How much off are you from your budget if you go with the more expensive windows? Are you within your +/- 10% of construction costs? If so, I'd be inclined to bite the bullet and go with the triple paned windows. Montana winters are no joke.

Shoot me, but 15 or 20 k over budget, for windows that should withstand the LIFE of the house you pray, over the possibility of unhappiness or replacement? No contest, Bite the bullet. I would do the Pella.

Hi Jeff,

Yeah, in the scheme of the cost of a brand new house build, $15-20K is not a lot of money. I don't mean to make light of this, but even in Montana the cost of a new home is not insignificant. Pay for the better windows and have the peace of mind your home will survive the winters up there.

When we built we faced the same issue,. We decided to spring for better Windows and we have never regretted it.

The advice given here already is good. I have a mix of Marvin Integrity wood-Ultrex and Marvin Ultimates. Very happy with both, but they are pricey. I'd avoid Pella no matter what - you couldn't PAY me to have Pellas in my home - they are what I replaced with the Marvins.

I agree wholeheartedly with the concept of not skimping on windows, however the specific recommendation of that builder may be a little misguided IMO. We replace Pella's in age range of 10 years +/- on a regular basis for one. Secondly, vinyl is not a bad choice based on performance or durability. In fact, a high end vinyl product would be an excellent choice in that regard as thermal and structural performance ratings would indicate, HOWEVER, that just may not fit the look that you are going for with all of the wood in the home. I'd suggest something with a stainable interior to keep the theme. The Marvin Integrity with wood interior would be a nice choice, in fact I think that would be a really good fit. It's one of the more durable products on the market with a real wood interior. The Provia Aeris would be worth consideration as well. Both windows are primarily constructed of fiberglass and vinyl respectively, with a wood veneer (actual wood 1/4 to 1/2", not contact paper) on the interior side. Both would typically be priced more reasonably than that Designer series and by a fair margin. Lastly, I believe that triple pane is well worth the cost in colder climates as well. Definitely worthy consideration if the product that you choose has it available.

That would be my experience, yes... At least the Pella to be sure. The Pella Impervia is more of a competitor for the Integrity whereas the Designer is closer to the Marvin Ultimate. ..I have not priced a 400 in a while so not sure on that one.

We have Renewal by Anderson. Ours our double hung, but single hung would be cheaper. It is vinyl on the outside and wood on the inside. And we stained them to match. Easy peasy.

"Renewal by Anderson", "It is vinyl on the outside"

Fibrex (wood pulp and glue), not vinyl.

Ooops. Sorry. Fibrex. Whatever it is, Renewal by Andersen windows have lasted for many years. We got ours in about 2000 after the Marvin wood windows failed miserably and rotted several of the window frames and wall studs.

In my limited experience, I would never again sacrifice function over aesthetics.