{"id":2767,"date":"2019-04-09T13:38:51","date_gmt":"2019-04-09T17:38:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/?p=2767"},"modified":"2019-04-09T13:39:10","modified_gmt":"2019-04-09T17:39:10","slug":"how-to-buy-windows-6-essential-questions-to-ask-your-window-contractor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/how-to-buy-windows-6-essential-questions-to-ask-your-window-contractor\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Buy Windows: 6 Essential Questions to Ask Your Window Contractor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Knowing how to buy windows is about more than just aesthetics. While new windows can actually <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/id\/48692031\">increase the value of your home<\/a>, they offer other benefits as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Energy-efficient windows could mean a dip in your electric bill. Quality windows also help with noise reduction, UV protection, and safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But before you choose and install your new windows, you should ask your contractor several questions. This confirms that you&#8217;ve made the right decision when choosing both your windows and your installation company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. How Much Will Installation Cost?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Cost is the first question on most people&#8217;s minds. You&#8217;ve already spent a pretty penny on purchasing new windows. Now, it&#8217;s a question of labor costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some contractors charge for an estimate and consultation. Ask this on the phone prior to booking an appointment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just because a company charges for a consultation doesn&#8217;t mean you should overlook them. You&#8217;ll just need to add this expense to your budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s also important to ask if the contractor includes trim and finishes in their quote. Both exterior and interior trim gives your windows the &#8220;finished&#8221; look they need. If the installation company you choose doesn&#8217;t perform this job, you need to hire a separate company that does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paramountbuilders.com\/replacement-windows-cost-in-richmond-va\/\">Click here<\/a> to get an idea of the cost of replacement windows for your home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. What Is Their Experience?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Experience is everything when it comes to getting the job done right. You wouldn&#8217;t want a first-year medical student performing your open heart surgery. And you don&#8217;t want someone with little-to-no experience handling your window installation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask the company you hire what their experience is and how long they&#8217;ve been in business. A reputable company will offer customer reviews and even contact information.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Call previous clients and ask what their window installation experience was like. It&#8217;s also important to ask who will be performing the install.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just because the person doing your&nbsp;estimate has 10 plus years in the field, doesn&#8217;t mean the contractor they send out will too.  might perform both jobs himself.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. How Long Does Installation Take?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Renovating your home is exciting if not inconvenient at the same time. Although you&#8217;re looking forward to the final product, you don&#8217;t want the process to be lengthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask your window contractor how long the project will take. They won&#8217;t be able to give you an exact time-frame but can provide an estimate based on the size of the job.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While estimates are made to be vague, be wary of any contractor who can&#8217;t give you a good idea of the project scope and timeline. Professionals will account for changes in weather and other circumstances that may impact turnaround time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other questions to ask about the installation project include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Do I need to be home for the installation?<\/li><li>How do they plan on protecting your home while performing the installation?<\/li><li>How much do they clean up following installation?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Knowing the answers to these questions will reduce any interference with your daily life.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Do They Offer a Warranty?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if everything with your window project goes smoothly, things happen. And the contractor you choose should offer a warranty for their work.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is known as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.contractormag.com\/law\/cm_column_209\">contractor workmanship warranty<\/a> and usually covers the job for one year or more. The length of the warranty shouldn&#8217;t concern you. But the fact that a company doesn&#8217;t offer one, should.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chances are, you may never need to use your warranty. But if a contractor isn&#8217;t willing to guarantee their work, it doesn&#8217;t say much for their abilities. A warranty helps protect your home, wallet, and the work being done.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most problems with window installation show up almost immediately. But even if the workmanship doesn&#8217;t withstand the test of time (and it&#8217;s outside the warranties parameters) a reliable contractor will still fix the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After all, it&#8217;s their reputation on the line.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bear in mind that the windows themselves have a warranty from the manufacturer. This covers any damages or defects to the window&#8217;s construction, which is another thing to consider when deciding how to buy windows.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Are They Familiar With This Type of Window?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are several popular window designs available for your home. And you&#8217;ll need to choose the right one based on style and functionality. Some of the most popular window designs are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Double-hung<\/li><li>Casement<\/li><li>Bay or Bow<\/li><li>Slider<\/li><li>Picture<\/li><li>Awning<\/li><li>Stationary<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask the contractor if they have experience installing your specific type of window. If you&#8217;re purchasing the exact same style replacement window, installation should be fairly easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But if you&#8217;re changing a casement window to a double-hung design, things are much more complex. An expert in the field will know exactly how to make this switch.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do a little research and choose a company that has experience in the style of window you have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Does the Company Have Insurance?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Aside from a warranty, insurance is another important thing for your window company to bring to the table. If the company offers no proof of insurance, move onto the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A reputable contractor has both workers&#8217; compensation and comprehensive liability insurance. This protects the homeowner and the company in the event of an accident.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a few ways to verify the contractor has insurance. The easiest way is to ask to see their certificate of insurance before the job begins.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reputable contractors who carry insurance and follow safety guidelines also have higher overhead costs. Don&#8217;t be surprised if these fees are reflected in their job quote. It&#8217;s up to you to decide if paying more upfront for a safe, properly performed job is worth the investment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But not all contractors without insurance are &#8220;sheisty&#8221;. There are a few, legitimate reasons, a contractor may not carry full insurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>They&#8217;re self-employed and don&#8217;t have employees<\/li><li>They&#8217;re not a full-time contractor<\/li><li>Just <\/li><li>Can&#8217;t afford high premiums<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to choosing a window installation company, you get what you pay for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re willing to take the risk on an uninsured contractor, you&#8217;ll be rewarded with cheaper rates. But you may be hit with a hefty bill if something goes wrong on the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Buy Windows and Have Them Installed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Choosing the right windows for your home is almost as important as choosing the right installation company.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you&#8217;ve figured out how to buy windows that suit your taste, you can begin interviewing contractors. Don&#8217;t be afraid to shop around and ask plenty of questions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ready to break ground on your next project? Download the all-important  before getting started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Knowing how to buy windows is about more than just aesthetics. While new windows can actually increase the value of your home, they offer other benefits as well. Energy-efficient windows could mean a dip in your electric bill. Quality windows also help with noise reduction, UV protection, and safety. But before you choose and install [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2767"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2767"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2769,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2767\/revisions\/2769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}