This is hard to say without knowing the exact details. If. I was the contractor I would offer a very good discount, otherwise I am eating the total cost of the window and time delay. Ultimately it is up to you.

It is his or the manufacturer fail so they would definitely be eating the cost. It wouldn’t cost us anything. What other details you need?

Typically if it was the manufacturers fault they would offer a discount to whom they sold the window to. Fir example, the last time my manufacturer messed up the gave me 50% discount on the windows and I offered this discount to my client and they accepted.

In your case it does not matter who’s fault it is , the contractor is responsible IMO. Details to consider is how they windows are going to look inside and out. If they are retrofitted windows they will need wider trim or accessory trim to fill the gap, if it is new new construction all they need to is fur out the opening.

Thats a good point cause we were not doing any work on the inside but they will have to if they are reframing it, right?!

It is not a new construction btw

Reading into your replies, it seems you know little about construction. This would make it hard to determine that the replacements/extra work is being done correctly. So - wait for the proper sized windows.

In as much as this is a factor in your decision, I truly don't think anyone will know that the windows on the front are an inch smaller than the windows on the other faces of the house, as long as it's *ALL* the front windows. I can't speak to the waterproofing issues, though.

If this is not new construction they need to fill the void either with stop extensions or a trim piece that fits into accessory grove on the window. They should be able to convey these differences to you so you complete understand what you are getting. The whole reason you are here is because they failed IMO. I would. Just ask them to be correctly sized if they can’t do this and offer a fairly good discount. You cod ask them to do one window and then decide.

Sammie J, you are correct. I know very little about it. Im a new home owner that understands nothing about construction. And that is actually my concern that he would do something to ‘fix’ it and say it is okay and I would not know if it is truly done correctly.

This is really hard to comment on without more detail. Can windows that are undersized by 1" be installed properly, air and water tight? Certainly. Frankly, that breaks down to only 1/2" per side, many people wouldn't even notice. That said, the matter of how and why it happened, along with how exactly they plan to fix are all very important here.

It could be as simple as a taller interior stop and exterior cladding that is 1/2" wider on each side, either on the face or stepped. If this is only the height and not the width, that could be solved even more easily with a head expander.

You might consider having him mock up one window to show you how it would look so you can decide. If you are able to get any additional details or pictures that would be helpful.

This could range from a simple solution if you are dealing with a skilled professional company that is passing along accurate info, to being a total nightmare if the guy is a hack and potentially understating the size discrepancy.

how possible is it to get the proper windows? I'm finding that due to the pandemic, so many things are out of stock indefinitely. so, two questions: how long will you have to wait? will you be able to wait that long?

as far as looks go, I think that building out the casing to be smaller might make the frame look bulkier. can you see front and side windows at the same time? (like, when you're in a corner room?) that would not be ok with me.

I would want the windows to match what I had, and the ones that are not being changed. I would wait, however long it takes. Why should you have to deal with something that isnt right, because, he ordered the wrong ones.

I ran into something similar yesterday. My installers called to tell me the custom sink I approved is too big and will not fit in the cabinet. My mistake, apparently I have a touch of dyslexia.

I ordered the correct sink, apologized to the customer, and sold the wrong sink to a think-about-it customer for a 20% discount.

Something tells me I'm going to have a much easier time finding a home for my mistakes than your contractor, but that's irrelevant. We have to eat them without complaint.