PB Exclusive Research: Window and Door Preferences

One difference between the current Professional Builder Windows and Doors survey results and those from last year’s survey is that more builders and architects who sell window upgrades reported that they sold better and best options to more than half of their customers, compared with just 17.4 percent of respondents last year who reported that the majority of their clients bought upgrades. That outcome may be a result of the 2018 poll being skewed toward custom builders, who were outnumbered last year by production home builders and diversified builders/remodelers. 

More than a third of survey participants are specifying one to four more windows per project compared with three years ago, while 53.9 percent indicated that the number of windows per home stayed about the same. That number ranged from 10 to 15 windows for the largest group of respondents (27.2 percent), and 16 to 20 windows for almost a quarter of the survey. Nearly 40 percent stated that the average window unit size specified and installed for their homes today is larger than in the past three years, reflecting a homebuyer preference for letting in more natural light and maximizing outdoor views. The picture/fixed window is again the most popular type, followed by the double-hung.

When selecting doors, manufacturer reputation was the all-important consideration for 61 percent of survey participants. In contrast, less than 18 percent of respondents noted that manufacturer brand matters when selecting windows. 

More findings about window and door selections are in the charts that follow.