A San Antonio couple is challenging national window companies with a locally owned alternative after discovering a stark energy bill gap between their rental and their new home. Gabby and Jonathan, owners of First Choice Windows and Home Exteriors, shared their story on the latest episode of The Building Texas Show, hosted by Justin McKenzie and published September 15, 2026. The episode, recorded at the San Antonio Home and Garden Show, highlights how the couple built a business to address a common homeowner pain point: inefficient windows driving up utility costs.
The conversation opens with a striking comparison: a rental under 2,000 square feet running $400 to $500 a month in electricity, versus a 3,200 square foot new build in San Antonio running $150 to $200. Jonathan’s diagnosis is blunt: it’s the windows. For Gabby, the math clicked after moving into their sunnier, larger new build. “That’s like a $300 difference in this bill here. And he was like, it’s the windows. And I was like, are you serious?” she recalls. That realization sparked the couple to create First Choice Windows and Home Exteriors, a locally owned shop in a city Gabby calls the home of small businesses, yet where she could not find a single locally owned window shop when she went looking.
The episode explores why new builds, including million-dollar Toll Brothers homes fitted with Ply Gem, may not deliver the window quality buyers assume. Jonathan explains how blower door and pressure tests expose air loss through doors and windows, and he offers homeowners a no-tools test: “Just standing next to the window during the summer... if you’re feeling that heat come through or if you’re feeling that cold front come through, it’s probably necessary to get something done.” The couple also warns against DIY installations, insisting windows are not a DIY project, and discusses craftsmanship gaps in modern construction, including counterweight-and-rope mechanisms still hiding in 1940s, 50s, and 60s wood windows around San Antonio.
First Choice has expanded from First Choice Window Solutions into siding, sunrooms, fences, and a roofing partnership with Texas Roof Guardians. Jonathan, whose father has run a fence, patio cover, and concrete business for more than 30 years, explains why First Choice sells name brands like Andersen and Pella at lower prices: no 75-truck fleet, no 20 offices, and lower marketing overhead. Gabby, who left a corporate learning and development role in multifamily property management to build the back end of the company, frames the mission as keeping home improvement affordable for buyers already stretched by a 30-year mortgage.
The implications for homeowners are significant. With energy costs rising and new construction often falling short on efficiency, the couple’s story underscores the value of local expertise and transparent testing. For the San Antonio market, First Choice represents a growing trend of small businesses competing with national brands by leveraging lower overhead and community focus. As Gabby puts it, the goal is to help homeowners avoid the kind of bill shock that set their own journey in motion.
