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For those of you who are wondering how much it should cost to replace the windows in your home, I can tell you it's like anything else in life. How much does a car cost??

Builder grade or budget windows are the cheapest. You will get no frills, you will put them in yourself, or have a neighbor or friend help you. In 5 years you will regret ever doing it, and have to do it again. You will pay way more in the end then if you went top of the line in the beginning. Initially you will save money, so flip the house and get out of it if you go this route. You might get the project for $400 a hole, including things you didn't think of because you have no idea what you're doing, and the job and windows will look like shit in 1 year if not immediately.

High end custom made windows are incredibly expensive and can cost you close to 2k apiece by the time you gut the opening, refit the siding, redo the interior mouldings and sills with oak or some other high quality product. These are normally made of wood, hand constructed, have very nice hardware, and will last 20 years, though they will claim to last 50. They will have special glass, LowE coatings, gas filled, all that fancy stuff, which will really actually work saving you energy and keeping you warm and protected from the sun.

In between these two, you have a world of stuff you could never sift through in a lifetime. All products will need to be maintained to some degree, even if just to keep clean. Many of the upper end products will actually perform better than the top of the line products above, and actually last 50 years or more in harsh climates. They will also have all the latest technology available, or some degree thereof. Here's where you decide if you want a car for the mileage, or for the luxury, or some combination of the two.

My advice: Go with company that has been in the business for many years, has a list of referrals you can check out, is registered with the BBB, is licensed in your state, and displays their insurance certificates. Don't purchase products with various levels of some composite materials or clad materials. They will not last in the sun.

Apparently Pacesetter was at one time a decent company. It almost seems they were victims of a company takeover. I'm sorry so many feel that they were ripped off and cannot get restitution. Sound like the last 2 Ford diesels I had. So I switched to Chevy. That's just life. You live, you learn. There are a lot of good companies out there, and a lot of amazing window products that carry all kinds of major industry accolades.

Windows are one of the last things you can buy that aren't made in China, but manufactured right here in the USA. You get what you pay for, just like in any other field of products. I pay more for a vehicle that is going to perform how I need it to perform, and last longer doing so, with little to no unreasonable deficiencies.

Good luck

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