Why Two Quotes Differ So Much

Interior included or not

This is the single largest source of difference. Exterior-only is far quicker than interior and exterior, and a quote that seems dramatically cheaper is very often exterior only. Comparing them as though they are the same job is comparing two different purchases.

How the glass is counted

Pricing by pane count is the honest method, because pane count is what drives time. A house with divided lights or grids takes far longer than the same glass area in large fixed panels. A company quoting by house size rather than pane count is either guessing or building in a margin for guessing wrong.

Screens, tracks and sills

Screens add real time because each one is removed, cleaned and refitted. Tracks add more. If one quote includes them and another does not, the numbers are not comparable. Screens with Reflekt are $50 on top of a window service.

Insurance, employees and the things you cannot see

A company carrying genuine liability cover and paying employees properly has a cost floor that an uninsured operator working alone does not. That gap shows up in the price and it is what you are buying when something goes wrong. It is a legitimate difference rather than padding.

Hard water and first cleans

If glass has mineral deposit or a new build still carries construction residue, that is separate work quoted by severity, not a normal clean. A company that spots it will price it. A company that misses it will underquote and either rush the work or ask for more later.