Choosing Custom Windows

Cost

There’s a good chance your custom windows will cost more and take longer to order than standard ones. “Generally you will pay a premium for a custom-sized product,” says John Lewis, technical director of the 400-member American Architectural Manufacturers Association. Still, it depends on the manufacturer and the flexibility of its equipment. Many companies do “just-in-time production,” which means they don’t make anything until they have a specific order. At these factories there may be little cost difference between standard and custom windows, and the price per unit will be the same whether they make one window or 50. However, at a company that has to set up the equipment to make a specific window, you might be able to negotiate a cheaper per-unit price by ordering a greater number. If that’s the case and you plan to replace more of the same windows in the future, it might be cheaper to order them all at once.

Measuring and Installing

Unless you really know what you’re doing, it’s best to let an expert do the measuring before ordering your custom windows. “That’s a fatal error right there if you mis-measure the openings,” Lewis says. And once they’re made, you want to make sure they’re installed right. You can have the best, most expensive custom windows, but you will have wasted your money if they leak air or water, so make sure to have them professionally measured and installed.