Pella Windows and Doors

We were told the job would take two days. We have two central air units dividing the home so that was how it was supposed to be exchanged. The 1st day the contractor showed up somehow he had forgotten a drill bit he had to have for stucco. He also needed to leave around 2 to interview a new hire. Nothing accomplished 1st day. He never did stick to original plan which resulted in my husband taking down and rehanging our shades in the Master bedroom 3 times. By the end of the 4th day when the windows were in we asked about the painting & repair. The contractor although he had worked for them 3 months was clueless said the office was closed would have to call Monday. We talk to the Project Manager who comes out Tuesday and says he can come Saturday and do all the touch ups but we pay him on the side. We did not like the sound of that, did not know his experience level, just sounded shady. Today I found out he does offer that service for people who need it. We have an excellent painter we could have already setup if they had been up front with us. The pictures the PM took for the contractor to come back and repair of the stucco were never sent to the contractor. Also the contractor never walked our property so he didn't know he would need more than 3 people to install a 300lb window that is 8ft off the ground. There is a lot of miscommunication at Pella in which their problems becomes the consumers.

I will talk here about 2 aspects that I rated as "Bad" and "Lousy" 1. Quality - While the quality of the windows looks very good (so far, it has been 2 months since the install), the way the installation and demolition was handled and completed was terrible. Pella hires contractors to do the demo and install, and I was told I was getting the BEST demo/install team. As can be seen in the picture below, after completion my living room picture window wall has a "warped" look that appeared immediately after window installation and the wall was completed. The explanation I was given by the contractor - "the wall was leaning since construction". The left side of the window, however, is perfectly flush and smooth. The Pella Install Manager - Mike Carvajal, came a week after work completion, and re-iterated the same exact thing. Pella's explanation to this error made by the contractors they used is, simply, the wall was bent. When I asked them why this was not made clear to us earlier, before project start, they simply lied to us saying that "this was informed to you before project start". Quoting Mike's words, " I have determined that this is a structural and preexisting condition. I am willing to provide you with contact information for contractors In your area that may be able to handle this type of repair for you." Repair? What repair??? The job was done bad! Two lies were told after the warp in the wall was pointed out to us: #1 - Our installer made it clear to you prior to the work beginning that you had issues with your wall. #2 - Acc. to Pella this was a "structural" issue that would have to be "repaired" so it could not be part of the contract. I challenge them to provide me with a 3rd party, unbiased view saying that the warp in the wall is a structural issue. 2. Professionalism - Pella does a great job upfront in giving you the estimates, date of project start, etc. The moment you tell them something is wrong with the project, their immediate reaction is how to put the blame on the customer. The Pella Austin Manager, Anthony Marino, is just a sweet talker with zero accountability. We told him we weren't satisfied that our bedroom windows were opening in the opposite direction and that wasn't our intention. To their credit, they had the right windows per the contract, so we were looking at an option to rectify this aesthetic error. He made false promises, "we want to make sure you're completely happy", "we would be OK loosing some money over giving you new windows". His final solution/offer: replace 1 window for $500. And according to Pella this was a "discounted" offer! All said and done, 2 months in, our windows look nice but the way this project was handled was extremely poor in terms of the demo/installation/rebuilding quality of work and customer support they provide DURING and AFTER project completion. Maybe Pella projects in other locations have a better track record, but after my experience I would never recommend Pella Austin to anyone. I have attached 2 pictures - one of the wall warp and the other of the window frame paint that was done by the Pella contractor. The painting was done separately outside of the contract but just wanted to point out the bad quality of work done by a Pella contractor

Excellent service, excellent job. The quality of the material they used is top notch!

The whole process went exceptionally well, from the sales rep who answered a lot of questions, to the engineer who did the precise measurements, to the installation team. We are very happy with the windows.

The work was done efficiently and on schedule. A follow-up visit was required because of some water leakage, but it was taken care of immediately and without hesitation by the company.

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We were really happy with their work. They did a great job! They were excellent, offered good pricing, and finished the job perfectly.

The independent installer that this company used was very good and we did not have any problems with him. 
My issue is with Pella's policy regarding alarms.  We have a 30 year old home that had hidden alarms.  The salesman told us that we could add outside contacts that worked just as well.  We made it VERY clear that
we did not want this.  We were left with the impression that Pella would abide by our wishes and so we purchased the windows.
When the installer arrived, Pella would not let the installer put in the hidden contacts.  He was prepared to do so and said it was very easy, but would not do so without Pella's consent.  Pella refused.  Our alarm company said that they could not put in the hidden alarm after the window had been installed.  So, we now have on average a $1,200 dollar window with a very tacky $5.00 outside alarm contact.  The looks of the windows were totally ruined.  I wish I had my old windows back.  No one from Pella ever inspected the work that was done, even though they knew we were not happy.  Pella, to their credit, did pay the $100.00 charge from my alarm company.  If I had wanted ugly windows, I would have purchased less expensive windows. 

Their workmen were excellent. They have the best windows. We had like the top of the line windows put in with blinds between there is like three panes of glass. You cannot hear anything outside anymore. We just think they have a superior product. We had them paint and fan the products before they even put in the window and I would highly recommend him of having that done. Their installers were incredible. They got their manager in from San Antonio to take care of us. He was just top of the line. It was pretty expensive. Everything was just topnotch.

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They were good. I recommended them to my son and they did a good job as well. They were excellent. They came, they measured, they installed. There was one little thing and they sent somebody to fix it and my son had them too and they were good. The young man that came was really good.

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We ordered a total of 5 windows and a rear door from Pella.  Order was placed on 12/17 and installation was done on 2/1.  Christmas and New Year's holidays slowed down delivery a bit.  Windows and doors met expectations, although the grilles on 3 of the windows did not lay flat on the glass as I would have expected.  We have not yet contacted Pella to see if they can do anything about this minor problem.   Installation crew arrived on time and did an excellent job.  The only minor complaint I have is that the small nail holes were not filled in with filler.  The quality of the product is outstanding and I would certainly use Pella again.

We originally contacted Pella in March but decided to delay our whole-house window purchase for a few months due to the cost. Matthew was our salesperson and he was very thorough, professional and exceedingly helpful in making decisions on colors and styles of windows. Matthew worked with us on our financing paperwork as well and was both professional and helpful, as was his manager Travis. Both Travis and Matthew returned our calls and emails promptly, and the installation supervisor, Javier, made helpful suggestions when he come out to measure the windows. Javier also explained in detail what we could expect from the installation crew and the preparations we needed to make prior to the arrival of the installation crew.
The time between ordering and the arrival of the windows was six weeks.
The installation crew was headed by Ryan, and we could not have asked for a better experience. The weather was horribly cold over both days it took to install the windows, and all three crew members were careful to prevent tracking mud or debris into our house. They had to break the old windows in order to remove them, and the crew put down blankets and then vacuumed to get up all the small broken glass pieces. In addition, our original 1972 windows were mortared in, and Ryan's crew was able to remove the old aluminum frames and match the concrete mortar exactly, so our new windows look as if they have always been there. Ryan and his crew were friendly and professional, and they cleaned up all of the trash and debris from the installation. They also added wooden trim pieces around the window openings that made the new windows fit perfectly.
Both Matthew and Travis came by during the window installation to ensure that everything was going as planned, and we were happy to report that the installation crew was doing a terrific job. Our house is much more energy efficient after the install, and the low-E coating on the new windows really cuts the sun's glare. Also, the reduction in outside sound from the new windows is significant.
We had such a good experience with Pella that we purchased double front doors from them as well, and those doors will be installed a full three weeks earlier than we had anticipated.
We found everyone at Pella to be friendly, professional and easy to work with, and we give our highest recommendation to Matthew, Travis, Javier and to Ryan's installation team at Pella.

The crew arrived promptly in the early morning, and by lunch, the old windows were out and the new ones were in place.  The work areas inside our home were covered with drop cloths so there was no building debris.  Two of the oldest windows shattered when removed, but the workers were quick to clean up and made sure no glass was left behind.  By mid-afternoon, the windows were sealed, yard cleaned up, and work completed.  We are very happy with the windows and the work!

The sales representative was very informative, knew the product, and his suggestions in window changes from the existing windows were right on. We were provided a detailed printed copy of the final windows we were ordering, the cost of each window, and the installation costs involved. We looked at 3 other quotes from other qualified window vendors before selecting Pella. The sales representative was mindful of our dates, kept in contact with us while we looked at other bids. Once we decided on Pella, another person from the San Antonio office came out and did a detailed measurement, and gave us an estimated date for installation. About a month later we received a call confirming the original date, and again, the day before installation, another reminder. The installation crew showed up promptly at the time they said they would be to the house. We did a quick walk around to review the windows, and the crew of 3 started to removal of the existing windows. They placed thick blankets down inside of the house to minimize any material from falling onto the carpet or flooring in the area of the windows. The lead installer said he had been doing this for 15 yrs, knew what he was doing, from removal of the old windows, to the removal of the old aluminum frames. They vacuumed thoroughly after the frame removal, before placing the new windows. The new windows installed into place, screwed to the window framing and foamed. All the windows were installed the first day. On the second day they came out exactly when they said they were going to, and did the final caulking and adding molding where necessary, both on the inside and outside. The final caulk was then completed. All the windows were checked for proper operation, and cleaned. Another final vacuuming was completed, and any miscellaneous material was picked up around the house, inside and out. One slider window had a minor defect that was pointed out to me, and a replacement was ordered while the crew were still there. 2 of the installers were top notch, while the 3rd need some direction, as he was new to the team. I feel the installation went well, there were a lot of windows to do, and originally thought that it may take longer than the 2 days, but everything was completed in time. They crew didn't even take a lunch break, worked a long day the first day to make sure all the windows were in, then a little shorter day with the final installation.

PELLA OF SAN ANTONIO HAS CONSISTENTLY DRAGGED THEIR FEET, SLOWING US DOWN CONSIDERABLY DURING THE BUILDING OF THE HOUSE. A PORTION OF THE ORDER WAS ORDERED INCORRECTLY, AND THEY DENIED THAT IT WAS THEIR FAULT AND DID NOT WANT TO MAKE IT RIGHT. THEY EVENTUALLY DID, BUT THEY HAVE NOT, UP TO  TODAY, FINISHED THE JOB AND MADE EVERYTHING RIGHT. JUST LAST NIGHT WE DISCOVERED THAT, DURING INSTALLATION, THEY HAD NEGLECTED TO REMOVE THE SHIMS THAT WERE IN THE WINDOWS TO PREVENT DAMAGE DURING SHIPPING. THIS RESULTED IN POOR SEALS, AND DURING A HARD RAIN LAST NIGHT A LOT OF WATER CAME IN WHERE THE SEALS SHOULD HAVE BEEN TIGHT.
DURING THIS WHOLE UNFORTUNATE EXPERIENCE WE HAVE BEEN  TOLD NUMEROUS TIMES THAT THINGS WOULD BE DONE OR SOMEONE WOULD BE THERE TO WORK, AND MOST TIMES NO ONE CAME AND NOTHING WAS DONE. IT HAS BEEN EXTREAMLY FRUSTRATING.

They were fine but they did not clean up very well. We kept finding bits of glass and nails around the house.