Preparing for your window Replacement What Makes a good Client

When you are paying top dollar for your home repairs or upgrades, you would think you get to sit back and watch your GC do most of the work. But there are a few preparation tasks that installation companies really appreciate if you complete before they show up for installation. General Contractors often hear from customers “removing the blinds isn’t necessary”, in hope to reduce the cost of the labor, when in fact it is necessary. It’s small things like these that make a GCs job go smoother, quicker and easier. The more prep work the home owner has done, the less time we have to spend in your home. So here’s a helpful list that we hope clients understand.

Ease of Entry

It’s not uncommon to receive approval for installation when the family is not home. The big thing GCs run into is getting into the home, and having no way in. Provide your garage code or best way into the home before the scheduled installation date. Another one we run into, is setting off home alarm systems. Deactivate any alarm systems that connect to the window or will sound for another reason. It’s not fun for us or the Home Owner to get a home security call or charge.

Make Space

Not having a clean work area is probably one of the biggest issues we have. This is because home owners often aren’t window experts and don’t think the window treatments and other items need to be removed. We ask that all furniture, décor, blinds and other window treatments be removed prior to our arrival. Another helpful thing you can do is be sure there is a large isle cleared from the door to your window area. This makes our trip faster and easier. Now that you’ve made room on the inside, you have to clean up the outside of the window too. Any landscaping that is in front of the window will need trimmed or moved, as well as any window sill planter boxes. A rule of thumb is two feet of clearance. Some windows require more so don’t hesitate to call your GC to figure out the best course of action for you to take. You’ll need to consider the amount of equipment an installer needs. You’ll also need to have some empty outlets near by which might mean unplugging some of your items.

Avoiding Injuries and Damages

Keep your children and pets out of the room, find something to occupy them. The last thing we need is for small children or dogs to be running under out feet while we are holding large pieces of glass or operating power tools. We also appreciate when anything that’s fragile nearby has been removed, including items that sit on hanging shelves that are on that wall. We don’t like when things fall on us or break, but we try to be respectful by not touching your personal items, so we appreciate if you do this before our arrival. The last thing we ask, is either move the furniture out of the room, or cover it up. There’s a lot of dust and Debri and worst case scenario, broken glass. So please have your couches and rugs covered or removed from the room or covered up with drop cloth.

If you know you are going to need help clearing the space, it's nice to let your GC know so they can time plan accordingly. Call us today to get a free quote or any other preparation questions you might have! 303-997-8168