Cost of Windows

Cost of Cheap Windows

If I buy the cheapest window I can find, and I use the cheapest labor I can find, don't need any wood, use cheap caulking, cheap plastic trim, no foam in the bigger gaps, I can get a cheap window installed for $600.

The ones on your house now are proabably aluminum and probably cost around $300 when the house was built. They were the cheapest thing the builder could find because his warranty was for one year. He didn't have to worry about how they would work in five years.

The framer put them in for $50 each and didn't do a great job. He also used nailing fins for the installation and now that the house has settled a bit, there is a bow in the sill and the window is not as square as it should be. The bow is causing the window sash to be very tight in the middle and have gaps on the ends. You can learn more about builders grade windows on our Single Hung Aluminum page or in our blog post on Heat Conduction through builders grade windows.

It won't be much different if you have the cheap guys put in different ones. A really good window guy charges $200 at least and more on the second floor and the big one above the door is more than that.

Cheap windows are something you buy if you're selling or flipping a house.

Now they just don't work well. They leak, they conduct heat and cold, and you and your family are miserable.

Cost of Mid Range Windows

Mid ranged windows have a thicker 3 1/4" frame with Double paned glass and Argon Gas between the panes.

The glass is probably from Cardinal and is the 366 version, although there is a new 452 that performs better that we use. It has four layers of silver and brings the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient down to .17 from the standard .21. They will usually have a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer and will have steel or aluminum reinforcement on the horizontal rails.

Very often there are options available as well like laminated glass, offset glass or foam filling but those all are add ons and run up the cost. A mid ranged window can become a very high end window with certain options added. The frames are the same.

When glazed with a double paned Low E - Argon Gas glass package this will be a great performer and will last for decades with little to no maintenance. 

Mid ranged windows generally start at $750 and move towards $1000 each depending on the size.

About $200 is of that is labor.

Custom Exterior colors also are an added cost at around $300 per window.

We offer several good choices in mid ranged windows including NT Window, AMI, Don Young Company, Windsor, Pro-Via, Amsco and others.

NT Energy Master, Exectutive, Traditions and Presidentials are great options in Dallas because they are made in Fort Worth and the glass comes from the Cardinal plant in Waxahatchie.

Cost of High End Windows

Renewal by Andersen, Pella, Statewide Remodeling, Window Nation are all retailers that sell expensive windows. Those start at about $3500 before all the fake discounts.

They are expensive due to marketing, overhead, commisions, showrooms that have to be paid for and of course, the profit margin. No one should buy those. None of that makes your house better.

Another thing that makes windows high end is if you need wood windows.

Those run $2000 and up and have the classic historical look, grids that are on the surface of the glass instead of between the panes and often have the option of aluminum clad exteriors for a maintenence free exterior.

Understanding the differences will take research or a visit with an expert from The Window Connection. We want you to know it all but our 40 years of hands on experience lends knowledge related to your home and specific needs that just can't be found on the internet.

What you will always need is the best installation you can possibly get. A great window with a bad install just won't last and can create more problems than it can solve.

What is really hard to find on the internet is accurate reviews. The BBB, Yelp and others have paid services to keep bad reviews out of the public eye. A BBB accredited company can have a great rating but dozens and even hundreds of complaints. Bigger companies will even pay customers to remove bad reviews because the profit margins are so high.