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§ Sheet LP / 06 · For Houston, TX window contractors

Houston, TX
WINDOWS ESTIMATING.

Houston window contractors: go from site walkthrough to sendable bid in 8 minutes. AR measurements, local cost data, $0 platform fee on Pro+.
§ Houston fast facts

QUICK ANSWERS.

Do Houston window contractors need a license to pull permits?

Texas does not issue a statewide window contractor license. However, the City of Houston requires work to be performed by or under a registered General Contractor or a licensed specialty contractor where structural modifications are involved. For like-for-like replacement window projects, an owner-builder or unlicensed contractor may pull the permit, but commercial projects and structural opening changes require a licensed contractor of record. Always verify current requirements with the City of Houston Permit Center at 832-394-8801.

§ Built for Houston

LOCAL FACTS.

AVG WINDOW INSTALLER LABOR RATE – HOUSTON METRO.

Window installation labor in the Houston MSA runs approximately $38–$55 per hour for journeyman-level installers, based on 2024 BLS Occupational Employment data for glaziers and construction trade workers in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro area.

CITY OF HOUSTON WINDOW PERMIT FEE (RESIDENTIAL REPLACEMENT).

The City of Houston charges a base mechanical/building permit fee starting at $75 for residential window replacements; projects exceeding $5,000 in declared value escalate on a sliding scale under Houston Code of Ordinances Chapter 10. Permit required for structural opening modifications; like-for-like replacements in the same opening may qualify for an administrative review at reduced fee.

TDI WINDSTORM CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT FOR HOUSTON-AREA COUNTIES.

Harris County is not a TDI designated catastrophe area for windstorm certification, but Galveston, Brazoria, and Chambers counties — common Houston-area job sites — are. Window products installed in those counties on insured structures must meet Texas Department of Insurance windstorm certification standards, requiring DP-rated and impact-rated units per TEX. INS. CODE §2210.

HOUSTON WINDOW REPLACEMENT DEMAND SEASONALITY.

Post-hurricane and post-hail storm demand spikes are the dominant seasonality driver in Houston. The Atlantic hurricane season (June–November) and spring hail season (March–May) generate the highest inbound inquiry volume for window contractors. Contractors who can turn quotes same-day after a storm event capture disproportionate market share during these windows.

§ Why windows pros in Houston use Estimate.Pro

THE BID ENGINE.

## Window Estimating in Houston Moves Fast — Your Bids Should Too Houston's housing stock spans 1940s pier-and-beam bungalows in the Heights, mid-century ranch homes in Meyerland, and post-Harvey rebuilds across Friendswood and Pearland. Every one of those jobs has a different opening count, different frame condition, and a homeowner who has already gotten two other quotes before you knocked. If you're still building estimates on a spreadsheet or writing line items by hand, you're losing bids to contractors who can price faster — not better, just faster. Estimate.Pro closes that gap. The median time from walkthrough to a sendable bid is 8 minutes. --- ## What Makes Window Estimating Different in Houston **Hurricane and wind-load specs drive material selection.** Houston sits in the Gulf Coast wind zone. Many replacement projects — especially post-storm work — require windows rated to AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440 and impact-resistant glazing per the Texas Department of Insurance Windstorm certification requirements for TDI-designated areas. Your estimate needs to call out the correct DP rating and glazing spec, not just the SKU. Estimate.Pro lets you build material cost workspaces that store those specs alongside your supplier pricing, so the right product hits the line item automatically. **Energy code shapes product choices.** Texas follows IECC 2021 for new construction in Houston's Climate Zone 2A. For replacement windows, that means U-factor ≤ 0.30 and SHGC ≤ 0.25 in many jurisdictions. When a customer asks why their quote specifies low-e triple pane instead of standard dual pane, you need a scope-of-work that explains it — not a note in the margin. The AI-generated scope in Estimate.Pro includes those code references in plain language the homeowner can read and the inspector can verify. **Opening conditions vary by neighborhood age.** A 1960s Memorial home may have wood-framed pocket openings that need shimming and extensive exterior trim work. A 2010s Katy build likely uses a standard nail-fin opening. AR-assisted measurement on supported devices captures rough opening dimensions on-site, flagged as estimates when taken by camera or photo. You stop guessing at the office and start pricing what's actually there. --- ## How Estimate.Pro Works for Houston Window Contractors **1. Walkthrough** Open the app on-site. Use AR measurement on supported devices to capture opening widths and heights. Log frame condition, interior and exterior trim requirements, and any structural concerns. **2. AI Scope-of-Work** The app drafts a scope that includes removal and disposal of existing units, rough opening prep, flashing and weatherproofing, window installation, interior and exterior trim, and caulking. Code references — IECC 2021, AAMA ratings, TDI windstorm specs where applicable — are included. **3. Priced Estimate** Your saved material cost workspace pulls your supplier pricing for the specified window line. Labor rates reflect what you've built in. The estimate is ready to send in PDF or through Stripe Connect (Elite tier) in 8 minutes or less. --- ## Pricing That Fits Where You Are - **Free tier** — no credit card, no expiration. Enough to run real estimates on real jobs. - **Pro — $39/seat/month** — full AI scope, saved cost workspaces, AR measurement. - **Elite — $79/seat/month** — Stripe Connect invoicing, invoice exports, advanced workflows. Platform fee drops to 0%. - **Crew — $399/month flat** — one price for the whole operation, regardless of seat count. On the Free tier, Stripe Connect carries a 3% platform fee. On Pro+, that fee is $0. --- ## Built for the Trades, Not Built for an Office Estimate.Pro supports 25 trades. Window contractors are one of them — not an afterthought, not a generic construction template with a window label on it. The line items, the code references, the scope language, and the measurement workflow are specific to replacement and new-construction window work. If you're running a two-truck crew in Cypress or a 12-person shop bidding commercial storefronts in Greenway Plaza, the math is the same: faster, more accurate bids mean more jobs priced and more jobs won. Start free. No credit card. See the 8-minute estimate for yourself.
§ Equip the crew

Bid faster in Houston.

14-day Pro trial, no card. Free forever fallback. Built for window contractors.