Austin Retrofit

This is an excellent company with an excellent product. We purchased a new house and had it totally renovated, including new windows. The old windows were not working, were not energy efficient and were not safe. John Nelson, the owner, and Cody visited our house and took measurements, provided advice to our plans and made recommendations. There was no pressure at all, and they gave us new ideas. We were very anxious to have windows that were easy to operate, provided excellent energy efficiency and were strong. We then visited their warehouse shown the options. We just moved from the North East - where we also had window work done. We were very nervous about the cost, but were extremely pleased with Austin Retrofit's pricing. (We estimated it was about half the cost of our previous work). An installation date was arranged and the windows were installed quickly. We also had John and his team build a completely new window, double the size of our kitchen window and decrease the size of the bathroom window. Additionally, we had a fire-rated door installed between our house and the garage. The work team included the owner's son, John, who is a real professional and craftsman. We had the have the team come back at least three times to make some adjustments, mainly due to foundation work being done on the house, and every time they came back without complaint or extra cost. We consider ourselves very lucky to have found this company.

Overall experience from getting a quote, ordering the correct window types, and installation went well. When getting a quote, Cody did the work. There was a small misunderstanding with the type that match with my request on a window at the kitchen. I just wanted the basic window with the double pane E66 glass. He also did not explain different types and brands throughfully so I was playing a guessing game. We straighten up everything when I finally decided to go with them. John Nelson (the owner) visited me and made sure all the measurement/correction of all windows were correct prior ordering the windows. He also gave detail explanation about windows style and brands and he convinced me that Simonton is the better brand compared to others. During the installation, everyone and John's son supervised the work. There was a small issue with the bathroom window with the sizing (John's son fixed the issue). I reviewed the installation and all the sealing from inside and outside and they did a good job. City of Austin audit also passed. It has been more than 6 months and the windows look incredibly beautiful.

The windows work fine. I had one bedroom and bath that I didn't have done because I was remodeling. The owner said they had a bunch of sample windows in the warehouse and he said that he would give us one when we were done with the remodel. We finished and contacted them on a couple of occasions and couldn't get the owner to respond. I had my contractor contact one of the underlings and he got some action. He went to the warehouse and they didn't have the window that I needed but they said they would get me one. They sent me a bill for $229 and I paid that. They then changed the order because they said they didn't understand it and said that it was going to be around $300 for one bathroom window. I think that I am kind of getting jacked around by these people. I was initially pleased with what they did but now I am very unhappy with the follow up on this particular problem I have. They left a bad taste in my mouth after this last incident. I did not compare prices. The quality of service on the initial job was excellent.

We talked to 6 window contractors about replacing the windows in our home. Two were ruled out very quickly for ridiculous pricing and obnoxious sales tactics. Of the four remaining we chose Austin Retrofit because:- They were the most helpful with some important decisions regarding window styles (SH vs DH vs casement vs fixed; to use grids or not). John Sr. really steered us right here and we?re very, very glad we took his advice. - They put most emphasis on the surrounding wood trim work on some of our windows which was very important to us and gave us confidence that they?d do it well. This seemed to be very much an after-thought with other contractors that focus on window replacement. - They agreed to pre-drill the window frames for existing security alarm wiring. Most other companies would not do this. This saved us big $ by letting us use and existing system rather than having to switch to a new wireless system. We also thereby avoid having those big ugly contact sensors on the window sills. - They did the door panel and trim kit replacements whereas with some other window contractors, they would only do the windows and I?d have to get a separate contractor for the doors. - Of course I felt like the quoted product quality, price, value and warranty was right. - Small footnote: One contractor quoted a certain product which couldn?t accommodate one of our windows so they quoted that one window in a different line. It would have had a different beveling than others in front of the house and I didn?t like that. Austin Retrofit?s approach gave us all windows in the same line. This shop runs lean and it take a little longer to get them out for a quote. Based on the other reviews I?d read, where most dings were for that and not for the actual work done, I gave them some slack and I?m glad I waited to get them included in my quote process. The quote process can also be a little informal as we saw with other contractors too. While we had no problems, I suggest getting exactly what you want in writing. While Austin Retrofit can offer a wide variety of products, we chose the Simonton Profinish Contractor series. I?ve read some reviews where other people have had this product quoted and decided it?s inferior. I researched quite diligently too (won?t go into the details here) and came to a different conclusion. I know it?s a slightly thinner frame than the marketed ?replacement? windows and that others might want to scare you about that but ultimately the Profinish Contractor warranties and performance (thermal) specs were as good as those thicker frames. And they look great too. The installation team worked very well together and was extremely efficient. We don?t have any other frame of reference as we haven?t been through window replacements before but we were very pleased with the whole job. Grout work on the outside was excellent. Caulk work on the inside was good. They cleaned up inside and out, vacuuming on hands and knees, and seriously left things cleaner than before they arrived. The trim work was up to my expectations. They wound up doing a couple of extra things that I didn?t expect. We didn?t have them replace a very small bathroom slider window because it would have been made non-functional due to the thicker vinyl frame. While on the job, John Jr. asked if I?d like him to replace the glass in the existing frame with Cardinal 366 to match my new ones. I said yes and he did. They also had a little time left on the second day so offered to paint my new front trim which they were not obligated to do. Thx John Jr and team for that. Post-installation, John Jr. followed up promptly on a couple little punchout items. So far we?re thrilled with our choice of Austin Retrofit and very happy we listed to John Sr.?s advice on window style choices. We are recommending them to friends without hesitation.

As stated, this company's salesman is very convincing and one of the best sales people I have ever encountered. However, after interviewing and getting estimates from 3 companies, doing lots of online research about the brands and "series or line of windows" the various salesmen were going to install; I was very glad I did not select this company. Do your own research and ask your own questions as to exactly what grade of window the sales people install--not just who makes them. Just as there are varying price ranges and quality in Chevy vehicles, every Chevy is not a Corvette. The same is true of "name-brand" window companies that may have a top of the line highly rated window and other "grades" of windows down to the "builders grade." Do your own research and ask lots of questions so you understand which grade of "name-brand" windows you are being sold!!! I personally did not want the grade of windows Austin Retrofit was pushing.

They were excellent, I was satisfied, I found them on Angie's List, and got the best quality. They are a very professional company, do good followup as I had a problem with one of the windows, they came right out, and were easy to work with, along with John, the owner. I give them high ratings and will use them again in the future.

We selected three companies to bid on the project, all of which were highly rated on Angie's list. Cody came out to quote the job and he was knowledgeable, thorough, professional and courteous. There was some delay in receiving our initial proposal, however, that appears to have been due to some computer issues on their end, rather than any slacking on their end. We waited several months to have the work performed, however, when I contacted Austin Retrofit, they stood by their original proposal and did not change the price. The same was not true of other companies that quoted on the job. At the end of the day, there are lots of companies that can sell you decent vinyl windows at a good price. We chose Austin Retrofit for several reasons: (1) their emphasis on quality of installation, (2) the fact that they have their own crew who are employees, rather than third party contractors, (3) the fact that Austin Retrofit is locally-owned and that one of the owners is present onsite for at least part of the job, and (4) the professionalism of the proposal process. I waivered between hiring them or Home Depot, but ultimately could not get comfortable with the quality of work that HD would offer. One of the things that swayed me was that after I told them that I would go with them, Cody and John Sr. spent two hours walking through my house, getting the specs right for every window being ordered. They pointed out a number of small things that would need to be done for the job to look right, and in each case, they told me they would take care of it, without any extra charge. The crew showed up a few minutes late on the day of the install, but that was due to the fact that there was torrential rain the night before and they had been flooded out of their warehouse. Cody called me in advance of the scheduled arrival time to keep me informed about the crew's status. When the crew arrived they got straight to work. Other reviews have noted the speed and efficiency with which these guys work. That was our experience. They did all 14 windows in approximately 6 hours, and the quality of the install is excellent. My wife supervised the install and she was impressed with how courteous and friendly each of the crew members were. They laid down plastic and did a careful job protecting our furniture and flooring. At the end of the job they cleaned up thoroughly. We had some permit issues on the project (due to a previously expired permit which remained open on our property, not due to anything Austin Retrofit did). Cody helped us with every step of the process, even dropping off paperwork one night several weeks after the job was completed after I called him that day. In all, Austin Retrofit is everything you could ask for in a window contractor: fair price, good quality windows, excellent workmanship, responsive, courteous, and locally owned. We will hire them again to do the remaining windows and to replace some doors.

The job was fantastic. However, long story short, during the installation, the city cited Austin Retrofit for installing windows without a permit and issued him a hefty fine. John fought it, as he should have given the city had never cited anyone before for not having a permit. Not once did he complain or ask for my assistance. He fought the city all the way through the process and he lost, but he was only fined $1, due to the fact no one had ever been fined for not having a permit for replacing windows. He was a class act. He is a shining example of what you'd expect your contractor to be. I can't issue a higher recommendation.

They were really lovely. They were awesome; they were so great. They were just really helpful in educating us about what our options were. They were easy to work with. We have an old house and so we didn't know what our options were as far as replacing our windows, and we didn’t want to go with some new or cheap windows. We wanted windows without spending a ton of money on those super expensive windows. They helped us to find a good in between option so that we had windows that matched the old style of the house. We didn’t do the whole windows. They were always friendly and professional. They got the job done really quickly. There was one error in one of the windows, in how the company that manufactured had created it, and they were so helpful and nice about that. It wasn’t their fault at all, but they took care of it. It wasn't a worry.

John and Cody came out and gave me an estimate for replacing all windows. They were very thorough and did a great job answering all of my questions. They were extremely knowledgeable and I gained a lot of information from talking with them. However, after initially speaking with Cody about his quote, their responsiveness dropped off. I emailed some follow up questions for them to answer prior to coming down to their showroom and they never responded. I simply went with another local based company that quoted the job as well, and answered all of my questions in a timely manner. I really don't think you can go wrong with these guys, they have a ton of great reviews and I'm sure they do excellent work, but responsiveness is very important to me when spending a large amount of money. My experience with Austin Retrofit was good for the most part and it pointed me in the right direction for what I needed, but a little more effort in checking emails and voicemails would have gained them my business too.

They will be installing the windows on Wednesday. The whole estimate process was easy and wonderful. They were really friendly and professional. They seem to be easy to work with. They are a great group.

On install day it was incredible, there were a team of 5 guys, each with a specific job that they did completely professionally. They brought protective covering for my carpet and furniture, and cut every single piece of framing and molding to measure right there on the spot. The door slides like a dream and is much more aesthetically pleasing and energy efficient than my old door which was the original one installed when the house was built in 1970. Incredible job by an incredible company and their most expensive option was still $800 less than the bid I got from Home Depot. They even painted my exterior trim for me because I happened to still have some paint left. Amazing job! I look at my new door and use it every day and it makes me so so happy. Thanks Austin Retrofit! These guys are professional and they know what they're doing.

I had the misfortune of having originally contracted with a well intended, but inexperienced company to install 5 exterior double doors. (Not Austin Retrofit). I won't go into detail, but virtually every possible thing that could have been done incorrectly, was in fact done ... incorrectly. It was a complete and undisputed disaster. I knew that everything would need to be torn out and redone at greater effort than the original installation. And of coarse, barely a drop of rain all year in Austin, but the same day the original installation was completed, we had torrential rains. A few of the many installation issues were underscored with water intrusion into my home. I lost several nights sleep worried about how to get things corrected and our home back on an even keel.So I started making contacts for rebidding the work. After some very strong recommendations, I contacted Austin Retrofit in hopes they would bail me out. It was clear after my first meeting with the owner, John Nelson, that this company knew what they were doing. I had explained the entire situation to John and his team. He knew I was desperate and needed immediate help. He also knew that getting involved in cleaning up someone elses mess was going to be time consuming, difficult and generally undesirable work to get involved in.What happened ? Austin Retrofit took the job. They bid a VERY reasonable price. They did NOT gouge me as many might have done to take advantage of my desperate situation. The construction team was led by John Jr who delivered MORE than they committed, with EXCEPTIONAL quality, craftsmanship, professionalism and timeliness from start to finish. Every member of the Austin Retrofit team exhibited these qualities. They corrected issues not only from the original contractor, but with the original home construction as well as with the door manufacturer. They took ownership of the ENTIRE job, not just the piece they signed up to do, but whatever was needed to achieve customer satisfaction. The crew wouldn't leave until they were confident I was 100% satisfied! As much as I wanted to get these 5 doors finished up, I was actually sad to see them go ! I can't say enough to thank the Austin Retrofit team. The work they did for me and my family meant well beyond installing doors. In addition to everything else they delivered in terms of workmanship and value, Austin Retrofit delivered peace of mind and restoration of my faith in the goodwill of men. All of the recommendations I had received for Austin Retrofit were GROSSLY UNDERSTATED ! Austin Retrofit isn't just good. They are the BEST ! I will highly recommend Austin Retrofit to anyone and everyone who has a need for their outstanding services. Thank you Austin Retrofit !!!

They were well priced, extremely professional, flexible in scheduling, and easy to work with. I would recommend them to others.

SO IMPRESSED!!! Austin Retrofit was wonderful and I would absolutely use them again. They helped me choose the right style and brand of door to fit my needs and were professional, courteous and responsive throughout the process. Once the door arrived, they immediately scheduled an appointment for install, showed up on time, and quickly and efficiently finished the job. I was most impressed with the install and clean up. Everything was caulked, painted, and spotless when they left. Couldn't be happier with my new door! Thanks Austin Retrofit!!

I did a lot of research and decided the installation was going to be one of the most important factors for my particular house. Austin Retrofit spent time with me discussing the new window options as well as the installation techniques in detail. The price was not cheap but I wanted some specific features in the new windows. Installation day came, and they were right on time, and got to work. They removed and installed all the windows and did a great job. I've removed these old ones before and its hateful. They did a great job. Because my house is wood siding wrapped in aluminum siding, I needed some extra trim down around the windows in aluminum and John Jr referred me to a great guy who finished them out on teh same day with those extra details. By the end of the day my house was dramatically more quiet (I live in town) and my a/c ran about half as long as normal. I should have done this 10 years ago! It was a great experience and I'm more than happy with the company, the window products installed and the results. Great Job!

I decided not to use them. They came highly recommended by trade references. What I mean by that is people in the business as opposed to homeowners. I found them in terms of the work they did and their approach to be very easy to work with, very professional, and very knowledgeable. The reason I didn't go with them is that after doing research, the product that they were wanting to install was exactly the wrong product. Once I understood the product line that they represented, you could only recommend that product if you were planning to do a low quality installation. In other words, although they have high marks in a lot of areas, it was clear to me that you shouldn't be using them if you care about quality.

I dealt with the owners of the company (John Nelson and John Nelson Jr) in discussing the options for my windows. I started with only wanting three picture windows replaced and decided before it was all done to have several smaller windows installed as well. I'm very glad I did. The windows are beautiful, cut down on noise & light & heat/cold, and the installation was professional and efficient. I was very impressed, too, with the crew's attention to protecting my home from damage and to cleaning up after the installations were complete. I will definitely contract with them again, when I'm ready to replace more windows.

Found three companies on Angie's List that gave us estimates. All gave good, honest presentations but we picked Austin Retrofit on price. They certainly lived up to the reviews we saw on Angie's list. They arrived at the appointed time and worked until all the windows were installed. Total time was about 6 hours. The crew and their leader, John, Jr., were very professional. The installation required some cutting of wood and sheet rock. All of this was carefully cleaned up and they even helped put back the furniture and other objects that had to be moved. They also painted the outside trim even through they could have left that for us to do. All in all, we could not have asked for a better experience.

I don’t remember the bid amount. I know it was higher than $7000. It took us a while to decide and we needed time to deal with it. We liked them and they were probably our second choice. The only reason why we chose somebody else over them was because, the other company had experience in the installation of windows, so that made us feel a little bit more comfortable with that. The other company knew exactly what they were supposed to do. Everything with Austin Retrofit was good. They were on time. They were very friendly. Everything was good. It’s just that the other company was a better fit for us. I would consider using their services again in the future.

From the bid to cleanup, Austin Retrofit is a top-notch company. We waited a few days for the initial bid but from then on it was a smooth process, even getting price quotes on different combinations and options. Cody, John Sr. and John Jr. were all courteous and professional, and most of all super knowledgeable about their windows the installation process from start to finish. They anticipated issues with the brick and siding on our old house and installation started on time and was quick and trouble free as a result. After they left it was hard to tell there had been major construction going on at all! We couldn't be happier with the windows (beautiful!) and are confident that they stand behind their products in case issues arise in the future.

They are really good, but kind of expensive. They are timely, clean up after themselves, and they generally do a nice job. They were very easy to work with.

Once we selected them we scheduled the date to have the windows replaced. They showed up on time with all of the windows and were able to replace all window's in the same day. During installation of one of the window's the seal broke. The job foreman took note of it, and called in to have a replacement ordered. They continued to install the window so we wouldn't have a board over the hole, and about a week later came back out to replace the fautly window. All in all they provided a great service, great product and were very friendly & professional throughout the whole process. The windows look great and we are extremely happy with the finished product. I would recommend them to anyone looking to have their windows replaced.

Made an appointment Cody come out. Soonest available was a week out. He arrived a bit late, looked at my window, discussed options with me, and said I should have the bid the following day. Now it's a week later and I've never heard from him. I guess they don't need such a small job.

I thought they were excellent. We decided to go with them because they are very knowledgeable.