How to Choose a Window Installation Company

Are you ready for your window installation in Arlington, VA? New window installations require a significant investment, so homeowners need to engage the right window installation company to avoid disappointment. However, weeding out inferior window companies proves daunting for some people.

Thankfully, you can use the following list of the best tips for choosing a window company. Our team at Nova Exteriors has pulled together our best tips about choosing the right installers.

Place Experience Above Other Considerations

Avoid mishaps and delays during your window installation by choosing an experienced crew to handle your project. Window companies just starting up often spend a lot of money on marketing to compete for customers with more established installers.

However, there’s no substitute for experience when dealing with complicated, time-consuming window replacement projects.

At Nova Exteriors, we know from experience that anything can happen during a teardown and replacement. Along the way, we might find shoddy craftsmanship, pest infestations, environmental damage, or other issues. You need a window installation company that has already seen it all and knows what to do when faced with unforeseen problems.

Newly founded window companies may create sterling images of themselves and provide sharp, clean uniforms for their personnel. However, when a project hits a snag, homeowners with veteran window installers at their side will find themselves in a much better position.

When you hire seasoned window installers, you know they will see the job through until the end.

Meet the Window Installation Team Before Signing

Before you sign on the dotted line, make sure that you have the opportunity to meet the individuals who will arrive at your property and work on the window installation project. Sometimes, well-established companies go through a change of ownership without telling the public, so their old reputations no longer match up with the skills of their personnel.

When you first contact a local Arlington company for a window installation, you will likely speak to a salesperson. Later on, you might meet with a manager or crew leader. However, you should request to see the individual technicians who will show up every day to complete the job. How much experience do they possess? What sort of feeling do you get upon meeting them?

At Nova Exteriors, we only hire the best available window installers. All of our personnel go through a strict vetting process, background checks, and advanced training to ensure that they can overcome anything that a window installation job might throw at them. When you hire us, you should feel confident that you will not need to hire another company in the middle of the project.

Remain Suspicious of Low Quotes for Window Installations

Window installation outfits that do not enjoy the best reputations often provide customers with lowball quotes to compete with well-regarded companies. However, low estimates should raise your eyebrow and get you to stick your antennas out. In most cases, when a customer receives a low estimate, it is too good to be true.

If you received a low quote for your window installation, then a shoddy job represents the best-case scenario. The worst-case scenario may include:

•     Subpar materials
•     Dangerous defects
•     Void warranties
•     Delayed projects
•     Cut corners
•     Stolen items

Our friendly team of installation professionals at Nova Exteriors provides the best available services at market rates. If the price of materials goes up, so do our fees. When the price of gasoline falls, so do our window installation quotes. All of our customers receive detailed, transparent estimates so that they can make informed decisions and settle on the right choice.

Steer Your Own Project

Make sure you remain the driving force behind your window installation project. Marketers have grown increasingly aggressive in recent years. Also, they often hijack their customers’ visions for their home improvement projects. When selecting a window installation company, you should choose them instead of them choosing you.

Nowadays, you might receive offers from competitor companies as soon as you start searching for window companies, especially if you use online search engines to find what you need. As soon as you submit a query for window installers, the search engines then sell that bit of data to nearby window companies so their ads can reach you better.

Before you sign a contract, ask yourself: Have I initiated all of our interactions, or have they? Sales tactics have grown more sophisticated as technology has improved, making you feel like you remain in control when, in fact, the sales team dictates all of the correspondence and topics of conversation. This is your home. This is your project.

Vet Your Best Candidates

Once you have created your shortlist of window installers, you should perform a little research and dig deeper into their interactions with the public. All reputable window installation businesses maintain some kind of presence online through reviews, ratings, and other criteria. It remains incumbent upon you to perform your due diligence.

Create a record of all the window companies you would like to vet and log how you first came to know about them. Maybe you received a referral from a friend or neighbor who loves their new windows. Perhaps you saw an advertisement online or on the television. Every little detail helps you keep track of your engagement and maintain control over your window renovations.

You can research the window installation outfits that interest you in several different ways. Some of the easiest and most popular methods include:

•     Looking at reviews and comments on Google
•     Checking the ratings at the Better Business Bureau
•     Perusing Yelp! reviews
•     Checking for any disciplinary actions by governing bodies

If you can’t find any of the above indications regarding the quality of work performed, it probably means that the window company just opened their doors or they have not completed many projects over the years. In either case, it should send up a red flag. You can find a window company with a better reputation.

Check for Licenses, Insurance, and Bonds

In our experience, mishaps during a window installation remain rare. However, we have heard of it happening. In the event of a grievous injury or significant property damage, you will want your window installer to have all the proper paperwork in place. That includes:

•     Licenses — Establish baseline window installation skills and building code compliance
•     Insurance policies — Workers’ Comp for injuries; liability insurance for damage
•     Bonds — Covers customers against unscrupulous, fly-by-night companies

Do not feel afraid about asking for proof of licenses, insurance, and bonds. Any legitimate window installation company should jump at the chance to show you how they protect their customers. If you receive any pushback at all when you inquire about this sort of paperwork, it serves as a flashing, red light that maybe you should reconsider your choice of window installers.

Review Their Portfolios

Ask to see examples of a window company’s previous work. Specifically, you should look for photographs of completed projects that include installations of the exact type of windows you want for your home. Successful window installation businesses should have examples of past projects spilling out of their office. If they do not, it should make you wonder.

Reviewing a window installation contractor’s portfolio becomes especially important if you have a complex or expensive project planned. If you expect to replace every window in your home or wish to use top-of-the-line materials, you need to know that the window installers you choose can do the job with so much on the line.

Some of the main things you want to look for include:

•     Proof that the window company has completed your type of project in the past
•     Detailed close-ups of the most intricate aspects of a project
•     Satisfactory evidence of quality craftsmanship in every example

Find a Company That Offers Related Services

When searching for a window installation company, you should look for a crew that provides related services, such as door, siding, and roofing repairs and installations. All of these elements of your home should work together to keep your family safe and comfortable during inclement weather, so you need window installers with experience in installing them.

Some homeowners make the common mistake of seeking out one-trick ponies who only install windows. While such companies may do a fabulous job installing windows, they may not consider the impact your new window frames may have on a future siding replacement project.

At Nova Exteriors, we provide exceptional roofing, siding, and door installation services and possess a complete understanding of the interplay between these aspects of your home. If you want to set yourself up for a seamless renovation of your home’s entire exterior, contact us online or give us a call so we can bring your home improvement vision to life.

Nova Exteriors: The Most Trusted Window Installers in VA

Do you need window installation services? Choosing the right window company can overwhelm you in a hurry. Get the job done right the first time by calling Nova Exteriors at (703) 386-7949. Connect with one of our friendly customer service representatives and schedule an appointment for a free in-home estimate today!

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