So, you’re thinking about renovating your home’s exterior and are looking for a contractor in San Antonio.
Maybe you’re thinking about upgrading all your home’s windows. Or maybe you’ve decided it’s time to replace your siding. Whatever exterior project you’re considering, you need to find the best contractor you can trust with your home.
Window World of Texas and Southwest Exteriors are two prominent names in the San Antonio exterior home remodeling industry. If you’re investigating both companies, you may notice they offer similar services.
So, which one will be better for you? How can you choose the right one?
You might be reading this article and wondering, “Why is this company going to compare itself to another one? How can I trust they aren’t just giving me a sales pitch to buy from them?”
We understand that when most companies talk about themselves, they want to make it seem like they are the best of the best. As a homeowner researching the best products and services for you, we know you aren’t just looking to get advertised to. You want to make the best-educated decision for you and your project. And we want that for you too.
As a San Antonio exterior remodeling contractor since 1989, all of us at Southwest Exteriors know that you need the right information to make the right choices. Our goal is to provide you with unbiased information about the home remodeling industry and the contractors that work within it. Then, you can find the right partner for your project.
Our goal is not to tell you how great our products and services are, making you feel backed into a corner.
If you’re investigating Window World and Southwest Exteriors for your project, you want to know which is better for you. You might be wondering what their key differences are and which company will provide you with the right service.
This article will provide an unbiased comparison of Window World and Southwest Exteriors. We'll look at company history, their products and services, warranties, and more.
After reading, you will better understand what each of these companies offers and if either may be right for your project.
About Window World and Southwest Exteriors
Learning a little about the history of your potential contractor is important to know if their values align with yours. Then, you will have a better idea of if you can trust them not only with your home but also on a personal level.
One important aspect to look at for a contractor is how long they have been in business locally. A contractor that has been locally established for a long time has more credibility.
So, let’s look at how each of these companies was established and what some of their histories are.
About Window World of San Antonio
Window World San Antonio was originally founded as Brickstone International in 1947. They were originally a stone and masonry siding contractor and expanded to Corpus Christi a little over a decade after its founding.
Martin and Debbie Bomba inherited the business in 2002 as third-generation owners. They expanded the business from siding to window, door, and gutter replacements. Window World today is still a family-owned and operated business for over 70 years.
About Southwest Exteriors
Southwest Exteriors was founded in San Antonio in 1989 and owned by steward Scott Barr since 1990. They first started as a window, siding, and roofing replacement contractor, later adding door replacements and industrial concrete coatings.
Southwest Exteriors’ core values are love and excellence. We strive to serve every homeowner with honesty and integrity through everything they do.
What services do Window World and Southwest Exteriors offer?
Now that you know a little bit about the history of each of these companies, you want to know if they provide the right service for you.
Here, we will break down exactly what products and services these contractors offer. Then, you will have a better idea of if they can meet your needs for your project.
What products and services does Window World of San Antonio offer?
Window World offers window, siding, door, and gutter replacements and brickstone masonry siding.
Window World Window Replacements
Window World offers almost any window type and shape you can imagine, from traditional double and single-hung to garden and bay and bow windows.
Their windows are made of high-quality vinyl and manufactured by Associated Materials Incorporated. This vinyl is made not to crack, peel, chip, or warp like some types of vinyl do.
Their windows are made to be highly energy-efficient, meet ENERGY STAR ratings, and durable. They also offer hurricane windows that are impact-resistant for Corpus Christi homeowners.
Window World Siding Replacements
Window World offers vinyl siding in four horizontal lap options ranging in board size, thickness, style, and color.
Their siding is made to help insulate and protect your home from potential fire damage, improving overall energy efficiency.
Window World Door Replacements
Window World offers entry, sliding and French patio, and storm doors. Their entry doors are made of fiberglass and can be styled to look like real wood doors without all the added maintenance required.
Their sliding patio doors are made with high-quality vinyl, and storm doors are made by a door manufacturer, Larson. French doors can also be made to mimic the look of real wood, like Window World’s entry doors.
Window World offers a variety of design options to customize your door, whether you’re looking for a traditional and classic look or want a more modern design.
Window World Gutter Replacements
Window World offers custom-fit steel, aluminum, or copper gutters for your home. Their seamless gutters provide a tight seal around your home. This protects the roofline from potential water leakage and infiltration.
They also offer gutter add-ons to help prevent leaf and debris buildup in gutters.
Window World Brickstone Masonry Siding
As the founding staple of Window World, brickstone masonry siding is a decorative, concrete-like material that can be designed to look like stone or brick.
This type of siding can be applied over almost any current siding, like wood, metal, brick, and asbestos. Masonry siding is a durable and stylish option if you’re looking for something unique and long-lasting.
What products and services does Southwest Exteriors offer?
Southwest Exteriors offers window, siding, and door replacements as well as exterior painting services and concrete coatings.
Southwest Exteriors Window Replacements
Southwest Exteriors is a window contractor, not manufacturer. They offer a variety of windows from Marvin, ProVia, Vistamark, Anlin, and Don Young. These windows are made of fiberglass, vinyl, aluminum, and clad.
Unlike Window World, Southwest Exteriors is a partner to multiple window manufacturers. They do not make their own windows. But, the windows they carry are ENERGY STAR certified, long-lasting, and highly durable.
Because of the wide variety of manufacturers Southwest Exteriors works with, there are many window collections to choose from to customize your new windows as much as you like.
Southwest Exteriors Siding Replacements
Southwest Exteriors exclusively offers James Hardie fiber cement siding replacements. James Hardie offers many siding options, like traditional horizontal lap, vertical board and batten, and stucco.
Hardie also offers fiber cement soffit, fascia, and trim for your siding replacements. This type of siding is highly durable, long-lasting, and is a lifelong solution for your home.
Southwest Exteriors Door Replacements
Southwest Exteriors offers entry, patio, and sliding patio and French doors for your home. Entry doors are made of fiberglass from ProVia, and patio doors are fiberglass, vinyl, and clad, made by Marvin and Anlin.
Each door type is highly customizable to fit any style, durable, and weather-resistant.
Southwest Exteriors Exterior Painting
Exterior painting services are included in Southwest Exteriors James Hardie siding replacements. But, you can also have your home painted without replacing your siding.
They use Sherwin-Williams Loxon primer and paint that is made not to chip, peel, or fade.
Southwest Exteriors Concrete Floor Coating
The final service Southwest Exteriors offers is a concrete coating using a polyurea and polyaspartic concrete coating from Penntek Industrial Coatings. The coatings they offer include a colored vinyl chip blend that you can customize to any blend of colors you like.
You can also customize a pattern or logo with your concrete coating. This service can be used on nearly any concrete surface, like garage floors, pool decks, outdoor patios, or even industrial-sized kitchens and bathrooms.
Overall, how do the services compare?
Now that you know what services Window World and Southwest Exteriors offer, you can see how they differ and which is more aligned with your goals.
Both companies offer similar services in window, siding, and door replacements. The main difference in those services is the material of the products. Both contractors’ products are manufactured by an outside manufacturer. However, Window World’s windows are made by Associated Materials Incorporated. Southwest Exteriors works with different manufacturers, like Marvin, ProVia, and James Hardie, for their windows, siding, and doors.
As a consumer, it is important to look at the manufacturers a contractor works with to know if that manufacturer offers the right product for you. For example, if you want a window or door that you can customize every aspect of, then you will need to work with a contractor that partners with a manufacturer that specializes in custom orders.
If you are looking for one of these three services, consider what type of material you want for your new product. Researching different material types for windows, siding, and doors will help you determine the overall durability of that material, design capabilities, and how long it will last.
Finding the right product for you can be tough. But, research is the best thing you can do to learn about all your options and choose the right product for you.
What kind of warranty do Window World and Southwest Exteriors offer?
Understanding the warranty a contractor offers will tell you how long they will cover their services and how long they are made to last.
For instance, if a contractor only offers a 10-year warranty on their installation and products, this is an indicator that their products are not made to last more than 10 years.
So, let’s compare Window World and Southwest Exteriors’ warranty to better understand which contractor will meet your needs better.
What is Window World of San Antonio’s warranty?
Window World offers a limited lifetime warranty for product parts and labor. A limited lifetime warranty means there are certain restrictions that fall under warranty.
For example, caulking around windows is not included under warranty. Window world outlines it is the homeowner’s responsibility. Acts of God, which can include tornadoes, hail, or other uncontrollable elements, are also not included in the warranty.
Window World will provide a replacement part at no cost if any damages occur to the frames, glass, or mechanical parts.
The warranty is transferable from the original purchaser to the next homeowner if you decide to sell your home.
What is Southwest Exteriors’ warranty?
Because Southwest Exteriors is a contractor, not manufacturer, their warranty covers their work.
Southwest Exteriors provides a lifetime warranty for as long as you own your home.
This warranty covers any problems that may have arisen from installation, product damages, or product defects. Even if the manufacturer warranty has expired, Southwest Exteriors will still cover all new products, installation, and labor costs.
How do the warranties compare?
Window World and Southwest Exteriors’ warranties are similar yet different in their coverage. Window World offers a true limited lifetime warranty, with some limitations to the coverage.
Southwest Exteriors provides coverage for product, installation, and labor for a lifetime, even if the product’s warranty has expired.
While both offer lifetime warranties, Window World is a manufacturer and contractor warranty in one. Their warranty covers the products, installation, and labor under certain conditions. Southwest Exteriors’ warranty covers products, labor, and installation for a lifetime.
When comparing different companies’ warranties, consider your goals for your home and your project. Even if a contractor offers a lifetime warranty, defining that lifetime is important. Does it mean your lifetime or the lifetime of the product?
We briefly covered each company's warranties, but it’s important you receive and understand all the details of a contractor’s warranty before you decide to work with them.
What do real customers say about Window World and Southwest Exteriors?
Online reviews of a contractor can tell you a lot about their services and how they work with their clients.
What kind of reviews does Window World have?
Window World of San Antonio has an overall Google rating of 4.6 stars out of 543 Google Reviews.
They also have a 2.5-star rating of 33 recommended Yelp reviews.
What kind of reviews does Southwest Exteriors have?
Southwest Exteriors has an overall Google rating of 4.9 stars out of 850 Google Reviews.
They also have a 4-star rating of 31 recommended Yelp reviews.
How do they compare in reviews?
Southwest Exteriors has a higher Google and Yelp rating than Window World, though both have many testimonials to back their work.
Reading real reviews of a company you’re considering working with is crucial to your research. They can give you an honest idea of how homeowners like you experienced working with them. Then, you will know if they provide the right service for you and if they will treat you like you want them to.
Why are Window World windows so cheap?
With more than 200 locations, Window World is the largest window franchise in the US. Their size means they buy a lot of windows from their manufacturer, leading to lower unit costs. Besides the Window World name, which is very valuable, franchisees are attracted to Window World because they can offer lower-priced windows than most independent dealers.
Window World of San Antonio vs. Southwest Exteriors: Which is better for me?
After comparing Window World and Southwest Exteriors in their products and services, warranties, and reviews, you have a better idea of what each company has to offer and if they will meet your needs for your project.
Both companies offer window, siding, and door replacements. Window World offers gutter replacement and brickstone masonry siding. Southwest Exteriors offers exterior painting and concrete coating.
Although their services are similar, the products each company offers are different. So, if you’re considering either of these contractors for your project, research and think about what type of window, siding, or door products you want.
Do you want vinyl windows or the option of fiberglass, aluminum, and clad as well? Do you want vinyl or fiber cement siding? Looking at the details of the products will help you compare these companies and decide which is better for your project.
With Southwest Exteriors, serving you with love and excellence is our number one priority. We want to provide you with the highest quality products and installation and take care of you.
When you work with us, you build a lifelong relationship that we will never abandon.
While we would love to be the right contractor for your project, we know that we are not the perfect fit for everyone. We just want to help guide you to the right products and services for you so that you can be 100% satisfied in the end.
Are you ready to start your next project with Southwest Exteriors? Schedule your free, in-home consultation by filling out this form on our web page. We can’t wait to work with you!