scot, all of that info is indeed available, however you unfortunately will not find one easy source with all of the info. Okna and Himark have all of the relevant energy numbers (u-factor, air leakage, design pressure, etc) posted right on their website. If you want verifiable data rather than just trusting the pros that post here, you can get all of the thermal data from NFRC.org. For Structural data (Air leakage, dp, etc), you can request a structural data test report from each manufacturer (or from one of their dealers, as some manufacturers won't deal directly with consumers). On STC, that is something that you'll need to get in that manner as well. I'd confirm mmarsel's sentiments, that those are indeed elite choices that you are considering. Best of luck in you research, please feel free to post back with additional questions.

All are insert because that’s all that’s offered by the companies that I have quotes for. The schedule: 2 Simonton 6500 Double Hung Double Hung, Woodgrain - Oak Int. Finish, White Ext. Finish, With Grids Style - Sculptured, COLONIAL Pattern, Standard , Grids Between Glass, W- 25, H- 33, UI- 58 1 Simonton 6500 Double Hung 1 Simonton 6500 Double Hung Double Hung, Woodgrain - Oak Int. Finish, White Ext. Finish, With Grids Style - Sculptured, COLONIAL Pattern, Standard Tempered Glass Bottom , Grids Between Glass, W- 25, H- 38, UI- 63 20 Simonton 6500 Double Hung Double Hung, Woodgrain - Oak Int. Finish, White Ext. Finish, With Grids Style - Sculptured, COLONIAL Pattern, Standard , Grids Between Glass, W- 33, H- 53, UI- 86 1 Simonton 6500 Dual Casement Dual Casement, Woodgrain - Oak Int. Finish, White Ext. Finish, With Grids Style - Sculptured, COLONIAL Pattern, Standard , Grids Between Glass, W- 39, H- 38, UI- 77 Job Level and Labor Options 24-Miscellaneous Labor, 1-Mullion Removal - Insert, 25-Window/Door

Good insight above... There are many reasons and some have been touched on. While in a vacuum it would be nice to say that manufacturers would love to sell as many windows as they possibly can, there are several other factors involved.. Manufacturing capacity: Certainly these companies would like to grow, but you can't go from 0 to 100 either. Say you have the ability to produce 250,000 windows per year, and could reasonably grow that by X%. Would it make more sense for that capacity to be filled by anyone that may or may not pay their bills, may or may not do a poor job installing and then blame the product, or to fill that capacity with dealers that are vetted financially and for quality, and will be long term stable accounts? Reputation: As alluded to above, if I'm manufacturing a great product, I want to make sure that there are good installers putting it in. The VAST majority of issues in the window replacement industry are installation related. Conversely, the majority of complaints are directed incorrectly at the product. Given that, I would not want a guy that was a garbage man, a bartender, or a sales guy that decides to start his own contracting business (there are virtually no barriers to start a home improvement business with no qualifications at all) installing my windows, and then blaming the product when he botches the installs. Financial: For the same reasons as reputation, a company wouldn't be in business for very long if they sell to companies that don't pay their bills. The VAST majority of contractors fail within the first few years, even more at 5, and very few make it past 10. Once again, anybody can start a contracting or window installation company tomorrow with no experience, no qualifications, no business acumen. Many do just that, and then they fail. If I were a manufacturer that sold to any old "contractor", I'd need to have my prices and volume set to compensate for a bunch of guys that stiff me on their bills when they go under. Service: When you sell windows to all those goofballs that go out of business, who is there to replace a seal failure or a broken tilt latch a few years down the road? Most manufacturers don't have a fleet a service techs running around, they depend on their dealers to service the products that they install. Dealer demand: From the other side of the coin, if I am a dealer operating in this environment where pickup truck contractors come and go, and they generally price jobs at a completely unsustainable level where they are not actually covering their expenses or making money, why would I want to sell a product that a bunch of these guys can come in and undercut me on? Low price is a VERY compelling factor for consumers, and most folks think that the higher price contractors are just "gouging". That can exist in some cases, but that is going away more and more everyday with the ability of consumers to research their purchase on sites such as this. In most cases, the higher price reflects a business that is sustainable more than it does a greedy sleazeball, and those tantalizingly low prices that people choose everyday are offered by here today, gone tomorrow contractors. I read an article recently (Remodeling magazine May/June issue) stating that 30% of window replacements are done on windows "around 7 years old". As similarly large percentage of work completed in this industry and home remodeling in general, is "rework" of jobs done poorly or left incomplete by these small contractors. Coming back around to the topic at hand though, as a window dealer, I'd want to sell and install a great product with a great reputation, few services issues, will be around for a long time because they don't have other dealers not paying their bills, and not have to deal daily with being undercut by countless schmucks that will go out of business in a year. As a matter fact, those guys typically only sell that product because its easier for them to undercut and steal business from a larger company with an established reputation than it is to build your own reputation. Lastly, while there are some markets where there may truly only be one exclusive dealer of a product, most areas have a small handful of guys to choose from. There's not only ONE great window available, there are several that are recommended and have great performance, so even if you are in an area that on has one dealer of a particular product, you should have a few others with comparable products. My advice: do the research (as you are), narrow down your choices to a few great options (something like Softlite Elements, Okna, Sunrise Restorations), and then find a dealer or two that serve your area that DO have a stellar reputation. There are not too many places that won't have a reputable, local window install company that sells a great, high performance window. Again, most markets have at least a few to choose from.

2 twin casements = 4 windows 1 Pw with flanking casements = 3 windows So 7 total windows for $8k? $1142 per window... All of the other options and details would factor as well, but that price is pretty normal these days after the past two years of exponential price increases. Good product. It sounds like you are saying that the other company is $6300 for the same number of windows? thats also within the normal range albeit on the lower end. What window is quoted for that price? How does the reputation and company history of each installing company compare? The chearper price isn't always the best value, in fact it rarely is.