The right windows can make your home feel light and bright, give it character and charm, and provide beautiful views. But old windows can be drafty and uncomfortable, energy-wasteful, difficult to open and close-and can make your house look past its prime. We tell you about the available alternatives and provide ratings of 43 area firms.

Read our article and findings (available exclusively to CHECKBOOK subscribers)

Back to Bay Area Consumers' CHECKBOOK Table of Contents.

Sample Subscriber Comments/Reviews About Window Installers

CHECKBOOK provides subscriber comments on their experiences with the firms they use. Please remember that individual subscriber comments are informal. Subscriber comments may give you insight into the types of features and problems that exist in a service field, but are not the best basis for selecting or rejecting a specific firm. To assess the quality of a firm's performance, we recommend that you give more weight to the percentages of favorable ratings. Those percentages are generally based on much larger numbers of consumers' ratings (the number of consumer ratings is noted above).

As You Can See Below, Some Window Installers Get High Praise from Their Customers. Some Others Don't. So Choose Carefully.
Here Are a Few Samples of the Thousands of Comments CHECKBOOK Has Collected on Hundreds of Different Window Installers.

• Subscriber from LOS GATOS, CA wrote Another Installer: They didn't bother to caulk where they should have if it wasn't visible or easy..........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Installer: Instaler scratched our newly refinished floor with pane of glass. Wooden Window was very responsive..........
• Subscriber from ALBANY, CA wrote Another Installer: Very good work and low cost relative to comparable products........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Installer: mixed-up windows the first time but came back to change them with no problems at..........
• Subscriber from SAN FRANCISCO, CA wrote Another Installer: ABC is the best. I couldn't ask for a better company........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Installer: Awesome product, service, staff!!! AAA.......
• Subscriber from SAN RAMON, CA wrote Another Installer: After our windows were installed (and they were really nice, just what we hoped), we..........
• Subscriber from EL CERRITO, CA wrote Another Installer: The installers were generally skillful, however, they left quite a bit of broken glass behind..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Installer: These are the most polite people to perform work in my home. The entire crew..........
• Subscriber from SAN RAMON, CA wrote Another Installer: A bit expensive, used several times have always performed........
• Subscriber from MARTINEZ, CA wrote Another Installer: I would use them again and did to install another door........
• Subscriber from FREMONT, CA wrote Another Installer: Stands behind work -- honors their lifetime replacement guaranty -- rare integrity.......
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Installer: We bought the Brother Brand replacement windows. Excellent quality. The people in the San Jose..........
• Subscriber from LOS ALTOS, CA wrote Another Installer: Improperly installed trim still needs to be fixed after 4 months........
• Subscriber from EL SOBRANTE, CA wrote Another Installer: Useful advice; excellent work; good followup; pleasant, knowledgeable, and conscientious estimators and installers........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Installer: One of the windows was slightly cracked during installation; when it was replaced a couple..........
• Subscriber from SUNNYVALE, CA wrote Another Installer: They came to our home, took measurements and gave us a quote, then never called..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Installer: The installers' carelessness and rushing through the installations left the walls surrounding the new windows..........
• Subscriber from SAN LEANDRO, CA wrote Another Installer: my windows are non-standard sizes. ABC windows are custom made, so they can easily fit..........
• Subscriber from EL GRANADA, CA wrote Another Installer: They are expensive; the installer can be a bit grumpy. He was not completely prepared;..........
• Subscriber from RICHMOND, CA wrote Another Installer: Excellent service; all questions and concerns answered........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Installer: It was a pleasure to work w/ Larsen Construction from start to finish. I have..........
• Subscriber from PLEASANTON, CA wrote Another Installer: Nice showroom, nice people, good products, poor deployment and even worse follow up. Contract was..........
• Subscriber from LOS ALTOS, CA wrote Another Installer: Eric, the owner, is very professional. Had some problems with promptness and neatness -- this..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Installer: Fabulous company to deal with. Goes above and beyond on their service. Prompt response to..........
• Subscriber from CUPERTINO, CA wrote Another Installer: We wanted to install a window in our living room and thought an octagon shape..........
• Subscriber from DUBLIN, CA wrote Another Installer: The worst experience I have ever had with a "Home Improvement" contractor. Buyer Beware! Simonton..........
• Subscriber from MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA wrote Another Installer: Really happy with their work. They installed a new, larger picture window in family room...........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Installer: The general manager is unpleasant and rude and he, basically, is the point of contact..........
• Subscriber from HAYWARD, CA wrote Another Installer: Xo-Tek went above and beyond.The cost was lower then all six others I contacted with..........
• Subscriber from LARKSPUR, CA wrote Another Installer: Messy caulking compound around windows and even on some windows........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Installer: Would recommend highly! Very professional........
• Subscriber from SAN CARLOS, CA wrote Another Installer: Price was right and they have a good product. Installers, although friendly and willing to..........
• Subscriber from LOS ALTOS, CA wrote Another Installer: Double pane glass replacement on 12 windows..........
• Subscriber from SUNNYVALE, CA wrote Another Installer: I bought 3 house doors and one screen door at Able's. I felt I could..........
• Subscriber from MILPITAS, CA wrote Another Installer: Very happy with Steve's service........
• Subscriber from SAN CARLOS, CA wrote Another Installer: Our primary complaint was that we had to keep pressure on to get the estimate,..........
• Subscriber from WALNUT CREEK, CA wrote Another Installer: WCW is a great co. to work with. Installers very proffesional. very, very happy to..........
• Subscriber from LAFAYETTE, CA wrote Another Installer: Although service was completed on time once scheduled, there was a delay in scheduling the..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Installer: We had an extemely good experience with Almaden. Their quote was competitive (got 3), they..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Installer: Great family owned business.......
• Subscriber from FREMONT, CA wrote Another Installer: In the Checkbook listing, this firm included Alameda County as one of their services areas...........
• Subscriber from EL CERRITO, CA wrote Another Installer: They installed a window in the garage that was supposed to go in the kitchen..........
• Subscriber from MENLO PARK, CA wrote Another Installer: Since they installed all our other windows, some of which needed repairs, I called Armstrong..........
• Subscriber from PLEASANTON, CA wrote Another Installer: An excellent company overall. They left a few dirty handprints on the interior walls, though...........
• Subscriber from LOS ALTOS, CA wrote Another Installer: Crew severed too many alarm wires. Emergency call to alarm company to fix wiring. Used..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Installer: Much hype-little service. Installation was delayed by 6 weeks. Very difficult to contact Anthony Saenz,..........
• Subscriber from MILPITAS, CA wrote Another Installer: They measured my windows TWICE. They arrived wrong size. They made a total mess of..........
• Subscriber from DUBLIN, CA wrote Another Installer: A great outfit, work extremely well done. No surprises. I strongly recommend them........
• Subscriber from PALO ALTO, CA wrote Another Installer: Actually Select Windows is the retailer that sells the windows. Select Builders is the arm..........