Is this a good quote for windows?

[Onion69420]

19,800 for full replacement windows.

That is 2 picture windows with 2 sliders on each window, 1 is 154" long the other is 120".
4 double hung windows.
1 garden/plant window about 4'x3'
1 octagon window about 18"
2 sliding windows
2 windows that open from the bottom up(the kind that u prop open) they are about 30" long by 18" tall.
These are vynyl windows.

 

[Snoonyb]

1st of all, any bedroom that DOES NOT have two forms of egress requires a window, with 5.7sq.ft. opening area, and any competent installer knows this.

 

[kok328]

I don't know, what do the other 2 quotes say?

 

[kok328]

1st of all, any bedroom that DOES NOT have two forms of egress requires a window, with 5.7sq.ft. opening area, and any competent installer knows this.

I don't see where anyone has mentioned anything about bedroom windows but, thanks for the info.
P.S.- I've met plenty of competent window installers in my days and I would bet a small percentage would know proper window sizing and/or egress codes but, they can install one hell of a window. They install the windows that were requested by the owner or sold by the salesperson; as far as being legal for the application, that's not their business.

 

[Snoonyb]

No, there was no mention of the area/s the windows would serve.

However, how enlightening information can be.

I know, there are some folks, both buyer and seller, who could care less, if you could escape a fire, or someone could gain entry, and save you, or a young child.

I'm not one of them.

And, so, when the egress is called out by a presale inspector, with the stipulation, that it does not meet the intent and purpose of the building code?

For me, the seller makes the change, or I move on.

And if the architecture doesn't match, they change all on that side of the structure.

 

[oldognewtrick]

As said, get a couple more quotes. We have no idea where your located, what access there is for installation, are they installing in brick wall or vinyl siding, double pane/triple pane? Could be a great price could be bad, but get comparable quotes and see.

 

[Bob Reynolds]

Based on the limited amount of information you have provided you are at over $1400 a window, it seems high; but we don't know. Maybe you have some unusual windows. Replacement windows generally cost less than half of that number.

Count how many windows (count large window sections as multiple windows) they are replacing and divide it by the total amount.

For a purchase such as this you will want to get at least 3 quotes as others have stated.

 

[Steve123]

Seems like your only concern is price.

Could be that they picked up on that and are quoting you the cheapest windows they can get.

In Michigan, I would have figured that you would be concerned with performance. This is a big investment. You should really educate yourself on window performance, not just "the guy on the internet forum says this was a good deal". There is TONS of information on the internet. If the guy says they are good because they are double pane, that is pretty much meaningless. I am not sure if you can even buy single pane windows anymore.

 

[Onion69420]

Hi
I dont see what relevance it is to tall about egress from a bedroom? Yes some are bedroom windows, there is 1 window in each room plus the door.
I'll clarify a little.
The house was made 1945 and has what I believe are the original single pane windows. They are drafty, some dont open at all or need to be pried open and pounded with a rubber mallet to shut, and 1 is boarded up cuz my 3 year hit it with a toy and it broke. The windows aren't safe in that regardz they are very fragile.
The house has brick veneer

 

[Onion69420]

On a side note this has become a very frustrating process, specifically dealing with salesmen. The last guy that gave me an estimate was at my house for almost 4 hours trying to convince me to buy his product "right now" by the time he left it was almost 10pm and only then when I got up and literally had to turn the lights off and hold the door open.
He started very high and by the end of the night had taken 5000 off his price. He had trashed other companies, and stuck a contract and a pen in front of me after I had already told him several times I wasnt making any decisions. Now hes called several times and dropped his price even more. During his 4 hour sales pitch he wouldnt take no for an answer and mustve said "no pressure" at least 15 times during which he was clearly pressuring me. I almost felt like a woman on a date being pressured for sex.
I have 3 more estimates lined up and I am going to tell them from the get go that I want his lowest price first and I am not negotiating or haggling and that "dont call me, I'll call you"

 

[oldognewtrick]

On a side note this has become a very frustrating process, specifically dealing with salesmen. The last guy that gave me an estimate was at my house for almost 4 hours trying to convince me to buy his product "right now" by the time he left it was almost 10pm and only then when I got up and literally had to turn the lights off and hold the door open.
He started very high and by the end of the night had taken 5000 off his price. He had trashed other companies, and stuck a contract and a pen in front of me after I had already told him several times I wasnt making any decisions. Now hes called several times and dropped his price even more. During his 4 hour sales pitch he wouldnt take no for an answer and mustve said "no pressure" at least 15 times during which he was clearly pressuring me. I almost felt like a woman on a date being pressured for sex.
I have 3 more estimates lined up and I am going to tell them from the get go that I want his lowest price first and I am not negotiating or haggling and that "dont call me, I'll call you"

Tell them they have 30 minutes, after 30 minutes show them the door...just my 2 cents.

 

[Onion69420]

So I finally decided on wallside. I really only wanted 4 windows done, the large picture window and 3 double hung. The previous quotes I had ranged from 7500-4200.
The wallside guy quoted me 3500 so i went with him. The picture window he is gonna install will be a 50/25/25 with sliding windows on either side so I'm pretty thrilled about that.
I had hansoms come out and he quoted me 4200 after haggling and pulling the "let me call my boss" move a couple times. During one of these times he made it a point to make his call outside and conspicuously crossed the room to put his tablet in front of me on the coffee table. I suspect he was eavesdropping on my conversation with my girlfriend. He could have just as easily left it on the kitchen table or taken it with him but he placed it about a foot from where I sat on the couch. Maybe I'm just paranoid but after all the shenanigans I've put up with from these guys I wouldnt be surprised. He came in and countered with 4000 RIGHT NOW or the deal is off. I sent him packing.

 

[Ron Van]

The wallside guy quoted me 3500 so i went with him. The picture window he is gonna install will be a 50/25/25 with sliding windows on either side so I'm pretty thrilled about that.

I'm looking to replace some windows...How did yours turn out? You said Vinyl but were they full frame? Or were they Inserts?

I had both a Pella rep and a Marvin Rep come out and look at my project. I'm thinking Fiberglass is the way to go with what Pella calls a "Box" full frame replacement. It's like a full frame flanged window minus the flange. You screw it into the rough window opening. I also have brick veneer.

 

[mabloodhound]

Look at Anderson fiberglass replacements. I would avoid Pella unless they have improved their product (bad reviews).

 

[Ron Van]

Look at Anderson fiberglass replacements. I would avoid Pella unless they have improved their product (bad reviews).

What about Marvin?

 

[Guzzle]

With Astroturfing and only wanting comparisons between windows, I guess for each window OEM you could add the good [+1] & the bad ]-1] reviews and whoever has the highest scores are relatively the best.

Don’t count the cases where there are less than 5 or 10 reviews.

 

[oldognewtrick]

What about Marvin?

I've been around job sites for years and Marvin is one of the window MFG's I'd put in my house if I needed them.

 

[BvilleBound]

Dear Ron: I agree with the recommendations for Marvin fiberglass windows. We replaced a number in our previous house, then used the same Marvin fiberglass windows to rebuild our beach house -- with their 'Coastal' option for the French doors, with rust-proof hardware, tempered glass and hurricane resistant latches. A few notes:

1. Fiberglass is much stronger than vinyl and does not rot like wood, so this is an ideal material for window frames. Plus it does not need to be painted (as long as you like white trim) and holds paint much better than wood if you want a different color.
   
   
2. Classic double-hung windows do not seal effectively. Casement and awning windows are better. Awning windows have another advantage: rain doesn't come in if you happen to leave one open, and you can open an awning window in the rain if needed.
   
   
3. Be sure to get Low-E glass with argon fill, to maximize the R / U value.
   
   
4. Make sure your contractor really knows how to properly flash a new window. Read this article and forward a copy to your contractor, so he knows that you know what should be done - and get him to confirm, in writing, that he will follow these standards. Installing and Flashing Windows Correctly - Fine Homebuilding
   
   
5. Note that flexible spray foam, e.g. the 'Window and Door' version of Great Stuff, must be used to air seal the perimeter of the window. The contractor should NOT use any other version of Great Stuff -- because they cure hard and can crack as things expand and contract. If the framing is open, this should also be air sealed too around the window frame.
   
   
6. For large picture windows, seriously consider triple-pane glass if you live in an area with cold winters and/or hot summers. This significantly boosts the R / U value.
   
   
7. You will also need to replace all of the window trim. I strongly recommend cellular PVC instead of wood. It never rots and never needs to be painted - if you want white trim. And if you want a different color, cellular PVC holds paint much better than wood because it does not absorb moisture. All of the new trim on our previous home and our rebuilt beach house is cellular PVC. A photo is included below of the beach house. Use FastenMaster Cortex screws and caps to fasten the trim; the caps cover the screws and become nearly invisible. If other fasteners are needed, only use stainless steel - to avoid rust stains. Corner joints can be joined with standard PVC cement. Finally, if your contractor cuts a piece of cellular PVC trim and the cut edge will be exposed, it must be sealed or the edge will accumulate dust and mold and turn gray/green. Simply sand the edge smooth, then wipe it with a clean rag soaked in acetone. Wear gloves because acetone in a carcinogen and is absorbed through the skin.

I hope this info is helpful and best of luck with your project!

Mark

 

[Guzzle]

I think he ^ knows something.

 

[Ron Van]

Dear Ron: I agree with the recommendations for Marvin fiberglass windows.

Thanks! This is really good info. Your house looks marvelous (Marvin-elous)!

My Son's Father-In-Law is a Marvin rep on the west coast. His statement to me was, "If you go with Anderson...You're Dead to me!" He was kidding....I think.

Anyway, I had the local Marvin salesman come out to measure my project and give me a quote for Marvin "Essential" windows which are fiberglass inside and out. The frames will be black. They are quoting us for both single and double hung, although, awning windows are something we are thinking about too.

I also am getting a quote from Pella so I have something to compare.

We have 8 windows that are the original 1970's style in our house. All the others have either been replaced or were installed later during additions being added to the house. The 1970's windows are really bad! Single pane, aluminum frame that sweat when the humidity is high, which is frequent here.



I know wood windows look nice . . . but to me, it is more important to have fiberglass that is waterproof, rot proof, and doesn't expand or contract. In our old house, I installed a fiberglass front door which looked like wood and looked as good on the day I sold the house as the day I installed the door (10 years prior).



Both the Pella guy and the Marvin guy said I should have no problem installing these windows. I almost hate mentioning that I plan on installing these windows myself because it seems like a lot of advise I get is "You better call a professional" rather than "Do It Yourself". My experience with professionals is that every time I hire someone to do something for me, I regret it. I almost always feel I would have done a better job myself. There are things that a DIYer can't do like we just had new kitchen cabinets and quartz countertops installed. I really wish I had installed the cabinets myself. I feel I would have done things differently. But the countertops are something I can not cut or carry around myself so that was necessary. As far as windows, I do realize that the flashing of the windows is the most crucial aspect and water incursion is the enemy.

I hope this info is helpful and best of luck with your project!

Thanks, Mark!