Jessica Wimmer is a writer for USA TODAY Homefront. She specializes in writing reviews and informational articles in the home and pet insurance industries. Jessica analyzes the best brands and has read over 1,000 customer reviews to learn what matters most to buyers. She’s been published in Deep South Magazine, The Dead Mule Journal of Southern Literature and The Deep Water Literary Journal. She’s also a Pushcart Prize nominee, Write Well award winner and former English teacher. Jessica hails from Virginia but currently resides in the Raleigh, North Carolina area.
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Andersen Windows & Doors is a popular brand for many window shoppers. It caters to those looking for new construction windows, replacement windows and commercial windows. Plus, it’s available at accessible retailers such as Home Depot, so you can check out the company’s products in person before purchasing them.
Andersen’s wide product selection and convenience come with trade-offs. It’s not a full-service installer, meaning it doesn’t handle installation in-house. It does, however, provide a network of certified installers you can potentially choose from.
We analyzed Andersen’s cost, selection, warranty coverage, reputation and more compared to other top window brands. Overall, Andersen is a quality window manufacturer with a range of options.
We rated Andersen against our in-house methodology, scoring it in categories including customization options, material and style selection, industry certification, customer feedback and energy efficiency. Andersen earned 3.5 out of 5 stars.
We like that the brand has multiple window material options and industry credentials but dislike its low customer reviews, limited customer support hours and lack of in-house installers.
The first thing that makes Andersen stand out is its five window material options. Most competitors offer two or three, but Andersen makes wood, fiberglass, aluminum, composite and vinyl windows. This allows you to customize your windows’ look, performance and cost. For instance, vinyl windows are budget-friendly, whereas wood windows are more expensive but visually pleasing.
No matter what type of window you buy from Andersen, you can rest assured it’s energy-efficient. All Andersen windows come with the Energy Star label, meaning they’ve been thoroughly tested and meet strict performance criteria.
It’s also very easy to purchase Andersen windows. You can look for a dealer on Andersen’s Where to Buy page or visit your local Home Depot to see them in person. We also like that the company’s website has a virtual showroom so you can look at them online before speaking with a representative.
The main issue we have with Andersen is its many negative customer reviews. While most customer complaints aren’t about window quality but customer service, this is still a concern.
Andersen is also notably more expensive on average than many top brands, though its many window lines do offer some range in pricing. Also, Andersen is not a full-service installer. This isn’t necessarily bad — plenty of window companies don’t provide installation. It can just be a hassle to find a separate installer, which also means you’ll have warranties from two companies: a manufacturer’s warranty from Andersen and a labor warranty from your installer.
If you’re buying replacement windows and want installation services under one roof, we suggest checking out Andersen’s subsidiary and our full review of Renewal by Andersen.
Andersen doesn’t have as many window styles as some competitors, but it’s unbeatable in its material selection.
We’re surprised to see a big discrepancy between Andersen’s Better Business Bureau (BBB) score and its customer rating on the site. BBB scores Andersen at an A+, but customers rate it 1.29 out of 5 stars. Andersen also only has 2.4 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot. These aren’t the worst customer ratings we’ve seen, but they concern us. We read 100 of the latest reviews to find common themes.
We’re pleased that the two most common themes don’t concern window quality. The top complaint has to do with service. Many customers report long wait times for problem resolution, such as receiving a replacement part or getting a service technician to perform a repair. The second most common complaint is persistent sales tactics, such as frequent calls and emails after requesting a quote.
Several customer reviews also mention faulty installation, though this is more of a problem with the installer than Andersen. Meghan Y. on BBB commented in October 2023 that she experienced great staff but that power washing her windows caused a flood inside her home.
Plenty of customers report a positive experience. Sarah P. on BBB noted in May 2023 that she received a great product and a “wonderful experience” with Andersen. She reflected similar sentiment to other customers who were pleased with both service and window quality.
Andersen makes eight window styles and five window lines that range in price and materials.
Each of Andersen’s window lines includes both windows and doors. From lowest price point to highest, you can choose from the following:
Andersen makes the following styles:
Andersen has more window material options than any other brand we’ve reviewed. Some window companies only offer vinyl windows, the most popular material among homeowners. Others may offer vinyl, aluminum and wood windows. Andersen, however, provides five choices ranging in price and selling points.
The most affordable material in Andersen’s collection is vinyl. Vinyl is durable, long-lasting and low-maintenance. Next is aluminum. Aluminum is super low-maintenance and weather-resistant. Andersen claims its proprietary Fibrex composite windows are twice as strong as vinyl and perform better in extreme temperatures. Composite windows hold up well to various weather conditions and are unlikely to fade, flake, blister or peel.
The brand’s most expensive windows are its wood and fiberglass options. Fiberglass is tough and weather-resistant; it’s also more environmentally friendly than some other options. Wood windows are beautiful and strong, though they’re more prone to rot than other choices.
Andersen sells double-pane and triple-pane windows. Double-pane windows are standard in most homes today. The two layers of glass help minimize air leakage and heat gain and loss, keeping your home more comfortable. Triple-pane windows feature a third layer of glass for even better energy efficiency. They’re recommended for northern climates and extreme temperatures. Energy Star recognized the windows in Andersen’s A series on its Most Efficient list for 2024.
The U.S. Department of Energy states that drafty windows are responsible for nearly a third of your home’s heating and cooling energy usage. If you have old, underperforming windows, they’re the reason your home is never the right temperature, your HVAC system is working overtime and your monthly electricity bills are higher than they should be.
Andersen consistently wins Energy Star’s Partner of the Year award for its products’ energy performance. The brand’s Energy Star certification means it meets efficiency requirements that block 70% or more of the solar heat in the summer and reflect heat indoors during winter. Energy Star windows also have low-emissivity (low-e) coatings that reduce furniture fading by up to 75%.
All certified Andersen windows and doors are independently tested and verified by the National Fenestration Rating Council and meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Andersen incorporates energy savers into its design, such as glass spacers and argon gas filling for better insulation, but its glass technology sets it apart from competitors. You can choose from these glass options:
We looked at customer reviews and spoke with an Andersen representative to gauge the brand’s pricing. While we couldn’t get specific pricing without going through the full quote process, we did get some average ranges for each window series.
Window prices for Andersen’s 100, 200 and 400 series are the most affordable, starting between $250 and $350 per window and going up as high as $3,600 for the 400 series. These figures are comparable, if not slightly above average, when compared to competitor pricing.
The A series and E series are the most expensive lines, given their architectural designs and premium materials. Windows in these series start around $1,000 and can be as much as several thousand dollars.
You have financing options when buying Andersen windows, though they vary depending on where you buy them. For example, Home Depot may offer a different payment plan than a certified Andersen dealer.
Home Depot also offers financing through a consumer credit card that gives you six months of financing on purchases over $299 and a full year to make returns. You can apply for Home Depot’s Project Loan financing to get up to $55,000 in loans with low monthly payments and flexible deadlines.
You can also speak with your bank about a home equity loan if you’re updating many windows at once.
You can install Andersen windows in a few ways. For one, you can purchase the windows and install them yourself. However, we don’t recommend this since improper window installation can cause window defects and sealing issues that cause home damage and void your warranty.
We recommend using Andersen’s network of certified contractors. These professionals are knowledgeable about installing Andersen windows and have been vetted for proper industry licensure.
While we can’t guarantee your contractor’s installation process, most installers follow these steps:
Andersen provides a transferable limited warranty that covers glass for 20 years and nonglass components, such as hardware, for 10 years. This coverage is comparable to many competitors. Coverage details vary by product line, so we suggest reviewing the warranty policy for the line you’re interested in before making a purchase.
Andersen offers several window styles, five material options, a range of product lines and proven energy performance, yet most of its online customer reviews are negative.
No matter how much the company has to offer, we can’t ignore that its customers note long wait times, faulty installation and broken parts. However, much of this can be attributed to individual installers, so it’s not representative of Andersen as a whole.
We always recommend requesting quotes from at least three companies to determine the best one for you.
Our aim is to provide you with the information you need to assess and choose a window company when updating or replacing your windows. We conducted research to thoroughly understand the window industry from both a consumer and company perspective.
Our in-depth methodology compares window companies based on various attributes, including window options, energy efficiency, warranties, reputation, reviews, customer service, communication, installation and other services. Each attribute is worth points that add up to a possible total of 100. We then translate that score into our 5-star rating we feature in our reviews.
BBB and Trustpilot ratings are accurate as of December 2023.
Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between USA TODAY and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help USA TODAY readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.
Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
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