On May 9, 9:05*am, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On May 8, 7:16*pm, wrote:

I'm in the midwest US and looking to replace my aluminum windows with
vinyl custom-made argon low-e. *I don't know pricing - can anyone help
with a guesstimate on window price with installation for a roughly 4'
x 4' opening ? *Remove the old aluminum, haul it away, install new
custom-sized vinyl and caulk it.

Or, if you have specifics - a custom vinyl window with a pane in the
middle and sliders on each side, opening is 8' wide and 20" tall.

House is brick. *Vinyl windows are considered high-end for this
neighborhood.

I don't mind paying for a decent job but I got nothing to go on and
it's a PITA to get quotes.

You can sometimes judge a company by what they ask *you* when you ask
for a quote.

How long will you be remaining the house?
What's your house worth?
How much insulation is in the rest of the house?
Will you want to open the screens or just the windows?
How much glass area are you willing to give up compared to what you
have today?

If they just walk up and offer you a price for new windows, then
they're just selling a product as opposed to solving a problem.

And for every question they ask you, ask them why they want to know. A
clear concise explanation of why they want that information will help
you judge the quality of the contractor.

Ask them about the construction of the windows - welded seams vs.
mechanical fasteners, metal shoes vs. plastic, removable sashes vs.
just tiltable, full screens vs half, movable screens vs fixed, etc

If they can't answer those questions, then the proper word is "Next!"

There's a ton of factors to consider and the way the contractor
responds to your questions should lead you towards someone your
comfortable working with.

If they are not "Energy Star" certified and have complete independant
prformance tests then they still are not up to the best standards. In
sliders name brands like Marvin , Anderson, Pella are of proven
quality.