Yes. Get the big-box quote, then ours for the same windows and scope. Dealer pricing without the retail layer, our own crews, and someone who answers the phone.
The short answer: yes. Get the big-box quote, then get ours for the same windows and the same scope. Compared line for line, our price is usually lower, and the service is not comparable at all. Our suggestion number one is simply to request the quote and see.
For most homeowners the first place to price a window is a big-box store. Home Depot windows and Lowe's windows are sold under names people recognize, the stores are everywhere, there is financing at the counter, and the whole thing feels low-risk: a national company stands behind it. We understand that, and we do not pretend the stores are bad at what they do. They are very good at selling a standard product at scale.
What they are not built to do is the part of a window job that decides whether the windows perform in a New York building: the survey, the detail at the opening, the choice of the right product for a brick rowhouse or a wood-frame house in a flood zone, and a person who answers the phone afterward. That is where a local dealer earns its place, and it is why we think the comparison is worth your time.
When you buy windows at a home center, the store is the retailer. The windows come from a manufacturer that supplies the chain under a national program, often in a store-specific series. Installation is usually arranged by the store and carried out by an installation contractor working under the store's program. Your contract is with the store; the people in your house on install day are typically a third party.
That structure is what gives the chain its scale, and it is also what limits it. The store's price has to carry the retailer's margin, the national program overhead and the installer's margin. The product offering is set nationally, so the series on the shelf is the series you get. And the installation scope is standardized, which works well for a simple replacement in a standard opening and less well for a masonry opening that needs a new sill pan, a steel lintel that is rusting, or a landmark facade where the Commission wants a specific profile.
We are a window dealer and installer. We buy from the manufacturers we carry as a dealer and an authorized installer, which means dealer pricing on the product, and we install with our own crews. There is no retailer in the middle and no national program overhead on top; the price you pay covers the window, our survey and installation, and our margin, and that is all.
Because we are not tied to one national program, we can quote the window that fits the job rather than the one on the shelf: Crystal, Pella, Andersen, uPVC or aluminum systems, in the budget, standard or premium line that matches your building and budget. See how windows are actually sold for the longer version.
And because we are a local company, the person who surveyed your openings is the one who orders the windows, the crew that installs them is ours, and the number you call in three years is the same number you called for the quote. That is the individual service a corporate chain cannot provide, not because it does not want to, but because its structure does not allow it.
The only fair comparison is the same window, the same scope, line by line. A big-box quote and a dealer quote are often not describing the same thing, and the difference hides in what is left out. Use this list to make both quotes say exactly what they include:
| Line item | What to ask the big-box store | What we put in our quote |
|---|---|---|
| Window brand and series | The exact manufacturer and product line, not just "vinyl double-hung" | Named brand and series, with the catalog page if you want it |
| Frame and glass | Frame material, thickness of the profile, glass package (low-E type, argon, tempered where required) | Written on every line: frame, glass make-up, spacer, gas fill |
| Performance ratings | U-factor, SHGC, design pressure, air and water rating from the label | The label values, and whether they meet your building's requirement |
| Hardware | Lock type, balances, screens, color options | Named hardware and finish; samples on request |
| Measurement | Who measures, and whether a second measure is included | We survey every opening ourselves before ordering |
| Installation | Who installs (store crew or a subcontractor), and what the scope includes | Our own crews; flashing, sill pan, insulation and sealant included in the price |
| Removal and disposal | Whether the old windows are removed and carted | Included and stated |
| Interior and exterior finish | Trim, capping, stops, caulking, paint touch-up | Stated line by line so nothing is "extra" later |
| Lead time | Order to install, in weeks | Told to you before you sign |
| Warranty and service | Who you call if a sash sticks in year three | Us. One phone number, the same people who installed it |
When both quotes are written to the same scope, compare the totals. In our experience, with the dealer pricing we receive and no retail layer in between, our price for the same product and scope is better, and where it is not, we will tell you so. On the service side there is no contest: one company, one survey, one crew, one phone number.
We would rather be straight than win every job. If you need one standard-size vinyl window for a rental, you are handy enough to install it, and the opening is sound, picking it up off the shelf is a reasonable thing to do. The same is true for a small cash-and-carry replacement where you are doing the work yourself.
For everything else, whole-house replacements, masonry openings, landmark buildings, new construction, oversized or shaped windows, multi-family buildings, and any job where you want someone accountable for the result, get our quote next to the store's and decide with both in hand.
Not necessarily. The store price carries the retailer's margin and the installation program's overhead. As a dealer buying at dealer pricing and installing with our own crews, our price for the same window and scope is usually lower. The only way to know is to compare two quotes written to the same scope.
We carry Pella, Andersen, Crystal and other lines and can quote the equivalent window and glass package. Some store-specific series are made only for the chain; in that case we quote the manufacturer's equivalent series and show you the label values side by side.
Our own crews. We survey the openings, order to survey, install with sill pans, flashing, insulation and sealant, and remove the old windows. The crew that installs is the company you call afterward.
The exact brand and series, the glass package, the label values, who measures, who installs and whether they are employees or a subcontractor, what the installation scope includes, the lead time, and who handles a service call.
Ask us when you request the quote; options depend on the project size.
Window replacement How windows are sold Budget, standard and premium lines Crystal windows Pella windows Window supplier, Staten Island Request a quote
About this page. Written by Alex GC Inc. d/b/a Alex Glass Construction and reviewed before publication by Aleksandr Chernovolenko, Managing Partner, with our design and estimating lead and a field foreman. Our foremen hold the NYC DOB Site Safety Training supervisor card and our crews the 40-hour worker card; we are certified to fabricate, install and service Alutech and Everest aluminum systems. Facts are drawn from our own projects, manufacturer test data and the applicable codes; where we are giving an opinion, we say so. Last reviewed September 2026. Credentials
Send photos of your windows with rough sizes, or the quote you already have. We will quote the same windows and scope so you can compare line by line.
