Most windows that fail inspection are good windows. They're the right product in the wrong opening or the right opening with the proof missing. The problems below come up at the energy and final inspections on new Washington homes and nearly all of them can be caught before the crew sets the first unit. Building departments differ in what they check and when, so confirm the details with your plans examiner.
The NFRC labels came off too early
The inspector checks each window's U-factor against the temporary NFRC label on the glass. Washington's energy code requires rated, labeled windows and that sticker is the proof. Crews peel them to clean the glass or because they get in the way of trim. Once they're gone you're hunting for invoices and spec sheets and not every inspector will accept those.
Tell the crew plainly that the stickers stay on until the inspector has seen them. How to read an NFRC label shows what the inspector reads off it.
The windows don't match the energy form
The energy compliance form in the plan set lists the U-factor the windows have to meet. On a prescriptive house that's usually 0.30 or lower for every window. Some designers use a trade-off calculation instead, with tighter numbers on some window types to make up for something elsewhere in the envelope. On that house a window rated 0.30 fails where the form says 0.28, even though the same window would pass next door.
Read the form before you order, then check that each window type on the quote meets its own number. What Washington's energy code requires explains the paths.
The right windows in the wrong openings
Two windows of the same size can be very different units. One is tempered and one isn't. One is an egress casement and the other is a fixed picture window. When the crew takes the nearest unit off the stack, the tempered one lands in a bedroom and the standard one ends up beside the tub.
Mark every unit with its opening tag from the schedule before installation starts and check the tag against the plans as each one goes in. It takes minutes and saves a reorder.
Tempered glass the plans no longer show
Plans change after the window schedule is written. A door moves, a stair gets redesigned or a tub shifts to the other wall. Glass that was fine where it was first drawn can end up in a hazardous location. The inspector will look for the permanent tempered mark in the corner of that pane. Where tempered glass is required lists the locations and the measurements.
Egress that only works on paper
Bedroom windows fail egress in a few predictable ways. The clear opening comes up smaller than the window size suggested, because the frame and the fixed half of the unit take more than expected. The rough opening gets framed high and the sill ends up above 44 inches. Or a casement limiter needs a key or a tool to release, which an egress window can't. The egress article has the four numbers and how each window type meets them.
Low sills on upper floors
On an upper floor, an operable window whose sill is less than 24 inches above the floor needs fall protection when the drop outside is more than 72 inches. Either the window can't open far enough to pass a 4-inch sphere or it gets a window opening control device that meets ASTM F2090. Low bedroom windows and second-floor sliders are where this shows up. In a bedroom the device also has to release so the window still works as an exit, which F2090 devices are designed to do.
Flashing that doesn't follow the instructions
The code requires windows to be flashed and installed following the manufacturer's installation instructions. An inspector can ask to see them. The flashing laps like shingles. The sill flashing goes in first, then the window, then the jamb flashing. The head flashing tucks under the house wrap above so water always runs out over the next layer down. Head flashing lapped on top of the wrap sends water behind it. That's the mistake to look for.
Keep the installation instructions on site with the plans, where the inspector can find them.
A short check before installation day
Before the first window goes in, walk the house with the schedule. The labels stay on. Every unit is tagged to its opening. The tempered units match the current plans, not the original schedule. Each bedroom window has been measured for clear opening and sill height. Upper-floor windows with low sills have fall protection. The installation instructions are in the plans box.
How we help
Our quotes are written against your schedule, with the certified U-factor for each window type and every tempered unit marked. Every window ships with its NFRC label. If a unit arrives damaged or the wrong size, we fix or replace it at our cost. Send us your window schedule and we'll check it against your energy form before you order.