Permit requirements are local; consumer-protection rules are usually statewide
Whether a specific window job needs a permit depends on your city or county building department, since that decision usually turns on whether the job changes the rough opening, the egress compliance, or the structural framing, not on window replacement as a category. What's more consistent state to state is the paperwork meant to protect you around that process.
Washington: a required disclosure before work starts
Washington requires something similar for residential jobs of four units or fewer priced at $1,000 or more: a Notice to Customer, handed over before work starts, that spells out the registration number, confirms the bond is in place, and flags that an unpaid subcontractor or supplier still keeps lien rights against your property.[1]
That disclosure is separate from any building permit, but it's exactly the kind of document worth reading closely, since it's telling you directly what protection you do and don't have if something goes wrong.
California: a cap on what you can be asked to pay upfront
California limits a home improvement down payment to 10% of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less, unless the contractor has a Blanket Performance and Payment Bond on file with the state board.[2],[3]
A deposit request well above that limit, without a bond on file to justify it, is worth questioning before you pay it, not after.
Florida: a deadline tied to how much you pay upfront
Florida handles this from the other direction, tying permit timing to the deposit itself: once a residential contractor collects more than 10% of the contract price as an initial payment, the law gives them 30 days to apply for whatever permits the job needs, and 90 days to start work after those permits are issued.[4]
Where egress rules intersect with the permit question
Any bedroom window job that changes the size, style or operable opening can affect whether the window still meets local egress requirements, which is exactly the kind of change a building department is checking for when a permit is pulled. A like-for-like swap in the same opening is a different, usually simpler, conversation than a resize.
What to nail down before work starts, regardless of state
Get written answers to three questions: who is responsible for pulling any required permit, what the deposit amount is and how it compares to your state's limits, and what disclosure or notice documents you should expect to receive before the crew arrives. None of these require you to know your local building code; they just require getting the paperwork in hand before the money changes hands.
Who actually calls the local building department
In most residential contracts, the contractor pulls the permit as part of the job, and their bid should reflect that cost rather than surprise you afterward. If a contractor asks you to pull the permit yourself, treat that as a direct question worth asking about, since it can shift inspection responsibility and liability in ways that aren't always obvious from the contract alone.
What an inspector actually checks on a window job
Where a permit is required, an inspection typically confirms the installed unit matches the approved scope, that any changed egress opening meets the current requirement, and that flashing and weatherproofing details are handled correctly before they get covered by trim or siding. That's a separate check from a state contractor license, which only confirms the business is legally allowed to do the work, not that this specific job was done to code.