Working with a window contractor comes with inherent risks since you shouldn’t rule out scenarios where the pros you hired will hang you out to dry. One way to protect yourself from getting ripped off is signing a transparent and reasonable contract.
What constitutes a good window replacement contract? Below are the key elements you should look for.
Contact Information
This part ensures that you can reach your contractor, especially after installation if and when you encounter any problem. Useful contact details are mailing address, phone number, email address, and fax number, if there’s any.
Proof of License and Liability Insurance
These pieces of license and liability insurance information help you verify the legitimacy, competence, and integrity of your contractor.
Project Overview
This section talks about the scope of your project.
Cost Breakdown
A good contract reflects an outline of the replacement windows you ordered and their costs. This part should describe each unit in detail.
Warranty Coverage
This section should mention the warranties that come with your purchase. If not explained by a separate document, your contract must stipulate what your contractor should do in case something goes wrong and what you must do to file a warranty claim.
Payment Schedule
This part explains how much you should pay when. In progress payment, which is conventional in home improvement, you should only pay an agreed-on amount once the construction reaches a milestone.
Change Procedure
In the event a change order is in order, the contract should put a clearly defined process in place to carry out any modification to the original plan. This way, you’ll have control over the situation.
Termination Clause
This section prevents you and your contractor from being tied to a bad project. A termination clause lists the acceptable reasons either party can pull out from window replacement without repercussions.
Dispute Resolution
In case you didn’t get the replacement windows you wanted or have any other grievances, this part provides ways to iron out any disagreement with your contractor.
Likewise, this section provides the other party an avenue of last resort to resolve any dispute with you to avoid contract termination.
Set up a visit with Renewal by Andersen® of Portland to have an idea of how your contract would be. Call us at (503) 912-2668 to schedule your free consultation in Lake Oswego, Salem, or Portland, Oregon.
