20 Best Window Companies in Santa Barbara, CA (2023 Reviews)

How Installing Energy-Efficient Windows in Santa Barbara Saves You Money

When you upgrade to energy-efficient windows, you may see several perks, such as:

• Protect your valuables: Many energy-efficient windows have low-emissivity coatings, which not only provide better insulation for your home, but also filter out harmful UV rays, preventing fading of your furniture, carpet and other valuables.
• Better temperature control in your home: Living in a chilly place like Santa Barbara usually means depending on your heater to keep your house cool. Energy-efficient windows can reduce how hard your heating system needs to work to heat your home.
• Protect your investment: Upgrading and repairing your windows is an important part of maintaining your property and its value, especially if your home is on the older side.
• Save money on energy bills: The Department of Energy estimates that heat gained or lost via windows accounts for about 25-30% of household energy use. Upgrading to energy-efficient windows can help reduce that amount, which helps you save $482 a year on your bills.

Estimated Cost of Window Replacement in Santa Barbara

Each window installation company provides various services and has varying price points depending on a few factors.

How Much Do New Windows Cost?

Even though the national average of installing a single window is around $600, it can range anywhere from $200 to $1,200. This is because of the fact that the cost of window installations are based on several factors specific to your home, such as the size, material and number of windows you need to replace, as well as where your property is located.

It's also worth keeping in mind that energy-efficient windows will typically cost more initially, but Energy Star predicts that upgrading the windows on your Santa Barbara home translates to an average energy savings of $236 to $319 per year for single-pane window replacement, or between $87 to $126 per year for double-pane windows. How much you'll save by upgrading to energy-efficient windows depends on your local climate, energy rates and other factors unique to your home.

The cost of your window installation will also vary based on the type of material you choose for the frames. Wood windows are generally the most expensive, although it depends if they are completely wood or clad with aluminum or vinyl. Fiberglass windows also tend to be somewhat more expensive than vinyl, but they are shown to be more efficient.

What Services do Window Installers Offer?

There are generally two kinds of window replacement services: full-frame and pocket installations.

Full-frame installations require replacing the entire window — the sill, frame, trim and all. These are typically done when you want to change the style of your window or when it has significant deterioration. Full-frame installations involve more time and labor and will increase overall costs. Pocket installations are simpler and won't cost as much, as they involve merely replacing the window within its existing frame. But if the frame has any damage or rot, you should opt for a full-frame installation instead.

If you're still debating which type of installation you need, you can talk to your installer and get their advice. The choice mostly depends on how old the frames are and if there's any damage present.

How We Choose the Best Window Installers in Santa Barbara

The EcoWatch Reviews team is different from most reviewers since we evaluate these companies through a sustainability lens. Along with energy efficiency, we evaluated several window installers in Santa Barbara and ranked them using the following methodology:

Service Area

Because this is a guide for Santa Barbara, we gave more points to companies that cover the city. There are certainly other reputable providers that didn't make the list because of the low odds that they would serve the average homeowner in Santa Barbara.

Work Quality

We're willing to bet that you're looking for professionals who do a great job installing windows. We've vetted each company featured on this list to make sure its contractors are well-qualified and that the company has received lots of positive customer feedback to vouch for its service.

Customer Reviews

Another self-explanatory yet very important review factor is customer feedback. If most customers don't have good feedback about their service from a certain installer, it won't be featured on EcoWatch.

Cost

This one is a give-and-take: as with other services, cheap window companies are not going to provide the highest quality service. Still, we want to ensure we're highlighting companies that offer a variety of price and financing options so they're accessible to most homeowners.

Warranty

Protecting your investment in new windows is important to many homeowners. For that reason, window installation companies that offer lengthy warranties for products, parts and installation (aka workmanship) rank higher with EcoWatch.

Years of Experience

Because of Santa Barbara's climate, homeowners will want to mitigate water damage, low efficiency and rot. We factored in local experience to reflect the ability of Santa Barbara window companies to prepare homes for these issues. If a company has less than 10 years of experience, it loses points in this category.