Use these 10 negotiation tactics to get the best prices on your replacement windows. Perhaps a better descriptor of this page should be how to negotiate with a window salesman.
Better yet, Renewal By Andersen price negotiation — (we get this specific question a lot). Regardless, these 10 tips apply to whomever provides you with a replacement window bid. So let’s get started!
If you have any questions about your replacement windows project, send us an email and ask away!
Bill – Site Editor
How To Negotiate With A Window Salesman
Collect Multiple Window Bids
Collecting multiple window bids is the first step in understanding how to negotiate with a window salesman (and accomplishes some other important tasks to boot). Homeowners who collect a single bid from a single company risk what I call the “swing for the fences” cost quote. Window companies can bid out a project at whatever price they want — and often do. If they have their next four weeks booked, they have nothing to lose by throwing out a number that’s heavily padded.
By collecting multiple bids, you take this out of the equation because you’re seeing their competitors’ price bids on the exact same project. Not only this, but you’re also seeing four different window brands, getting four different bids, and you’re hopefully collecting information about your project. This includes different installation approaches and methods that might be less expensive and more effective.
Tell Companies Upfront You’re Collecting Bids
It’s one thing to collect four bids in hopes that one or more of them offers you super competitive pricing on a highly rate window series from a company that has great online reviews. But you’re much more likely to reach this “triple crown” on window bids when you tell the window salesman at the outset that you are collecting four bids.
A sample phrasing of this would be something like this: “I really appreciate you coming out and I just want to be real upfront that I’m collecting four bids on this project and I’d love to get your best cost quote.”
The result here is he (or she) KNOWS that they have to provide you with a competitive bid or they won’t get the business (and therefore they’ve just totally wasted their own time scheduling the bid). It’s kind of like flipping the script on what I outlined above. Instead of the company throwing out some ridiculous bid, they are FORCED to provide you with a competitive bid. The reason is that they know you’re going to be comparing it with their direct competitors.
Never Sign A Work Order Then And There
If you want to get to the question of how to negotiate with a window salesman, don’t sign a work order when they come to give you the project bid. That simply locks you in. Instead, just like our suggestion above, tell the company that you’re collecting four quality bids before you make any sort of decision. Say this upfront and they won’t put on the hard sell tactics at the end of the pitch. In some sense, it allows you to relax and listen to their pitch, knowing you don’t have to make any decisions then and there.
Some companies offer homeowners a “super good” deal if they sign then and there, but the price magically goes way up the next day or next week. In general, this is a sleazy sales tactic. Why would the price go up the minute they leave your house? Did the cost of the window or the cost of their labor suddenly jump?
No, they are worried that you will see other bids and won’t go with them. I’d avoid going with any company that pulls this stunt (and RBA is one of them so Renewal By Andersen price negotiation is certainly a thing!)
Vinyl Price Samples
What do vinyl windows cost? Vinyl windows will range in price from $250 to $750 fully installed. Here are some sample prices.
Window World Cost: $450 installed
Harvey Classic Cost: $650 installed
Champion Window Cost: $850 installed
ProVia Endure Cost: $850 installed
Sunrise Restorations Cost: $950 installed
Collect The Bids And Analyze
Once you’ve collected your four window bids, it’s time to compare them and start the actual negotiating tactics. You should be comparing on three components: the window series they offer, the online ratings or reviews of the company, and the price quote they given you. You want to find the best mix of these three.
Check out our best replacement windows reviews for our recommendations on quality window series. In terms of online ratings and reviews, my suggestion is to google “[company name] reviews” and check out how each company fares on different review sites. I also suggest aggregating their scores across multiple review sites to get a general score for the company. This should give you a pretty fair understanding of the quality of work you can expect.
Finally, we arrive at what the replacement windows cost – the price quotes themselves. Compare the prices and see if there are outliers — high or low — these can be tossed out in most cases. So for instance, the Polaris UltraWeld quote is $23K, the Okna 500 quote is $24K, the Sunrise Restorations quote is $26K, the Renewal quote is $45K. You’re going to want to toss the RBA bid.
Time To Negotiate
Armed with your four bids and having ranked them in order of the best to last, often times the more expensive bid is the one that you like the most. This is my suggestion — take one of the less expensive bids and go back to your front runner company and ask them to match the bid. Tell them that you like their product and their track record, but their bid is simply out of your price range.
And if they CAN match the bid of their competitor, then you’d be willing to sign their work order right then and there. Then…wait — it might take them a few days, but often times they will either match it or drop their price to get your business.
Show How Their Needs will Be Met
Take a step back and look at the negotiations from the other side. If you can show them that their basic needs will be satisfied, they will be more inclined to look at things from your perspective as well.
For example, if you know that what they really want is for you to use their window maintenance service, let them know that by getting a better price on the initial replacement window installation, you will be willing to sign up for that service. It’s kind of like “one hand washing the other.”
Don’t Give Away Something For Nothing
If you concede something during a negotiation, make sure you are getting something back in return. If they want to keep the price higher, ask them to throw in an extra energy efficient option or come down or move up the installation date. Giving away something for nothing will just give them the sense that they can get you to concede even more.
Take Your Time
Time is a very powerful negotiating tool. If you are not in a hurry to say “yes”, the other side may start to make concessions because they think your lack of affirmative action is an indication that you are no longer interested. So, if you’re not getting the price or benefits that you want, give it some time and see if the salesperson comes up with a better incentive to get you to agree to their offer.
Don’t Take It Personally
Negotiating is an art and in order to be successful at it, you can’t take things personally. While you’re trying to get what you want, the other party is just trying to do the same. Don’t let personalities get in the way of standing up for what you want in the deal. Remember that the salesperson is just trying to get you to buy their product or service on their terms. It has nothing against you personally.
Related Topics
Top Rated Windows
Hiring Contractors
Negotiating A Home Window Bid
