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I’d like to support local and there’s 3 companies nearby that offer custom made vinyl windows. They all seem to be >30 year old companies, which I respect a lot.

I did a ton of research it seems like 2 out of 3 of the companies build windows using a system by Quantex and/or Chelsea Building Products, but it seems like hundreds of companies build windows using this system and all of those companies use different brand names for their windows. It’s very hard to research the quality of these windows. It seems that most custom window shops use premade plastic extrusions or wood profiles and just cut/assemble like a custom art framing shop does, so I’m less worried about who engineered the windows, but I am worried about the quality. Who else is buying from them if they’re this uncommon? Are they white label manufacturers for other brands?

I’ve read that a lot of the home store windows aren’t great, and I know local lumber yards can order “better” national brands, but I’m at a loss on how this industry functions and who’s making what quality. There’s no readily available information on alternatives to these brands, most of the docs I’ve found are aimed at high rise architects, not small residential.

What would you look into for the local window companies? Any reason I should or should not go with a “no name” versus a national brand?