We hear this question all the time, and it makes perfect sense that you’re asking it. You’ve seen our windows. You know the Andersen name. And you’re wondering why you can’t just walk into a store and pick some up.
The short answer: no, you won’t find Renewal by Andersen windows at Home Depot, Lowes, or any retail store. We sell directly to homeowners because every window we make is custom-built for your specific home and installed by our own trained crews. There’s no stock product to put on a shelf.
But the Andersen name does show up at Home Depot, and that’s where the confusion starts. Our parent company, Andersen Corporation, sells a separate line of retail windows through Home Depot. Similar name, same family of companies, very different products and buying experiences.
If you’ve been comparing options and trying to figure out what’s what, you’re in the right place. We’d rather give you a straight, clear answer than leave you guessing in a store aisle. Let’s walk through the differences so you can decide which path is right for your home.
Andersen Corporation has been making windows since 1903. Over the decades, the company grew into two distinct brands that serve homeowners in different ways.
Andersen Windows (the parent brand) makes windows for construction, renovation, and replacement projects, sold through retail stores, lumber yards, and independent dealers across the country. If you’re building a new home, replacing windows yourself, or your contractor is handling a remodel, these are the Andersen products you’d be working with.
Renewal by Andersen is the replacement window division. We do one thing: replace the windows in existing homes. We handle every step ourselves, from the design consultation in your living room to the custom manufacturing of your windows to the final installation by our own Certified Master Installers. We call this our Signature Service process, and it’s designed so you never have to coordinate between multiple companies or wonder who’s responsible when you need support.
Think of it like this: Andersen Windows are built for projects where a contractor is already managing the work. Renewal by Andersen exists for homeowners who want one company to own the entire experience, start to finish.
Home Depot has been Andersen’s exclusive big-box retail partner since 2002. They carry the full range of Andersen product lines, organized by tier.
These are quality windows. They carry the Andersen name for good reason, and for new construction or contractor-managed renovation projects, they’re a strong choice.
What they aren’t designed for is the full replacement window experience that we provide: custom measurement of your existing openings, manufacturing to those precise dimensions, professional removal of your old windows, and expert installation backed by a single-source warranty. Purchasing Andersen windows through Home Depot means buying the product alone. Installation requires a separate agreement with third-party installers from Home Depot’s network, resulting in separate warranties from the manufacturer and the installer. This distinction often becomes crucial only after an issue arises.
Lowes doesn’t carry any Andersen products. Their premium brand is Pella, and they also stock JELD-WEN, United Window & Door, and their own store brands ReliaBilt and Project Source.
If you’re browsing Lowes for replacement windows, you’ll find good options from those brands. Pella in particular has a long track record in the industry. But if you’re specifically looking for the Andersen name or our Fibrex® material, Home Depot is the only big-box store that carries them. And of course, neither store carries our Renewal by Andersen replacement windows for the reasons we’ll get into next.
We designed our process around a simple idea: your replacement windows should fit your home perfectly, and the company that makes them should be the same company that installs them.
That starts with custom manufacturing. We don’t make standard-size windows and hope they’re close enough. One of our technicians comes to your home and measures every opening precisely. Those exact measurements go to our manufacturing facility, and your windows are crafted to fit. A window that’s built for your home can’t sit on a shelf at a store because it doesn’t exist until you order it.
Our windows are made exclusively from Fibrex®, a proprietary composite that blends 40% reclaimed wood fiber with 60% thermoplastic polymer. It’s twice as strong as vinyl, won’t rot or corrode, and holds its shape through decades of temperature swings. It also insulates 700 times better than aluminum, which translates to real energy performance in your home year-round. We built our entire installation process around the specific properties of this material, from how it expands and contracts to how it seals against moisture. Our Certified Master Installers go through specialized training in building codes, thermal performance, and the techniques that make Fibrex® perform at its best over the long haul.
And because we manufacture the window and install it ourselves, we back everything with one warranty: 20 years on glass and Fibrex® material, 10 years on hardware, and 2 years on installation labor. If something needs attention, you call us. There’s no back-and-forth between a manufacturer and a separate installer trying to determine whose responsibility it is. That warranty is transferable to the next homeowner too, which adds real value if you ever sell your home.
This is also why we can’t sell our windows for DIY installation or through third-party installers. Our warranty depends on our own Certified Master Installers doing the work, using our techniques, with our materials. Every piece of the process supports the others. Take one out, and the whole promise changes.
Here’s a straightforward look at what each path involves:
| Home Depot (Andersen Windows) | Renewal by Andersen | |
|---|---|---|
| How you buy | Walk in, browse, order online or in-store | In-home design consultation |
| Sizing | Standard sizes with some custom options | Every window custom-measured and manufactured |
| Frame materials | Fibrex®, wood, vinyl-clad, fiberglass, aluminum (varies by series) | Fibrex® exclusively |
| Price per window (installed) | $1,500 to $5,000 depending on series | $2,000 to $5,000+ |
| Who installs | Third-party installers coordinated by Home Depot | Our own Certified Master Installers |
| Warranty | Varies; roughly 10 years combined product + installation | 20 years glass/material, 10 years hardware, 2 years labor |
| DIY option | Yes | No |
We know the pricing difference stands out. We’re not going to sidestep that. Our windows cost more than retail options, and there are real reasons for it: custom manufacturing, a team of Certified Master Installers that specializes in one material, and a warranty structure that keeps one company accountable for everything.
The value of that premium depends on your home. If your window openings are all standard sizes and you have a contractor you trust, you may not need custom manufacturing. But for homes with non-standard openings, bay or bow windows, older frames, or unique architectural details, custom sizing is the difference between a window that performs beautifully for decades and one that never quite seals right.
One thing worth knowing: the Andersen 100 Series at Home Depot offers great value. Where the products diverge is in how they’re sized, installed, and supported after the sale. If you want precise fit, professional installation by our own team of Certified Master Installers, and a single-source warranty, that’s where our Renewal By Andersen Signature Service earns the difference.
We’re not here to tell you retail windows are a bad choice. For plenty of homes and situations, they work well. Here’s how to think about it.
Renewal By Andersen Signature Service is designed for homeowners who want the simplest, most worry-free replacement experience possible. You want one company measuring, manufacturing, installing, and standing behind the work. You have openings that aren’t perfectly standard, or you’d rather not coordinate between a retailer and independent installers. You value knowing that the Certified Master Installers putting in your windows are trained specifically in the product they’re installing.
Our in-home consultation typically takes about two hours. Your Design Consultant will measure your windows, show you material and style options in your own home where you can see how they’d look, and give you a complete price for your project. Everything is included in that number: manufacturing, installation, old window removal, cleanup, and warranty coverage. No surprises, no hidden costs, no separate installation quote to chase down later.
The Home Depot route might make more sense if your windows are standard sizes, you already have great installers lined up, or budget flexibility is the biggest factor in your decision. Buying retail and hiring your own installers gives you more control over each piece of the project, and for straightforward replacements in standard openings, that approach can work well.
A few things to consider either way.
Look at the total project cost, not just the per-window price. With retail, your total includes windows, delivery, installation labor, old window removal and disposal, and any trim or finishing work. Those costs add up. We include everything in one number, so you’ll always know the full picture before you commit.
Check installation reviews for your specific area. Big-box installation quality varies, because both Home Depot and Lowes use networks of subcontracted local crews. Some are terrific. Some aren’t. Because our Certified Master Installers are specially trained for this role, homeowners tend to see more consistent quality from project to project.
Think about what happens after installation day. A split warranty, where the manufacturer covers the product and a separate company covers the labor, can become complicated if something goes wrong. Who do you call when a seal fails? Is it a product defect or an installation issue? With a split warranty, that question can go back and forth. Our single-source warranty means one phone call, one company, one resolution.
Consider your home’s specific needs. Not every home is the same, and that’s actually the whole reason our approach exists. Older homes with settled frames, openings that have shifted over the years, unusual window shapes, bay or bow configurations: these are projects where precision measurement and custom manufacturing make the biggest difference in long-term performance. If your home is newer with standard openings throughout, the stakes are lower, and a retail option may serve you just fine.
You won’t find our windows at Home Depot or Lowes, and now you know why. The way we build, install, and stand behind our windows simply doesn’t translate to a retail shelf.
But the best way to understand the difference isn’t reading about it. It’s seeing it in your own home. During your free, no-obligation consultation, we’ll measure your windows, walk you through every option for your specific situation, and give you a clear, complete price for your project. There’s no pressure and no commitment required.
Schedule your free consultation and find out exactly what our team at Renewal by Andersen can do for your home.
