I'm in a condo building downtown that has strict rules about contractor work hours (they can only work 9 AM to 5 PM, no weekends). I was worried that if the window crew came late or tried to work past 5, I'd get in trouble with the HOA. Thankfully, the company I used was very mindful of the time. They always wrapped up by 4:45 and cleaned up, even on days they started a bit late. One day they arrived at almost 10 (traffic excuse), but they still managed to finish the day's tasks by the cutoff. Not all crews pay attention to those rules, so I was grateful. If you're in a situation with restricted work hours, definitely remind your contractor upfront. A good one will respect the schedule constraints.
Some of these tales are giving me anxiety 😨. I'm planning a window job soon and you bet I'm going to vet the contractors thoroughly. Punctuality and communication will be top of my checklist now!
I actually have Karoly Windows & Doors scheduled for my project next month (I booked them a while ago based on a friend's recommendation), so seeing all the positive feedback here about their punctuality is super reassuring. I was a bit nervous since it's a big job (whole house of windows) and I can't take a ton of time off work. Sounds like I made the right choice if they really stick to their schedules. I'll report back if anything crazy happens, but fingers crossed it goes as smoothly as it did for you all who used them!
Murphy's law of contractors: the one time they're early is the one time you're not ready for them. 😅 True story – my window installer had been late every day, so on day 4 I figured I had time to run a quick errand in the morning. Of course that's the day they decided to show up at 7:50 AM, a half hour earlier than ever before. I came back to find them waiting on me (for once). We all had a laugh about it, but it goes to show, consistency was not their strong suit. I'd almost gotten used to them being late and then they caught me off guard by being early once!
Punctuality can even affect things like inspections. When my windows were done, we needed a city inspector to sign off. The inspector gave a window of 1-3 PM to come by on the final day. That morning the crew showed up late (around 10:30), and I was sweating thinking they wouldn't finish the last details in time. They ended up working through lunch to be ready by 1. The inspector actually arrived at 1:15 and everything was set, thank goodness. If the crew had been any later getting started, the inspection might've been a bust, and who knows how long we'd wait for the next slot. It was a close call that made me realize how important timing is for the whole process.
At one point I was so fed up I half-jokingly offered my contractor crew a bonus if they could finish by the promised date without any more delays. 😂 Money talks, right? I'm not sure if that actually motivated them, but they did seem to pick up the pace afterward. To be fair, I'm not recommending having to bribe a contractor to do what they should already do... but I was desperate to get the job done on time. They met the deadline, and I did throw in a little extra for the crew because they pulled it off. Would they have finished without that offer? Maybe, maybe not. It did feel a bit ridiculous to essentially reward them for punctuality, but hey, whatever works.
I'm actually in Orlando (so not Tampa Bay, but still Florida) and I'm seeing the same kind of issues with contractors here. It must be a broader thing in the industry or region. My window install up here had the crew showing up late almost every day too. Maybe it's the heat or just too much work on everyone's plate. That said, hearing about companies like Karoly and Pro Tech gives me hope that there are some gems out there even if I have to look a bit. I might even call Karoly to see if they'd come out this far for a project, or maybe they know a good Orlando equivalent.
I'll say this – window contractors might have punctuality issues, but have you dealt with pool contractors in Florida? 😂 Talk about a lesson in patience. I had a pool put in a couple years ago and those crews made even my tardy window installer seem prompt. I guess compared to that, my window project delays were tolerable. Not to excuse anyone, but sometimes perspective keeps me from tearing my hair out. Still, totally agree with everyone: when you find a contractor who values your time (like some mentioned here), hold onto them for any future work!
A neighbor of mine saw how smoothly my window project went and ended up hiring the same company (Karoly) for her house. She told me afterward it was the best decision – they showed up on time for her job every day as well. It's good news that our recommendations can pay forward. Reliable contractors get more business, and hopefully the not-so-great ones either improve or fade out. Word of mouth is powerful here in Tampa Bay. I'm glad threads like this highlight the good guys (and call out the bad behavior) so we can all make better choices.
I'm actually in a situation where I've signed a contract but the contractor hasn't started yet and has already rescheduled the start twice. This thread has me wondering if I should cut bait now and find someone else. Is that even doable without losing my deposit? The pattern isn't promising – if they're not punctual about starting, I dread how the actual work will go. Has anyone here pulled out of a deal due to these early signs? I hate to delay my project further by switching, but I'm also getting a bad feeling about this.