The Exteriors Company is a licensed window replacement contractor based in Fitchburg, installing vinyl, fiberglass, and clad wood windows across Madison and Dane County. Every unit we quote meets ENERGY STAR Northern zone criteria — the standard that actually applies in Wisconsin, rather than the national one.
Whole-house replacement, single-opening swaps, and the structural work that sometimes comes with them.
The opening goes back to rough framing so we can inspect the sill, correct flashing, and install a properly integrated unit. What older Madison homes usually need.
New unit fits inside the existing frame. Faster and cheaper, appropriate when the frame and sill are genuinely sound.
Code-compliant basement egress for finished living space, including window well and cutting the opening where needed.
Very common on pre-1960 stock. We repair the structure before setting a new unit, rather than covering the problem with trim.
Larger openings that need structural headers and independent support. Handled under our general contracting side when framing changes.
Hail-broken glass and wind-damaged frames, documented for your insurer.
Prices are installed, per window, for standard double-hung sizes. Bays, bows, and oversized picture windows price separately.
Max U-factor, Northern zone
Wisconsin sits in the ENERGY STAR Northern climate zone, which requires a U-factor of 0.22 or lower — or 0.23–0.28 paired with an SHGC of 0.32 or higher. Plenty of windows sold as “energy efficient” meet the national standard and miss this one. Every unit we quote lists its NFRC numbers so you can check.
Most homes are a one-day job.
We measure every opening, check sills for rot, and talk through material and method.
Line-item quote naming brand, line, U-factor, and SHGC for every unit.
Custom-built to your openings. Typically 3–6 weeks, shortest in late winter.
One opening at a time, so the house is never open. Most homes finish in 1–3 days.
Interior and exterior trim, caulk, cleanup, and we register your manufacturer warranty.
We measure every opening, check sills for rot, and talk through material and method.
Line-item quote naming brand, line, U-factor, and SHGC for every unit.
Custom-built to your openings. Typically 3–6 weeks, shortest in late winter.
One opening at a time, so the house is never open. Most homes finish in 1–3 days.
Interior and exterior trim, caulk, cleanup, and we register your manufacturer warranty.
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Most Madison homes run $650 to $1,100 per window installed for vinyl, $900 to $1,600 for fiberglass, and $1,300 to $2,400 for clad wood. A typical whole-house project of 12 to 18 windows lands between $9,000 and $22,000. Full-frame replacement runs 30 to 50% more than insert replacement because the opening goes back to rough framing — but on older homes it’s frequently the only correct option.
Wisconsin is in the ENERGY STAR Northern climate zone, which requires a U-factor of 0.22 or lower with no SHGC requirement, or 0.23 to 0.28 paired with an SHGC of 0.32 or higher. Lower U-factor means better insulation. In this climate U-factor matters far more than SHGC — plenty of windows marketed as energy efficient meet the national standard and miss the Northern one, so check the NFRC label rather than the brochure.
Insert replacement keeps the existing frame and is faster and cheaper, but it only works if that frame and sill are genuinely sound, and you lose an inch or two of glass area. Full-frame takes the opening back to rough framing, which is necessary when there’s rot, when the originals are failing at the sill, or when the flashing needs correcting. On pre-1970 Madison housing stock we recommend full-frame more often than not, and we check every sill before advising either way.
Spring through fall is easiest, but window replacement runs year-round here. Crews work one opening at a time so the house is never open to the weather, and winter installs are routine. Manufacturer lead times are typically shortest in late winter, which often means a faster start date than a summer order.
It depends where the moisture is. Condensation on the room-side surface usually means indoor humidity is too high for the glass temperature — common in winter, and often fixed with better ventilation rather than different windows. Fog between the panes means the insulated glass seal has failed and the unit needs replacing, which is a manufacturer warranty claim. Frost on the frame in one corner points at an air leak at the rough opening, which is an installation issue and covered under our warranty.
If your home is in Mansion Hill, Third Lake Ridge, University Heights, Marquette Bungalows, or another designated district, street-visible window changes go through Landmarks Commission review. Material, profile, sight lines, and grille pattern all matter. We’ve been through the process and can bring options likely to be approved, but plan for extra time in the schedule.
Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s statewide utility program, periodically offers incentives on qualifying windows, and federal energy efficiency tax credits have applied to ENERGY STAR rated units in recent years. Both change from year to year, so we’ll tell you what’s actually active when we quote rather than promising a number that may have expired.
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