New windows not always worth the cost

By Herb Weisbaum Published: Jan 24, 2007 at 9:58 AM PDT
New windows not always worth the cost
SEATTLE - So you're finally going to do it; you're going to replace those drafty old windows. New double-pane windows can make your house much more comfortable and lower your energy bills. Just don't be fooled by outlandish savings claims.

"For most people the energy savings from new windows will not justify the cost of replacing the windows," says Robert Krughoff, president of Puget Sound Consumers' Checkbook magazine.

For its Summer/Fall issue, the magazine did the math for a house that needed new windows. Krughoff says the cost to replace these leaky old windows would have been about $11,000. The annual energy saving would have been less than $300 a year. That would be a payback period of more than 36 years.

Based on that math, Krughoff says, "You're not going to justify replacing the windows just on your dollar savings in energy."

Remember to get several estimates from reputable dealers. Checkbook priced the cost of installing six new windows. Prices ranged from $1,700 to $5,700 for the exact same job.

Top Rated Firms:

The following local firms received top ratings for quality, based on the customer satisfaction survey conducted by Puget Sound Consumers Check magazine:

  • All Service Glass, Issaquah
  • Coast Home Improvement, Tacoma
  • Glass by Lund, Lake Stevens
  • Goldfinch Brothers, Everett
  • Intermountain Glass, Bothell
  • Johanson Insulation & Glass, Seattle
  • Kirkland Glass & Mirror, Kirkland
  • Procraft Industries, Mountlake Terrace
  • Royal Glass Company, Seattle
  • Signature Window Replacement, Auburn
  • SRC, Tacoma
  • Sunset Glass, Bellevue

Of the 37 firms rated by Checkbook, only Seattle's Royal Glass was the only top-rated for quality service and price.

Puget Sound Consumers' Checkbook is a subscription publication. You'll find the complete ratings n the Summer/Fall 2006 issue.