Universal Windows Direct of St. Louis

Disappointing Experience with Universal Windows Direct, you do not get what you paid for. I originally chose Universal Windows Direct based on a positive interaction with Darren, who was knowledgeable, friendly, and emphasized the company's lifetime warranty. We decided to move forward with a window installation on March 15, 2023, despite the higher cost, because of this promise. The installation itself was excellent, but after a few months, the clasps on the windows began to fail. A technician replaced them at no charge, which was in line with the lifetime warranty. Encouraged by our initial experience, we decided to contract with Universal Windows for siding on June 19, 2024. Brandon, who handled the sale, again reassured us that the same lifetime warranty would apply, with no fees involved. While there were some delays and scheduling hiccups, we were willing to overlook those as we wanted the job completed. Unfortunately, the siding installation on September 12, 2024, was a major letdown. The installers faced communication issues, cut our cable line (disrupting my work), and rushed through what should have been a two-day job, finishing it in under 8 hours. Within a day, the siding began to detach. Additionally, there were holes under the sunroom, trash left in both my yard and my neighbor's, and missing flashing. When I raised concerns, the installers' only response was "it’s not in your contract"—which was incredibly frustrating. A technician came out and suggested a full reinstallation, but when work was done on January 2, 2025, only the loose pieces were nailed back up, leaving the job looking poorly done. By January 28, 2025, the siding had detached again. Another technician came out, but once again, only nailed it back up. The real shock came on March 19, 2025, when I was informed about a new $149 service fee. This was in stark contrast to the terms of our original agreements, which had no mention of service fees. I was told the siding would not incur a fee because I was still within the one-year warranty, but my windows would be charged since they were outside the warranty period. However, my window agreement never mentioned a service fee, and the siding agreement stated that such a fee would only apply if the damage was outside the warranty coverage. When I raised these issues, I was told that the company could change the terms of the warranty at any time. This felt incredibly unethical, as I was never informed of these potential changes at the time of signing. In conclusion, while Universal Windows Direct initially seemed like a solid choice, the ongoing issues, poor quality of work, and changes to the terms of the warranty have left me deeply dissatisfied. I would caution potential customers to carefully review all terms and conditions before moving forward with this company.

From the minute I inquired with UWD the process went a smooth as possible. From the sales rep, financing, scheduling, installation and down to job site clean up. It was an amazing experience.

UPDATE: After seeing the reply from the company I called and left a voice mail during business hours 2 weeks ago. I would like a call back...and will update this post if and when I do. Original message: We had a large, 85-year-old casement window, replaced with a slider. The installer was friendly, fast, and attentive to keeping the worksite very clean. We have not had the window long enough to comment on how it performs However, there’s two cautions I would give to anyone with an older home, particularly brick. The installer cut the old frame out with a pneumatic saw. After he left, we found a crack In the plaster around the window. Plaster walls WILL be damaged by the intense vibration of a pneumatic saw. I don’t know if there would have been another way for him to remove the old metal frame, but be prepared to do repairs after installation. We have to patch those cracks and repaint the room, which is an expense we had not factored in the cost. We are reaching out to the company to see what they will do. Also, while I’m sure it’s in the fine print, they should ask before they place signs in your yard. It’s just common courtesy.

They did a great job

very well, we were completely happy with the product and the insllation

Very good job

They took a while to get in, which was understood, but the work was done in a timely and clean fashion! The product came in as expected.

Very well great job

I had the windows installed in August bit one was broken. I am still waiting on that window. Love the new windows, though.

Earlier this year my wife and I signed a contract with UWD to provide us with 10 new windows in our home. The windows arrived at the warehouse in St. Louis and an appointment is made for installation. Contractor arrives with 10 windows, all in good condition, 2 of which are picture windows that require cut out and interior trim installation. Contractor starts installation without prepping site other than small pieces of old cardboard laid in front of the windows to be replaced. Contractor installs most windows without major issues other than the current, builder grade windows were extremely hard for them to remove which resulted in minor damage to existing window sills and window surrounds. Minor damage to wood flooring as well. Contractor begins work on 2 picture window cutout with an oscillating tool to cut out drywall which in turn blows dust all over our lower level, kitchen, living room, dining room, den, etc. No tarps or coverings are laid which creates a thick layer of drywall dust throughout the house. To remedy this, I purchased plastic sheeting and covered everything in our home. Contractor uses a broom to clean up large debris and a LEAF BLOWER for the visible dust. The entire situation creates issues with my wife and 2 & 5 year old daughters with respiratory issues. They have to leave the house. Contractor completes cut out and installation of larger windows but doesn't have the correct materials or right amount of Red Oak to complete the interior trim with the Red Oak they started with. Contractor informs me that I can have someone else complete it and send the invoice to UWD for reimbursement via check or gift card. I mention that we're also getting siding put on after the windows are installed and the Contractor advises that it would be better for the siding company to perform the exterior completion of the window trim/metal bend and wood framing. I contact siding contractor and they bid the job which increases my siding bid by $1,550.00 Contractor completes job having left interior Red Oak Trim and exterior window framing incomplete. Siding company installs siding, exterior metal/wood window trim, etc. on 10 windows. (added $1,550.00 to bid) UWD Salesperson calls asking for money ($1,300) for the picture window cut out and interior trim. I inform him that this wasn't completed and he states that he's going to get to the bottom of it and call me back. That never happened and I still haven't heard from him. I hire Carpenter to install interior Red Oak Trim ($972.35) I placed AT LEAST a dozen calls to a number of people in different positions at UWD sales, customer service, etc., most of whom told me they are going to try and get some sort of solution and have someone call me back. Somehow I got transferred to Mike in Pittsburgh UWD Warehouse who was very helpful, but also failed to provide a resolution. 3 different instances the St. Louis warehouse called me to set up an appointment for installation of interior trim which has already been completed. Customer Service contacts me and is very helpful. She listened to our concerns, spoke with management, and provided me with a solution which is unacceptable as it doesn't equal the amount we had to pay out of pocket for the incomplete work that should've been done by the original UWD Contractor. There is obviously a lot more to this story. The communication has been EXTREMELY POOR. At this point UWD is only removing the $1,300 charge for the window cutout of 2 picture windows and interior trim with Red Oak which wasn't completed and refunding $1,222.35. Again, we had to pay $1,550.00 to JB Exteriors and $972.35 to Helm Carpentry to complete the jobs that the UWD Contactor failed to complete, yet charged us for. Total, I owe $2,522.35 to these other contractors for their work. I'm willing to pay for half of the job for the cut out as I stated, but I'd like to, at the very least, be able to take the difference and pay the contractors what I owe them. I just want to be made whole. Logically, I should be reimbursed $1,550.00 for the exterior and $322.35 for the interior (the sum of the $1,300 - $650 = $650, $972.53 - $650 = $322.35) This entire situation has taken what should've been an exciting time for our family and turned it into a nightmare.

Great. The company kept in touch through the whole process and delivered and installed the windows when they said they would. 4 installers showed up at 8 this morning and were finished at 11:30. Fast and efficient. I highly recommend.

Rodney and his team - Tyler, Joey and Jordan - did an outstanding job removing and replacing our 17 windows and patio double door. All were very careful to ensure no damage to paint, woodwork and flooring when removing the old windows. All new items were installed square to their original frames, and all four sides of every item were carefully inspected and very well-sealed with caulk and insulating foam. The entire effort - 5 1/2 hours from unload to cleanup - was so efficient that we're certain an additional team member was in hiding somewhere! We are exceedingly pleased with the quality and price of our Universal Windows Direct products, and are absolutely amazed at the diligence, courtesy, and professionalism of this team. We highly recommend the Universal Windows Direct products and the professional work of Rodney, Tyler, Joey and Jordan. Thank you for your outstanding services!

The windows are are great and can’t wait to see my lowered a/c bill. The windows are also an attractive upgrade to the house. The installation was fantastic! Professional quick and clean. Universal Windows also replies to questions quickly and keeps customers updated on the next step. My only remaining question is “this was buy one get one free” and I still don’t understand if that happened. It seems like we paid $1000 per window. That’s high. The sales pitch is fast

The sales rep Camden was great. His presentation was clear and knowledgeable. Love the quality of the windows! Would recommend them to my family and friends.

It was a wonderful experience ... Jordan was extremely professional, personable, friendly and extremely knowledgeable with the companies product. Will definitely recommend to friends, family, neighbors

Perfect. We love our new windows and couldn’t be happier.

Sales representative was very thorough on her presentation explaining all the options based on our configuration. I choose Universal Windows for their quality and warranty when comparing to other manufacturers

In September 2017 my wife and I purchased a window and door from Universal Windows Direct, and financed it with them for 0%. The salesman did a cursory measurement, then a week or two later, the professional installer came to measure. The window and doors took much longer than promised to arrive. The day came for them to be installed, and the door that was made for our house didn't fit; the measurement was either done wrong, or the company made it incorrectly. A new door had to be made, and by the time it was ready, it was late January for the install. The day the window was installed, the two installers, who were outside on the front porch, smoked cigarettes during the install, with the smell and smoke wafting into our house. The truck they drove, which sat in our driveway leaked transmission fluid. They all appeared hung over. When the door was installed in January, they didn't have the new hardware we ordered, and so we decided to just use the existing hardware from our old door. The installer installed the lock upside down. The masonry around our door was damaged. The temperature that day was in the low 30's, and the slow install made the house unbearably cold. (We were told at the sale our install would be in late October.) The install manager, whose name I forget now, attempted to make things right by coming over himself, he said, the next day to fix the masonry and correct the lock. That morning, he called to say he couldn't come, but he was sending over someone to fix it. This was a Saturday. His communication among his men was lacking, as I was on the phone with two different men who knew nothing about why they were being tasked on a Saturday to come to our house, and, each of them didn't know the other had been asked to do this job. As we had a party that night to clean and plan for, I asked one of the men how long he expected the rehab of our door would take, and he curtly responded, "it's my Saturday too, and I have no idea; I'm not there." Fast forward a few weeks, and we get a call from Ryan Forden from Universal Windows Direct. He wanted to come over as soon as possible to have us re-sign the banking paperwork for the door. Because the door took so long to produce and install, the financing window for the door had expired. Ryan was on the phone with the bank, in our dinning room for over a hour, attempting to get the financing established. The bank refused to finance the door, as it was out of agreement with the original contract. While he was there, I detailed our experience with the install manager, and the installers. I told him how disappointed I was with his company, and I would not agree to have them place their sign in our yard, nor use them again. He was visibly shaken by my disappointment and promised to make things right, and offered a discount on future windows. He also said he would talk with the owners of the company, and get back to us soon about how to finance the door. He didn't leave his business card, nor did he ever contact us again. On Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, I had a registered letter from the post office, sent by Bedford Municipal Court, and that we were being sued by Universal Windows Direct. We immediately went to their office in Maryland Heights. We asked to speak with the owner or manager, and were directed to Ryan's office. After a minute, Ryan remembered us, and asked if we could pay for the door. My wife agreed to pay, but our only option to pay for the door was with a credit card, at 18% interest. I asked him how we got to the point of being sued by his company, when it was his company that failed every step of the way. I reminded him that I promised not to air my disappointment and experience on social media, as that wasn't how I like to operate in business. All Ryan did was say his company "dropped the ball", and apologized. He made no attempt to explore how they could offset the interest rate we are now accruing, or offer any other reparations. We insisted they contact their legal office to have reflected on our account that the door was paid in full and drop the lawsuit. We still haven't heard directly from their legal office, but we do have an email from the office manager, Brittany West, that requests them to contact us.

How did it go? Let me tell you how it went. It could not have been a better experience. Universal Windows Direct (UWD) was immediately responsive to my request for a presentation of their product and an estimate. Once negotiations were complete I was kept informed of the status of my order throughout. I changed my mind on the style of lock finishes about 10 days after placing my order and they took care of that without any difficulty. Once my order came in two weeks earlier than expected UWD provided me with an install date the same week. My installers arrived one time and immediately went to work. The friendly three person crew braved the July heat and continued to work through completion. From the demo to the clean-up, I was completely satisfied with every aspect of the install. Not a bit of scrap material was left behind. Oh, and they even took care of a couple wasp problems for me. The windows themselves look incredible. The screens are easy to see through and hardly noticeable. Additionally, I saw immediate results in their efficiency. I have a west facing bedroom window that catches every ray of afternoon sun. I had become used to going into that room and it was nearly unbearable. The day after that window was replaced, I went into that room and couldn't believe the difference. I am actually looking forward to next coming month's power bills to see my savings. I am extremely pleased with my experience with Universal Windows Direct and I have sung their praises to my neighbors and friends with my highest recommendation. The highest selling point for me was the lifetime guarantee and the 30 year transferrable warranty once I sell my home.

It went great. Jeff B. was very knowledgeable about the product and went the extra mile to ensure we got the best available deal. We were so satisfied we discussed potentially doing another project in the future.

Jeff Becklund was a very good salesman. He explained everything to us and worked with us to get our price we needed and our financing.

I just wanted to say what a great experience I had with this company. From the sales associate Kim who made the decision super easy, especially after her awesome presentation with the fire, to the installers, to the ease of the billing process. I had been hesitant about making such a big purchase, but the windows keep my home warm in the winter and cold in the summer, all while saving me money on my bills! Myself and my family cannot thank you enough for such a comfortable home. If I ever need to purchase windows, doors, or siding in the future, I will not hesitate to call Universal Windows Direct!