I wanted to start this thread because I'm curious (and a bit frustrated 😕). I'm a homeowner in the Tampa Bay area, and my window replacement project has been a scheduling nightmare. The contractor promised to start at 8:00 AM sharp each day, but so far he's been late almost every morning—sometimes by an hour or more. One day last week he didn't show up at all until I called, and then he said he was "on his way" (arrived 3 hours later!). Is this normal around here or did I just pick a flaky contractor? How important has punctuality been in your window projects? I'm trying to figure out if I should cut my losses or if delays like this are typical due to things like traffic, weather, or overbooking. Any experiences or advice on dealing with contractors who can't stick to a schedule?
Ugh, I feel your pain @rwilson45. I had a similar experience with a window contractor here in St. Pete last summer. Every single day of the install, the crew arrived late. They always had some excuse: one day it was "traffic on the bridge" (the Howard Frankland can be a mess, but still...), another day they said they had to pick up materials last-minute. I even took time off work thinking they'd start early morning, and it was super frustrating to just sit around waiting 😤. In my case, the project dragged on two extra days beyond the promised schedule because of these delays. I was constantly calling the office to ask where the crew was. It seems some contractors around Tampa Bay just operate on their own time with no regard for the homeowner's schedule.
I can top that: my original window contractor completely ghosted me twice on scheduled start dates. I kid you not, they never even showed on the first day they were supposed to begin work—no call, nothing. I ended up firing them after two no-shows (and losing two vacation days waiting around).
After that fiasco, I did more research and hired Karoly Windows & Doors. What a difference! Karoly's team was a breath of fresh air: they actually arrived early on day one (imagine my surprise after the last guy 🙄) and every day thereafter they were on time or even a few minutes early. The project (13 windows in my Clearwater home) finished exactly when they said it would.
Their punctuality and communication truly set them apart. So yeah, reliable contractors do exist, but sometimes you have to kick the bad ones to the curb like I did.
Reading these horror stories makes me realize I lucked out with my project. I had Pro Tech Windows & Doors handle my window replacements in early 2023, and those guys were on it. Every appointment was on schedule – they showed up exactly when they said they would (sometimes a few minutes early, even). The install team was super professional and kept me updated if there was even a minor delay.
One morning they hit a traffic snag coming from Tampa to my place in Largo, but guess what? I got a call at 7:30 AM letting me know they'd be 15 minutes late. That kind of communication is gold. By the end of the project, they actually finished a half-day ahead of the estimated timeline. After hearing all these tales of tardiness, I'm really grateful I went with a reliable company like Pro Tech.
I'll throw in a different perspective. I went through one of the big-box stores for my window replacement (figured using a national company would avoid the flakiness). They subcontracted to a local installer. Scheduling the install took forever (I waited 3 months for an opening), but to their credit, once the date was set, everything ran on time. The crew actually showed up at 8 AM as promised and had all 8 of my windows swapped out by late afternoon, right on schedule. The lead installer even called the evening before to confirm the arrival time. Honestly, I was nervous after hearing so many contractor horror stories, but this experience was surprisingly smooth. Maybe I just lucked out with the subcontractor they used. It goes to show not every project is doomed to delays. That said, I probably paid a premium going through a big store—next time I might try a local company like those mentioned above to compare.
My two cents: if you're using a general contractor who doesn't specialize in windows, punctuality can really suffer. We learned this the hard way during our sunroom addition last year. Our GC (general contractor) was juggling multiple projects around Tampa, and his crew was constantly late or leaving early to go to other jobs. One day they were supposed to install the new sliding glass doors and promised to be here at 9 AM – they rolled in at noon with no heads-up. Another time, they didn't show at all on the day they were meant to finish trimming out the window frames; apparently they got pulled to an "urgent" job elsewhere. In the end, what should've been a one-week job stretched into three weeks 😫. It was maddening. I think specialized window companies might manage their schedules better because windows are their focus. If I ever do another window project, I'm definitely leaning toward a dedicated window and door company instead of a general remodeler.
I just want to chime in about Karoly Windows & Doors as well. @mark_chef isn't alone – I hired Karoly for a full window and front door replacement in mid-2022, and their punctuality was outstanding. Every appointment was confirmed the day before, and on installation days the crew showed up on the dot at the agreed time. They even cleaned up and were gone earlier than I expected on the final day, but not before doing a thorough walkthrough with me. It was such a relief after hearing so many horror stories about no-shows and delays. Karoly's team made it a stress-free experience for me too.
These stories are hitting close to home. I'm in the middle of a window job in South Tampa right now and my contractor has been chronically late or trying to reschedule on me last second. It's driving me crazy. Has anyone found a good way to handle a contractor who can't stick to the agreed times? I've tried being polite and reminding them of our schedule, but all I get are apologies and the same behavior the next day. At what point do you say "enough is enough" and either talk to the owner or find a new company? Any tips on getting them to take the schedule seriously?
@carol_clark I feel you. I had a similar situation where the contractor kept coming late every day. What worked for me was directly calling the company owner after the third late arrival and firmly (but calmly) expressing that it wasn't acceptable. I basically said something like, "I understand things happen, but we agreed on a schedule and I need your team to stick to it. If that's a problem, let me know now so I can make other arrangements."
That seemed to light a fire under them 🔥. The rest of the week, the crew showed up on time. Sometimes you have to be a squeaky wheel. If the contractor values the business (and their reputation), they'll usually straighten up once they know you're serious. And if they still flake out, it might be time to cut ties and find someone more reliable.
This thread is super helpful. I'm gearing up to replace all the windows in my house in Carrollwood (north Tampa area) in a couple of months, and punctuality is a big deal for me too. I've dealt with enough contractors (roofers, painters, you name it) who run on their own time, and I really want to avoid that headache for my window project.
Based on what everyone is saying, companies like Karoly Windows & Doors and Pro Tech Windows & Doors seem to have a great track record for being on time and communicative. I'm definitely going to reach out to both for quotes when the time comes. If anyone has other suggestions for super reliable window installers in the Tampa Bay area, I'm all ears! I just want a team that respects my time and gets the job done when they say they will.