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Home : Replacement Windows Comparisons : Renewal By Andersen vs Pella
Renewal By Andersen vs Pella
How do Renewal By Andersen vs Pella stack up? Compare these two window titan on structure, products, marketing, and cost.
Bottom Line: These two companies are in direct competition with one another, although they don't sell the same material - a rare situation in the industry. Both companies do go after a higher end homeowner who has the money to invest heavily in their windows. Plus, both of these companies are in nearly all major markets so they bump up against one another quite frequently. Renewal sells a single window, while Pella has a fleet of options.
Dane - Site Editor
Page Last Updated: March 1, 2024
Please note, our website is not affiliated with either of these companies.
"Renewal is a franchised business, while Pella is not. RbA sells composite windows, while Pella sells everything but composite frames. Both of these companies do tend to be quite expensive though.""
Renewal Costs: $$$$$
(5 out of 5)
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dane@replacementwindowsreviews.co
Renewal By Andersen vs Pella
Company Information
Renewal by Andersen is a franchise of the corporation known as Anderson Windows & Doors. The thing to know about a franchise is that each branch in each different location is owned by a separate owner. This is a good business structure for Anderson corporation, because they make a profit from each franchisee. They also make some percentage of profit off of the window itself (the franchisee can only sell the Renewal fibrex window series).
Renewal is quite different than the Anderson fibrex window that you see in the big box stores like Home Depot. The Renewal is an upper end, and very expensive, composite window series.
Renewal By Andersen Reviews
Pella Windows & Doors is very different than Renewal by Andersen in terms of its company structure; it is much more similar to the Anderson corporation itself. Pella is based out of Pella, Iowa and employs some eight to ten thousand individuals in it’s plants, admin centers, etc. The company is possibly the most known brand in the window industry, with the possible exception of Anderson itself. Pella has been around for nearly 100 years and is known most closely for its high end, wood windows, which are quite expensive - so it does share this in common with Renewal :)
Pella Windows Reviews
What They Sell
Renewal by Andersen sells a single window, which is the fibrex composite window. Pretty easy, right? In essence, this is a souped up version of the Anderson 100 composite window, which can be found in nearly every Home Depot store across America. The Renewal frame is beefier than the 100, and comes standard with a better glass package, components, and hardware. In addition, homeowners can upgrade further from the standard options if they can afford the price tag. In some sense, Renewal by Andersen is one the easiest companies to explain exactly what it is they sell.
Pella sells a pretty big number of windows&doors. Their most popular series is the 250 series, which is a vinyl window that is sold in many of the Lowe’s home-improvement stores. In terms of vinyl, they also sell the 150 series and the 350 series. O On the fiberglass front, Pella sells the Impervia series, which I tend to believe is a pretty subpar fiberglass option. Not nearly as good as that which is sold by Marvin, Inline, and Alpen. (Read all of our Marvin Elevate reviews here.)
Finally, Pella sells several models of wood clad windows. They sell the Lifestyle, Designer, and Architect series. All of these are well-made windows that are quite expensive and require quite a bit of maintenance over the years.
How They Market
Renewal by Andersen markets their fibrex windows using direct to consumers methods - television ads, flyers and mailers that come directly to your home. Customers call then up Renewal based on name recognition, and they come out and they give you a bid on their window series. (Read Universal Windows Direct reviews to see how another direct to consumer company works.)
This approach differs from many other window companies that use regional or nationwide dealer networks to sell their products. Each Renewal branch or franchisee is responsible for selling in their local market. It’s pretty straightforward, however, they do sell at a significantly higher price point than most other window sellers.
Pella markets their products in a very similar way to the Anderson corporation. They sell through the big box stores, as well as by selling to larger builders and individual contractors who have access to their lines of products. Their higher end fiberglass and wood windows are sold mostly through an extensive dealer network, that is available in all of the contiguous United States. In this way, Pella windows are available in all sorts of places and locales.
Cost Comparison
Renewal by Andersen prices, are without a doubt, the most expensive composite window on the market. Most consumers should expect to pay anywhere from $1600 - $2500 for a standard size double hung fully installed window. This is considerably more expensive than what I consider to be the best composite window on the market in the Okna Starmark windows that will cost more like $1200 - $1400 fully installed.
One of the reasons why Renewal costs are so high is that the company spends quite a bit on its marketing, which is an expensive overhead. Another reason is that because they’re a franchise, they have to give a portion of their profits to Anderson, which means their margins are considerably less, and they often pass this cost onto the consumer. Finally the name Anderson is well now in the window industry and amongst most consumers, and therefore they can charge a premium for this brand name.
Pella windows prices are also amongst some of the most expensive in the industry. However, I would say that this applies really only to their wood windows and fiberglass windows series. Their vinyl windows, especially the 250, is more in the upper middle range for vinyl window costs. So for instance, that Pella 250 is usually priced in that $700- $800 per window fully installed range.
There is a reason why their wood windows are so expensive and that is because they are actually a very high-quality product and just like with Anderson you will pay a premium for the Pella name. At the right price point, I think these are a good investment if you really need wood windows. I’ve said this time and time again, but it bears repeating, wood clad windows are problematic in terms of how long they typically last. For me, a top-tier vinyl window makes a lot more sense for 80% of US households.
Have a question on Renewal By Andersen vs Pella? Hit me up. dane@replacementwindowsreviews.co
Pella vs Renewal By Andersen
Dane, are you still open to reviewing quotes and giving me your thoughts? I received one from Pella last night and will have another from Renewal By Anderson tonight or tomorrow. I haven't looked at the others options that you sent me a few months. I wanted to stay with the big players in the area (Baltimore, MD) for long-term warranty viability. I can see if those companies are in the area.
Alan - Homeowner - from 2024
[Site Editor's Answer]
Alan, Ideal and Okna are definitely in that area - ( Ideal Windows Reviews )
Warranties can be tricky business - in 18 years is the company selling the Pella going to replace all of your windows for free because there is condensation between the glass - are you going to be in your same home for the next 18 years - they will not be covering the labor cost to pull them and replace them, which is roughly 35% of the total cost of the job - will that local company even be around - my cynical side always comes out when it comes to warranties.
I personally think it's best to buy a very high quality product and hope that you never need the warranty... ( Okna Windows Reviews )
Ideal and Okna will come with a lifetime warranty as well - but they are much better than the Renewal or the Pella 250 series (a look at the performance data and air infiltration ratings will tell the story).
Dane - Site Editor - from 2024
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