Buying new windows for your home is a huge decision. One that should be made with as much information beforehand as possible. But, what should you know? There’s a ton of basic information to know, such as what various terms like U-factor or SHGC mean, but there are also things to know about your installer before you sign a contract. To help you learn what you need to know, we decided to share some important questions to ask window installers!
These questions are mostly about the window installation company, their teams, and their process. For more basic information about windows, please check out some of our other posts on our main blog page!
Without further ado, let’s start on the questions to ask window installers:
Questions to Ask Window Installers #1: How Long Does It Take to Get My Windows Installed?
With hurricane season being right around the proverbial corner, a lot of people want to know just how long it will take for their windows to arrive, then how long the installation of those windows will take.
For the first part of the question, that’s largely up to the window manufacturer. It typically takes at least eight weeks for a custom window order to reach a point where the manufacturer can commit to a solid delivery schedule for your order.
Why? Because there are a lot of variables involved. First, the time it takes for the raw materials to make the windows to reach the production plant. Second, the length of the order queue ahead of you (the more orders there are, the longer it will take to get to yours). Third, each window made has to pass a stringent QC process—and any failures will need to be remade before they can put your entire order out for delivery. Only then can they provide the installer with an estimate for arrival.
After that, the installer will have to do their own QC check to make sure the windows weren’t damaged in shipping. Then they need to find a date where they have work crews available to handle the installation and the weather decides to cooperate (you definitely don’t want installers ripping out windows when it’s pouring rain outside).
All told, it usually takes about three months from the date your windows are ordered for them to arrive, though variables like current demand, order size & complexity, global supply chain issues, and even the specific manufacturer you choose can all affect that timing window.
If you’re wondering about the actual time it takes to install a window once it’s been delivered and a work crew can start, the answer is: “It depends on the size, installation location, and style of the window… but most windows take a skilled installer about three hours to put in properly (including time for tearing out the old window).”
Most window replacement projects with Karoly finish within two or three days once the actual tear-out and replacement begins. Naturally, especially large homes with lots of windows may take more time, while smaller projects might finish the same day they start.
Questions to Ask Window Installers #2: Do All My Windows Come Out at Once During Installation?
Here’s a procedural question that a lot of people worry about. Especially considering that they don’t want their home to be left open for multiple days while the installers rip out and replace every window in their home.
This may vary from one window installer to another, but here at Karoly Windows, each team of installers handles window installation work ONE window opening at a time. We don’t rip out all your windows then leave half of them unfinished overnight for convenience’s sake.
Instead, we take the windows out of each window opening one at a time, replacing each window as we go. Once we tear out a window, we don’t stop work on that opening until it’s filled in properly with new windows.
That way, you don’t have to worry about having a huge hole left in your home’s walls overnight! Even for big installation jobs that take multiple days to complete, Karoly strives to ensure that your home is fully protected against the elements.
Questions to Ask Window Installers #3: Do You Use Subcontractors?
Here’s a question you should ask every “window installation company” that you talk to. And yes, the quotes are meant sarcastically, because all too many businesses calling themselves window installation companies don’t actually do window installation themselves.
Instead, they take your money, then farm out the actual installation to a third party subcontractor… and almost always the one willing to do the work for the absolute lowest price. There are typically few, if any, questions asked about the subcontractor’s qualifications, whether they’re familiar with the Florida Building Code (FBC), and if they even have the right tools and resources to do the work.
Sometimes, you might get a perfectly competent subcontractor who knows the basics well enough to get the job done… Other times, you get someone who doesn’t know the first thing about window installation and does such a poor job that even the best windows end up looking awful and falling out at the first sign of a stiff breeze.
The worst part? When you complain to your so-called “installation” company, they’ll just push the blame on the subcontractor… and the subcontractor will typically just ghost you.
There’s no reason to play Russian Roulette with your new windows. Get them installed the right way the first time by working with a company that doesn’t use unqualified subcontractors.
Questions to Ask Window Installers #4: What Window Brands Do You Install? Why Those Brands?
The simple truth is that not all windows are created equally. Some manufacturers stand head and shoulders above others in terms of quality and reliability. These brands tend to go through supplementary certification and testing to ensure that their products are as high-quality as possible.
With this in mind, it’s important to ask your installer what brands of windows they regularly install. Then, you should look up those brands to see what their reputation is like online, check what certifications they’ve earned, and what their product lines are actually named.
It’s unfortunately common for some installers to quote a specific brand of windows, like Simonton, that they know are well-regarded. They’ll say something like “Oh, yeah, we install 8500 series windows by Simonton” verbally, then the actual contract will say something like: “8500 series windows are Simonton-equivalent.”
That stress on the word equivalent is doing a lot of heavy lifting… because Simonton doesn’t have an “8500 Series” line. They have a line of windows called the 5500 Collection, but no 8500 series. This bait-and-switch lets the installer charge Simonton-tier prices for low-grade junk windows.
And you might not notice a difference right away… until the new windows crack, you notice it’s really warm in the rooms with the new windows, and the Simonton customer service department tells you they can’t provide a warranty replacement because you didn’t install their windows.
That’s when you re-read the contract and notice the stipulation about “Simonton equivalent” windows, and not Simonton windows.
Don’t get fleeced by an unscrupulous installer! Be sure to check the brands and the contract to verify that you have what kind of windows you’re getting in writing before signing anything!
Sadly the above scenario is based on real events. Our installers had to go behind another company’s work and tear out all of the faux-Simonton windows they’d installed and replace them with real Simonton windows. Unfortunately, the customer basically ended up paying for their window replacement twice over.
This is one of the reasons why it’s so important to ask questions of your installation company, and then vet their answers. There are a lot of unscrupulous companies out there that will take your money, charge you a premium for the privilege, and then provide you with something that doesn’t even meet the definition of ‘minimum viable product,’ let alone what they told you to expect.
What Brands Does Karoly Install?
Karoly Windows & Doors primarily installs Simonton and PGT windows for the majority of our customers. This is because, over the decades, we’ve noticed that these brands tend to deliver the best value for the cost of any impact windows on the Florida market.
Plus, they’re both highly-tested and vetted brands. PGT has an in-house testing facility where they subject all their new designs to rigorous testing procedures… including firing 2x4s out of a cannon at them!
Both brands have products that have passed impact testing requirements and earned “Gold Label” AAMA certification. This AAMA certification is an optional testing standard that a company can put their windows through. It is not a requirement for the Florida Building Code, but it does serve as a mark of distinction for windows that are incredibly energy efficient and reliable.
We’ve been installing windows for decades, and we’ve tried dozens of different brands and even different impact-rated product lines within those brands, but Simonton and PGT stood head and shoulders above the competition.
Questions to Ask Window Installers #5: Do You Have a Specialty Contractor’s License with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation?
Okay, this headline’s a mouthful, but this is a critical question that you should ask of any window installer prior to letting them take an angle grinder to your existing windows!
Contractors in the state of Florida are supposed to register their business with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). This allows state authorities to vet the installer to verify that they have the right skills and experience to handle the specialty task of installing impact windows.
For window installation specifically, the installer should have a license stating that they’re a certified specialty contractor, and that license should be listed as active when you search it up in the DBPR database.
If you want to look up Karoly’s license on the DBPR database, you can click the link in the previous sentence, or search us up by name or license number in the Licensee Search, our license # is SCC131152010, and our license is currently active.
Some companies get around this requirement by working as subcontractors for an organization with a license. They’ll operate under the other business’ license, even though they never passed the certification requirements themselves. This is just another reason why you should avoid companies that rely on subcontractors to do window installations.
Get Reliable Installation from a Trusted, Verified Team of Installers!
If you want new windows for your home and want to ensure they’re installed the right way the first time without annoying bait-and-switch sales tactics or inconsistent installation quality, Karoly Windows & Doors is your best choice in Tampa Bay!
We have over a quarter century of experience installing impact windows for homeowners throughout Tampa Bay, having put in hundreds of thousands of windows during our time. Get the reliability of a certified window installation specialist by reaching out to Karoly today!
