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

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

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

• More efficient energy use in your home: Because the summers can get pretty hot in Santa Cruz, homeowners often rely on their air conditioner a lot. Energy-efficient windows cut back on the amount of cool air that is lost through your windows, which makes it easier to keep your home cool.
• Save on energy bills: After you upgrade to energy-efficient windows, you can see a reduction in your bills by about 12% because you'll require less energy to heat or cool your home.
• Protect your investment: The older your home is, the more likely you are to benefit from switching to energy-efficient windows. Older homes tend to have windows that are outdated, drafty or maybe even damaged in some way. Updating your windows could help increase the value of your home if you decide to sell.
• Protect your valuables: The low-emissivity coatings on many Energy Star certified windows help prevent the fading of your floors, carpets and furniture by filtering out UV rays.

Estimated Cost of Window Replacement in Santa Cruz

When researching window installation, each company offers different services and costs. Let's go over some typical costs and services.

How Much Do New Windows Cost?

According to our market research, the average cost of installing a single window is around $600. However, window installation costs can range from $200 to $1,200 a window. But costs differ remarkably based on the size of your home, complexity of the installation, your location and the quality of the company you choose. Many window companies also offer door installations and replacements, which carry a higher price tag.

Whether or not you pick energy-efficient windows is another factor that will influence the cost. These will typically cost more than other windows, but on the other hand, you can save about $568 a year on your energy bills in Santa Cruz.

Costs will also vary based on the material you pick for your window frames. Aluminum frames have the lowest price. They're sturdy, light and easy to maintain, but provide poor insulation. Vinyl frames are a bit more expensive and provide good insulation. Composite frames made from wood fibers encased in plastic also provide good insulation and are moderately expensive. Wood frames cost the most and are the most in-demand. They're also aesthetically pleasing and provide decent insulation for your home.

What Services do Window Installers Offer?

In general, there are two kinds of window replacement services companies offer: full-frame and pocket installations.

A full-frame installation replaces the complete window, including the sill, frame, trim and the window panes. Because this kind of installation requires more time, it will be more expensive than a pocket installation. A pocket installation involves replacing a window without replacing the frame. This means instead of removing the whole unit and rebuilding it, the contractor will just slide the replacement window (also called a retrofit or insert window) into the frame.

If you're hiring a reputable window installation company, your company will be able to advise you on the best type for your project. In Santa Cruz, the decision will mostly be influenced by the efficiency of your home and how old your existing frames are.

How We Choose the Best Window Installers in Santa Cruz

In our search to make your home improvements easier and more eco-friendly in Santa Cruz, EcoWatch landed on the above companies as the top window installation companies in the city. We've assessed the top window installation companies in Santa Cruz mostly based on energy efficiency, as the most sustainable option also benefits homeowners in many ways. Energy Star certified windows can reduce your energy bills by hundreds of dollars. Along with energy efficiency, our rating methodology is based on the following factors:

Service Area

This one is self-explanatory, but we've chosen to highlight window installation companies that serve a wide variety of states and cities so you can find the best window installation company near you.

Work Quality

We're willing to bet that you're not looking for a company to do a shoddy job installing windows. We've vetted each installer included in our guide to ensure its contractors are well-qualified and that the company has gotten a lot of positive customer feedback to vouch for its service.

Customer Reviews

Customer feedback is another super important review factor. If most customers don't have good things to say about their service from a certain company, you won't see it featured on EcoWatch.

Cost

Cheaper windows don't necessarily mean better windows, but we know many of our readers try to keep costs as low as possible. When analyzing the prices of providers, we awarded higher scores to companies with reasonable prices and accessible financing rather than "cheaper" services.

Warranty

As discussed previously, windows are a substantial investment, so you'll want to make sure that investment is protected. Window installation companies that offer lengthy warranties for products, parts and labor rank higher with EcoWatch.

Years of Experience

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