Decided on Gorell

I've chosen to go with Gorell 5305 windows. They were about twice as much as the Silverline, but I decided to just bite the bullet and go with higher quality window.

Thank you to all who gave their input.

That is a good choice, they will serve you well... Which glass package did you get?

ACMaster

Good window and choice.

Keep us updated as the project progresses.

It's been two weeks since I signed the contract. They told me it would take 4-5 weeks, and I am getting impatient to see what the windows will look like in my home. (I am getting new blinds, and can't have them come out to measure until the windows are in. Then that will take 4 weeks to manufacture, so I want the windows in asap.)
Two of my windows had to have tempered glass as they are next to my hot tub. Could the tempered glass cause the timeline to go closer to 5 weeks than 4 weeks?

Yes, most definitely. Tempered glass does add to the lead time in most cases.

Thanks for the information. They didn't cash my deposit check for 10 days after I signed the contract, which makes me think that they didn't order the windows until then. I was told that the owner of the company double checks the order, and I think they were filing a permit. I was really hoping to get this all done by Thanksgiving, but I think they will be installed after that. I am too impatient.

All the above you just wrote would be a comfort to me as a consumer. The company is definitely not in financial straights as they didn't run to the bank to cash the check. Don't get me wrong, if they did cash the check the same day that doesn't mean anything is wrong at all, but the fact they waited 10 days does show they are not in desperate need of cash. That can be a comfort to homeowners who are hiring a contractor they had never heard of two weeks before that.

They are also crossing the t's and dotting the i's with the city/county before getting ahead of themselves on the order. Getting the permit checks to make sure they can install the type windows they sold you and the type of installation they sold you as well. This is important especially in places the company hasn't worked in for a while or at all.

I myself have a village in the far north Chicago suburbs that I make sure I have the permit before I ever order the windows. If the inspector in this city finds out you have already ordered the windows he'll demand that you are doing a full frame installation and he'll say he hopes you ordered the windows bigger to accommodate the full frame installation. He will also require two inspections to make sure you are doing the full frame installation. If I go in and say I just sold the job and am getting the permit to make sure I'm complying with all the village rules, then it's alright with him to do an insert window and he doesn't require any inspections. He tried that on me the first time I did business in that village. Since I hadn't submitted my company's name to him yet in any documents, I sent my partner in the next day and my partner told him he had just sold a window job and was there to see what was required for permitting. That got us out of the full frame replacement and the job sailed through.
Relax, let the process play out and enjoy your new windows when they are installed!

+1

Thank you for giving me a vote of confidence on choosing a company that is reputable. I actually had a gut feeling about this company (plus the fact that they have been in business for 28 years).
I'm trying to relax. I just wish I could see how awesome these windows are. Plus, I'm anxious to be able to use the ventilation part of the windows during this time when I would appreciate the cool evening air while I sleep.