Expert Written From Industry Insiders
Codes, climate zones, and real prices all change at the state line. Get the answers that actually apply where you live.
Four subjects, one standard: real numbers, no hype, and the trade-offs named out loud.
Who's writing this
Marc Hanley Lead author, Windows · with the Windows Resource pros Meet the pros →Every guide is written in the first person by someone who measures, quotes, and sells this work for a living, then fact-checked against NFRC, ENERGY STAR, and the local building code — with sources cited at the bottom of the page. We go deep in one state at a time, so the local details (permits, egress rules, climate-zone specs) are real, not generic filler.
"My job is to tell you the truth — even when the truth is 'keep the windows you've got.'"
Per-window and whole-house ranges — and why the same window costs 3× more from one company than another.
Read the guide →
U-factor, SHGC, and the NFRC label — the two numbers that matter and the three that mostly don't.
Read the guide →
Fiberglass lasts longer and holds its seal; vinyl costs less and insulates well. How to actually decide.
Read the guide →
Not every drafty or foggy window needs replacing. When a repair is the smart money — and when it isn't.
Read the guide →State by state
Window advice changes with the climate zone, the building code, and the local market — so instead of thin pages for all 50 states, we build one state at a time, properly.
Not your state yet? The national guides above apply anywhere — the state pages add the local codes, costs, and consults as each state goes live.
Free, no pitch, no obligation — a working pro reads your situation and tells you what they'd do, even when the answer is a $40 repair.
Ask a Window ProHow this site stays free: if you ask for install help, the pro who takes your project may compensate us. The guides never depend on it.
