The Hansons Windows lawsuit picture has several distinct pieces: a 2011 federal enforcement action brought by the EPA and the State of Michigan over lead-paint disclosure, hundreds of Better Business Bureau complaints about installation and service problems, and a more recent lawsuit the company itself filed against a Colorado homeowner who says she was pressured into a $35,000 contract for work that was never done. Taken together, they show both the regulatory record against 1-800-HANSONS and the kinds of disputes its customers report.
The EPA Lead-Paint Settlement
In 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Michigan sued Hanson’s Window and Construction, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The federal government alleged violations of Section 406(b) of the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Residential Property Renovation Rule, claiming Hansons failed to notify homeowners about lead-based paint hazards before renovating homes built before 1978. Michigan joined as a co-plaintiff under the state’s Abatement Act.1Mitchell Williams Law. Consent Decree, United States and Michigan v. Hanson’s Window and Construction Inc.
The case ended in a consent decree. Hansons agreed to pay a $50,000 civil penalty and to perform a supplemental environmental project valued at $250,000, which required the company to supply windows for low-income housing designated as “Target Housing” by the State of Michigan between January 2013 and December 31, 2017. The company also agreed to written procedures ensuring that the EPA-approved “Renovate Right” pamphlet reached homeowners before renovation work began.1Mitchell Williams Law. Consent Decree, United States and Michigan v. Hanson’s Window and Construction Inc. The decree specified that the settlement was not an admission of the alleged violations.2Bloomberg Law. Window Maker to Pay $300,000 to Settle Alleged Violations of Lead Paint Disclosure
When Hansons Sues the Customer
A more recent dispute shows the company on the other side of the caption. Susie Weiss, a Colorado homeowner, alleges she was pressured into a window installation contract worth more than $35,000. According to an account published by Clutch Justice, sales representatives filled out the contract on a tablet without showing her the full document or providing a copy, told her the deal was time-limited, and said her insurer, SafeCo, would cover the cost. SafeCo declined the claim, and the account states Hansons refused to release her from the contract.3Clutch Justice. 1-800-HANSONS Predatory Playbook
Weiss paid a $5,000 retainer. According to the report, the installation was never performed. The project was financed through GreenSky, a point-of-sale lender that partners with home improvement contractors, and Weiss alleges the interest rate on her loan was raised to more than 17 percent without her knowledge or consent.3Clutch Justice. 1-800-HANSONS Predatory Playbook
Rather than settling, Hansons sued Weiss in Troy, Michigan, though the transaction took place in Colorado. That venue choice forced Weiss to represent herself from out of state. The Clutch Justice report says Judge Kirsten Nielsen Hartig of the 52-4 District Court was assigned the case and denied every motion Weiss filed, and that mediation attempts in Oakland County failed. The case was unresolved as of the report’s publication.3Clutch Justice. 1-800-HANSONS Predatory Playbook
What Customers Are Complaining About
As of June 2026, the Better Business Bureau profile for Hansons showed 248 complaints filed in the preceding three years, with 89 closed in the most recent 12 months. Service or repair issues accounted for 192 of them. The rest were spread across sales and advertising (15), order issues (13), product issues (12), delivery issues (8), customer service (7), and billing (1).4BBB. Hansons Complaints
Of those 248 complaints, 43 were marked resolved to the customer’s satisfaction. The remaining 205 were classified as “answered,” meaning Hansons responded but the customer either rejected the response or never confirmed satisfaction.4BBB. Hansons Complaints
The recurring themes in those complaints are worth knowing before signing a contract:
- Installation defects, including incorrectly sized windows, roof and gutter leaks, and incomplete work. One customer reported paying more than $20,000 for roofing and gutters that collapsed within a year.
- Chronic delays and no-shows. One April 2026 complaint alleged a six-month delay on a shower installation and called it a breach of contract.
- Cancellation obstacles. A February 2026 complaint said the cancellation email address in the Hansons contract was invalid. Another in March 2026 said the company tried to charge a cancellation fee equal to a third of the window cost after delivering wrongly sized windows twice.
- Warranty disputes, including a June 2025 claim that led to five canceled repair appointments.
- Aggressive collection during disputes. A customer on a $70,000 renovation project alleged in March 2026 that a technician demanded $300 in cash for materials before performing warranty work.4BBB. Hansons Complaints
An additional account from a Detroit homeowner describes a 2019 Hansons project for roofing, siding, and windows that failed a city inspection because of leaks, gaps in window frames, and electrical issues. After the homeowner withheld final payment for unfinished work, they say a company representative told them, “before I bring my law department down on you, I’d like to see if we can resolve this matter.” The same customer alleged project delays caused the zero-percent financing offer to expire, at which point Hansons offered a 10 percent loan instead.5JustAnswer. Signed Contract with Hanson’s Window
A Warning for Historic District Homeowners
If you live in a designated historic district, Hansons’ vinyl replacement windows may not be approvable. The Detroit Historic District Commission denied an application in April 2025 to install 1-800-HANSONS vinyl windows at a home in the Rosedale Park Historic District, finding vinyl incompatible with the district’s standards. The commission said vinyl lacks the profile and dimensionality of historic materials like wood, “weathers poorly,” “deteriorates rapidly,” and is prone to warping and discoloration.6City of Detroit. HDC2025-00060 Notice of Denial A second denial in August 2025 involved a home in the Hubbard Farms historic district on the same grounds.7City of Detroit. HDC2025-00439 Notice of Denial The denials run against the property owner rather than the contractor, so a homeowner in a historic district can end up holding a Hansons contract for windows the city will not let them install.
What Michigan Law Gives Homeowners
Michigan homeowners have specific rights when dealing with a home improvement contractor. Residential builders must be licensed through the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, and you can verify a license and check disciplinary history through LARA’s Bureau of Professional Licensing. State law provides a three-day right to cancel contracts solicited at your home, and a one-day right to cancel contracts involving installment payments to a home improvement contractor.8Michigan.gov. Building and Remodeling Advice for Homeowners
Where you complain depends on what went wrong. LARA’s Bureau of Construction Codes handles complaints about negligence causing physical harm, unlicensed work, work done without a permit, and fraud or deceit. It does not have authority over contract, money, or warranty disputes.9Michigan.gov. LARA Bureau of Construction Codes Enforcement Section Those go to the Michigan Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team or to private counsel. The Michigan Consumer Protection Act separately prohibits practices such as misrepresenting the need for repairs, failing to promptly return deposits after cancellation, and gross discrepancies between what a salesperson says and what the written contract actually contains.10Michigan Legislature. Michigan Consumer Protection Act, MCL 445.903
Before you sign, verify the license, read the full contract on paper rather than a tablet screen, note the cancellation window and the address for exercising it, and confirm whether the financing terms and rate you were quoted match what appears on any lending document. If work has already gone wrong, the complaint category determines which agency can help, and a contract or warranty dispute usually requires either the Attorney General’s office or a private attorney rather than a building regulator.