@film_jack Excellent advice (again!). I’ll definitely plan to be there during the install and do a thorough check as suggested. I might not watch over their shoulders the whole time, but I’ll certainly be around. Luckily our work-from-home schedules will allow either me or my spouse to be home those days.
I’m already making a mental checklist from your tips:
Check windows open/close/lock.
Check all caulking around frames.
Confirm screens and any moving parts are good.
Keep those stickers and docs.
And @dobbyskier – good call on being prepared for the chaos of install day. It’s going to be interesting having parts of the house basically open while they work on each window (in July, no less). We might follow your lead: send kids/pets to a quieter place, and stock up on cold drinks for the crew. Florida summer is no joke, and these guys deserve it.
We’re aiming to get this done well before the peak of hurricane season. Fingers crossed everything stays on schedule. 🤞
I feel pretty confident in the quality now that I’ve heard so many positive experiences with these companies. I’m sure they’ll do it right. But yep, I will verify as any diligent homeowner should.
Thanks again to everyone, this has turned into such a robust discussion. I’m happy it’s helping others too (@pauls51, @hunter_star, etc., glad you found this useful!).
Stay tuned – I’ll revive this thread with an update when the project is complete! Until then, I’ll keep lurking around the forum and chime in where I can help others. 🙂
Jumping back in here quickly to say how glad I am to see all the great advice being shared. @natemusician233, congrats on choosing Karoly! Sounds like you did everything right in this process.
I wanted to second what @coffee_pumpkin and others said: get everything in writing. It seems you have that under control. Also, when comparing quotes (for those reading in the future), ensure apples-to-apples. For example, one company’s quote might include exterior aluminum trim capping and another might consider it extra. Or one might include repairing interior trim if it breaks and another doesn’t. In @natemusician233’s case, both Karoly and ProTech seemed to include all that, which is great. Sometimes the cheaper quote isn’t really cheaper if it’s missing something that becomes a change-order later.
Another tiny thing: ask the installer if they will be doing any necessary touch-up painting inside or outside. When old windows come out, sometimes a bit of paint gets chipped on the wall or sill. My installer (NewSouth) did a basic touch-up but I still had to do a little repainting myself afterwards to make it perfect. Not a big deal, just something to be aware of (especially if your interior or exterior paint is a unique color, have some on hand).
This thread is a goldmine – definitely should be stickied if it isn’t already.
@natemusician233, enjoy your soon-to-be new windows. You’ll likely notice the difference immediately in comfort. My electric bill dropped by ~10% after we replaced ours, and I expect yours might too given those builder-grade ones were probably not doing you any favors.
Looking forward to your installation update in a few weeks. Thanks for taking us along on the journey!