If you only ask for “a price to replace windows”, the company has to guess everything: how many, what size, which glass, whether there are shutters. The answer comes back vague, and then you cannot compare. A clear request gets clear quotes. It takes ten minutes to prepare and saves weeks of doubt.
This text is about asking for a quote. To read what you received, see How to read a window quote.
Before you write to anyone
Walk around the house with a pen and paper. For each window you want to replace, note:
- the room (living room, bedroom, kitchen);
- how it opens today (side-hung, sliding, top-hung);
- what does not work well (cold gets in, noise, dripping water, does not close);
- whether it has a shutter, of what kind, and whether you want to keep it.
This list has one advantage: it helps you decide what you really need. Someone who knows the problem is street noise asks for different glass than someone who simply wants nicer windows.
What to send in the first contact
- Where the home is (town) and whether it is a house or a flat. If a flat, which floor. High floors and places with hard access mean more work.
- How many windows you want to replace and in which rooms.
- Approximate sizes of each one. See How to measure your windows.
- How each window opens: side-hung, sliding, tilt-and-turn (opens sideways and also tilts for airing). See Opening types.
- Photos, inside and outside, with the whole window in view.
- Whether you have a shutter and whether you want to keep it.
- Whether the old window has to be removed and the rubble taken away.
Example message: “Good morning. I want to replace 5 windows in a flat on the 2nd floor, in Setúbal. Approximate sizes and photos attached. I want PVC with double glazing, keeping the shutters. Can you send a quote with everything detailed? Thank you.”
How to check it yourself: before sending, read the message as if you were the company. Can you understand the job without asking anything? If not, something is missing.
What to ask the quote to include
Ask that the reply states, for each window:
- Material and frame brand.
- Type of glass (double or triple, with or without coating).
- Sizes, opening type and colour.
- What is included in the service: removing old windows, installation, sealing, wall finishing.
- VAT, timing, payment terms.
- Warranty in writing. See Warranties and certificates.
If you ask every company for the same thing, the quotes can be compared. This is the most important part of this guide.
Who comes to your home
A price by message is good for an idea. For a real price, someone has to see the windows and measure on site. Walls are rarely straight, and old openings can have different gaps on one side and the other.
When the company comes, let them work, but stay close. Ask what they are measuring and why. It is a good moment to ask the Questions for the installer.
Useful questions
- Will you take the final measurements on site?
- How long does the job take and how many days will we be without a window?
- Who does the installation: your own team or a subcontractor?
- Is there a technical visit at no cost? (Check that it really is free.)
- Until when is the quote valid?
Mistakes to avoid
- Asking only for “the price” without sizes. The answer will be a vague figure, or none.
- Asking each company for something different. One with double glazing, another with triple, another without shutters: then there is nothing to compare.
- Accepting a final price without anyone seeing the home. It may change once they measure.
- Telling the first company your budget limit straight away. The quote may always land close to that figure.
- Deciding only by the cheapest. See the Checklist before hiring.
- Forgetting the whole house. If you want to replace some now and others in a year, say so. The company may plan the job differently.
How many requests to make
Two or three are enough. More than that only confuses and tires you out. What matters is that all of them get the same request, with the same sizes and the same photos.
Keep the replies in the same folder on your phone or in your email. When it is time to compare, you will be glad you did.
What if the company does not reply?
It happens. Wait two or three days and write again, with the same message. If there is still no reply, move on to another. A company that is slow to answer a quote request may be even slower when there is a problem.
Notice the tone of the replies too. Whoever asks what is missing wants to do the job properly. Whoever gives a price straight away without asking anything is guessing.
Mini-glossary
- Opening (reveal): the hole in the wall where the window sits.
- Tilt-and-turn: opens sideways and also tilts from the top, for airing.
- Shutter box: the box above the window where the shutter rolls up.
- Technical visit: the visit where someone measures and checks the conditions of the job.
- Quote: the document with what the company will do and for how much.
What a good request looks like, in short
- Approximate sizes and photos of every window.
- What you want: material, glass, opening, shutters.
- What you want included: removing the old ones, finishing.
- The same text sent to two or three companies.
- A visit on site before the final price.
To understand what makes the price go up or down, see How much do PVC windows cost.
What to do next
- Want an idea of the cost before contacting anyone? Use the calculator.
- Already have quotes? Run them through the Checklist before hiring.
- Prefer some help? Leave your contact and we pass the request on to installers in your area.