that all openings were protected. In my case, a copy of the permit and the product approval stickers was enough, but sometimes they want a wind mitigation inspection done. I already had a wind mit report from when I got a new roof, so I had the inspector include the window upgrades on a new report.
Result: My windstorm portion of the insurance premium dropped by about 20%. It was a couple hundred dollars off my annual bill. Every company is different, but Florida insurers generally give credits if you have either impact windows/doors or code-approved shutters on all openings. They call it "Opening Protection" credit on my policy.
So definitely don’t forget to get that sorted. You've paid a lot to harden your home – make sure you reap the insurance benefits too!
(Also, save that final inspection approval paperwork in your records. If you switch insurers, you might need to show it to them as proof later.)
Living on the coast (I’m in Madeira Beach), I didn’t really have a choice in the impact vs non-impact debate. Our local code more or less requires impact windows (or shutters) for any replacement, and honestly, with the wind we get, I wouldn’t consider anything else.
Just to add: if you’re in the coastal zones (like any of the beach towns or even parts of South Tampa), be prepared for slightly stricter inspections. My inspector double-checked that the windows had the Florida Product Approval stickers for impact rating and that the installer anchored them according to the high-wind requirements. Everything passed, but he was thorough (especially after Hurricane Ian and Idalia scares, they seem on high alert).
So for coastal folks: budget for impact windows as a must-have, and make sure your installer has experience in HVHZ (High Velocity Hurricane Zone) practices, even though Tampa Bay isn’t officially HVHZ like Miami, we still get strong storms. The companies mentioned here (Karoly, ProTech, etc.) obviously know this stuff.
On the bright side, insurance savings for us on the coast were significant after upgrading. And sleeping through storms now is a lot less stressful.🌊
Has anyone here attempted a DIY window replacement? I’m a pretty handy person (renovated a lot in my home myself) and was thinking about installing a couple of windows on my own to save money. The quotes I got include a chunk for labor, and I wonder if it’s feasible to just order windows and put them in with a buddy.
Or is this one of those things better left to the pros because of permits/inspections and potential mistakes?
Just curious if anyone went the DIY route or seriously considered it.