How to Compare Window Quotes: The Sixteen Lines Every Quote Needs, the Grid That Puts Three on One Page, and the Questions to Send Back

Windows & Doors

Three Window Quotes on One Page: The Sixteen Lines, the Grid, and What to Send Back

A window quote is usually one page with the company’s logo, a count of windows, a total, and a price that expires Friday. It does not say which window, which glass, which installation or what is left out, because the company would rather you compared totals. Here is the list of what has to be on the paper, and the grid that makes three quotes answer the same questions.

What I ask for on my own window packages, written down so you can ask for the same.

The sixteen lines

  1. Retrofit or full-frame, in those words. The 40% question.
  2. Every opening listed: location, type, nominal size, quantity. Not “18 windows”.
  3. Manufacturer and series, not “premium vinyl”. A series name you can look up.
  4. Frame material and depth, and interior and exterior colours.
  5. Glass package: double or triple, which Low-E coating, argon or not, tempered where required.
  6. Certified ratings for those units: whole-window U-factor and Energy Rating from the NRCan or ENERGY STAR list. What they mean.
  7. Screens and hardware included, and the colour.
  8. Grilles, if any, and where they sit.
  9. Installation details: low-expansion foam at the perimeter, exterior sealant over backer rod, flashing tape or sill pan on full-frame, how the exterior is finished (aluminum capping, new brickmould, trim).
  10. Interior finishing: jamb extensions, casing, who paints.
  11. Removal and disposal of the old windows: included or priced.
  12. Rot and framing repair: a unit price per opening, and who decides.
  13. Lead time and install dates, and how many days on site.
  14. Two warranties, stated separately: the manufacturer’s on the product (years on frame, glass seal, hardware, colour), and the installer’s on the installation. Warranties.
  15. Payment terms: deposit (10 to 25% is normal for a custom order), balance on completion, nothing in cash.
  16. WSIB clearance certificate and liability insurance, with the quote or before the first day.

The grid

Draw sixteen rows and three columns on a sheet of paper. Fill it from the quotes. Every blank is a question for that company. When the blanks are filled, the totals finally mean something, and the cheap one has usually moved.

LineCompany ACompany BCompany C
Retrofit or full-frameRetrofitFull-framenot stated
Manufacturer and seriesstatedstated“premium vinyl”
GlassDouble Low-E argonTriple“energy efficient”
Certified U-factor1.150.95not stated
Foam and sealant specifiedyesyesno
Disposalincludedincluded“extra”
Rot repair unit price$350$300not stated
Install warranty5 years10 years“lifetime”
Price per window, average$1,060$1,480$890
Total before HST$22,600$31,400$19,000

Company C is the cheapest and has said nothing. B is the dearest and is a full-frame triple-glazed job, which is a different job. A is the one you can actually compare the others to. Send C the blanks; if they come back filled and the price holds, C might be a real quote. Usually it does not hold.

The price-per-opening check

Divide each total by the number of windows (doors out). Mid-grade vinyl retrofit in Ontario in 2026 is $850 to $1,650 an opening depending on type and size, so a house full of ordinary windows averages $950 to $1,200. Full-frame, $1,300 to $1,700. Fibreglass or triple, add accordingly. An average of $700 is somebody’s builder-grade window with no foam and “disposal extra”. An average of $1,900 for vinyl retrofit is a commission. The calculator gives you the number your own openings should land near.

The questions to send back

  • Is this quote for retrofit inserts or full-frame replacement? Please state it on the quote.
  • Please name the manufacturer and series, and give the certified U-factor and Energy Rating for the units quoted.
  • What is used to seal the gap between the window and the opening? Please specify.
  • What is the unit price for sill or framing repair if rot is found, and who decides?
  • Please state the installation warranty separately from the manufacturer’s warranty, in years, in writing.
  • Please attach a current WSIB clearance certificate and a liability certificate.
  • Does the price change if I remove the three basement windows from the job? (This tells you the per-opening price they are actually using.)

Send them by email so the answers are in writing. A company that answers all seven the same day is a company that has answered them before, which is what you want.

Where homeowners go wrong

  1. Comparing totals. The whole page is about this. Totals of different jobs are not comparable.
  2. Taking the brochure as the spec. The brochure is the best window the company sells. The quote is the one you are getting. Match the series name.
  3. Letting a price expire you into signing. It un-expires when you call. Ten-day cooling-off on anything signed at home regardless. The tactics.
  4. Not getting a third quote because two were close. Two close quotes from two home-show companies are two commissions. Get one from a manufacturer-direct dealer or a local installer.

Or hand the grid to a builder

The $99 window quote review is this grid filled by someone who reads window quotes for a living, with the questions written for you and a plain answer about which one to sign. Most weeks it finds the retrofit-vs-full-frame mismatch in the first five minutes.

Review my quotes, $99Get the number to compare against

Sources and further reading