I've searched on here and found various posts about Renewal by Andersen. I'm not the first person who thought they were very expensive. Also found some good info on the differences between the Renewal and other Andersen window lines sold at big box stores. Assuming this info is still good after 5-15 years, it will be useful.

There's always some who like and some who don't like any given product. Was just starting to think Pella might be good and then found someone complaining about it. :-]

Typically considered to be very over priced for an average at best product, You can better. Look for an Okna, Softlite, or Sunrise dealer perhaps. These can be location dependent so if you post the region of the country you reside in we can possible help with a better direction.

Not a terrible window, but many find their tactics and prices leaving something to be desired. There is a reason why no other manufacturers use a similar material to fibrex, it really doesn't offer any benefits that can't be achieved by other materials. More marketing sizzle than anything. There are other composites and fiberglass that have more to offer IMO, such as a few Canadian fg companies like Inline, or the Starmark Evo composite from Okna.

This is a little off the topic. While I love our Andersen 400 windows...we have one 8' Pella full glass wood door, and one by Andersen. The Pella is hand down a much nicer door. I know that their windows don't have a great rep, but this is my experience regarding a same size door that cost only a couple hundred more by Pella.

...and I should mention that my pricing experience with Andersen was very different. Husband is a general contractor, he installed all retro fit and new construction windows...and we bought through a window broker. I just wanted to say that come companies might excel at windows but not doors...looks wise no one would be able to tell that our 8' doors are not by the same company...you are allowed to mix ;)

Lucky998877

the andersen windows your husband installed were not renewal by andersen. its a totally different window from what andersen sells in stores.

We had Renewal by Andersen come out and give us a quote on 9 windows, double hung, no door walls. 2 were small bathroom windows, 6 were bedroom windows and one is a crank out about 24" x 16". Their price $23,000. Nope, just nope. Went to a local place, where we got our side door and storm door. Their price for windows similar to the ones we have in our addition is $7,700.

All I know is, the local Renewal by Anderson company has been advertising its "sale" in its newspaper ads for the entire 30 years I've lived here.

Similar experience here as @kathyg_in_mi. We were new homeowners, first time to be exact, and naively had the renewal people come in for the longest sales pitch. Complete with high pressure tactics such as "if you sign right now, we'll give you this lower price" --- hmm okay, so tomorrow it iwll be magically more expensive? Don't let the door hit you in the a$$ on the way out.

We have a SMALL 1970s ranch and got quoted something insane like $25,000. We ended up going with a local company for something like $7k instead. Very happy with the windows and installation going on 15+ years now.

@Window Genius my point was to the OP that the bad reputation of Pella windows doesn't mean that they don't make a nice door. He needs a window and a door. Also, some of our replacement windows were full custom as they went into brick walls...most were new construction (addition) and ordered from the the sizes available. Yes, the replacements were much more expensive...I mentioned it because my experience wasn't that of a home owner using a store.

Hey I forgot to come back and thank all of you for the replies. Good to know I was not crazy, their prices ARE very high.

The 'discount for today that will disappear tomorrow' was $1400 in our case. <eyeroll>

Luckily the guy was pretty cool about the sales presentation. It was late and he had two hours to drive. I think he skipped a lot of stuff.

We'll move on to other brands.

Its a decent window, just not as great as they claim.

We have 48 windows (10 are transoms) in our home. Renewal by Andersen quoted $123K to replace all our windows. That price was after their Black Friday, “best deal of the year” promo. They slammed aluminum clad windows, yet they use aluminum cladding over the brick mold.

They also slam vinyl when their window is 60% vinyl resins by constitution. Go figure.

Dont forget the 40 or whatever percent that’s wood flower ( saw dust ).

Don't confuse an aluminum clad window with cladding the trim surrounding it. I'm not advocating for or against aluminum clad windows, but those are very different applications despite being right next to each other. Cladding the exterior trim in aluminum is pretty standard stuff for most window replacements.

In 2020 we purchased Andersen Renewal windows for 2 large double hung in the front of our house and a big 3 window large picture window. Loved it. The cost $9k

Covid has stopped us from completing all the other windows. We just had a Rep give us his estimate for double hung 9 and it's over $20k.

That was with a discount, it was $26k with no discount.

We almost fainted. Is there something happening in the window world that we are not aware of? Naturally, at our ages, we won't be buying Renewal by Andersen.

Now we have to search for replacement windows that are quality. Does that exist? There is so much negativity about vinyl and owners are getting rid of them in my neck of the woods. Right now, it feels like we will be looking for a needle in the haystack.

Our budget was $15k and boy, were we naive or the prices at Renewal have been increased. It ues to be the double hung were $1500 each. But now they're closer to $3k.

There have been price increases up the wazoo in the past 18 months or so. I've yet to see any indication that the supply chain and labor shortage issues are letting up, so I wouldn't expect those price increases to slow down either, certainly they will not reverse at any point... This is not to say anything one way or the other regarding your specific quote, but to answer your question "is something happening in the window world", the answer is yes. Material shortages, labor shortages, shipping cost increases, etc.

As far as vinyl, there are some very good vinyl windows on the market, I'd say maybe the top 10% or so. Be careful not to toss those out of consideration based on the poor products out there, there are both great products and poor products of every window material.