How to Prepare Your Home for Window Installation Day

Most window installations take one day. Your job the day before is to clear about three feet of floor in front of every window inside, move breakables and wall hangings off the walls around them, take down blinds and curtains, and make a plan for pets. Our crew handles the protection, the removal, the install, the sealing, the cleanup and the haul-away.

Here is the whole day, so nothing about it is a surprise.

The week before

Confirm the schedule and the arrival window. We call you to schedule as soon as your order lands, and we give you a morning arrival window rather than a vague day.

Ask about parking and access. The crew needs to park close enough to carry glass and a clear path around the house to every opening.

Decide about pets and kids. Doors will be open, exterior openings will be briefly uncovered, and there will be tools and glass. Most people board a nervous dog for the day or set the animals up in one room we are not working in, with a note on the door.

Tell us about anything unusual. A security system with window contacts, a cable stapled beside a window, a room that cannot be entered until a certain hour. All of it is easier to plan for than to discover.

The day before: a checklist

1. Clear about three feet inside every window. Furniture, plants, lamps, side tables and anything on a windowsill.
2. Take down blinds, shades, curtains and their hardware. We can remove them, but brackets and older hardware do not always survive removal and reinstallation, and you know how yours come off. Set the hardware aside with its screws so it goes back up correctly.
3. Remove wall hangings near the windows. Anything on a wall being worked on can vibrate loose, including mirrors on the adjoining walls.
4. Move breakables out of the rooms entirely. Glassware in a cabinet next to the window, collectibles on a shelf, anything you would hate to lose.
5. Clear the outside. Trim back shrubs in front of the windows, move planters, hoses and patio furniture, and make sure a ladder can sit flat where a second story opening needs one.
6. Unlock the gate. If the yard is fenced, we need to get to the back of the house.
7. Cover what stays. Beds, a couch too big to move, an entertainment center. A sheet or a drop cloth over it saves you dusting later, and we will add protection on top of that.
8. Plan for dust. Removing an old window makes dust, whatever the house. Close the doors to rooms we are not working in, and put a cover over anything in the room that has to stay.

What our crew does

We arrive in the morning window we gave you and walk the job with you before anything comes out, so we all agree on which openings are being done and what is going into each one.

Then, opening by opening:

• Interior protection goes down first. Floors and any remaining furniture are covered.
• One opening is open at a time. The house never sits open, which matters in November and matters for security year round.
• The old unit comes out and the opening gets checked, cleaned and prepped. If we find hidden rot, we stop and show you before we go further.
• The new window is set, shimmed square, fastened, insulated around the perimeter and sealed.
• On insert jobs your interior trim stays. On full-frame jobs new casing is fitted.
• The exterior is flashed and sealed to your siding, whether that is lap, brick, stucco or panel.
• Screens go on, locks get checked and adjusted, glass gets cleaned.
• Old units and all debris are hauled away. Nothing is left in your yard.

At the end we walk every window with you, open and close each one, show you the locks, the tilt-in sashes if you have them, and the drainage. That walkthrough is the point where you tell us anything you are not happy with, while the crew is still there.

What we need from you on the day

Someone needs to let us in and walk the job at the start and the end. In between, most homeowners go about their day or leave the house entirely. If we have a question, it is the kind that needs a quick answer, so being reachable by phone helps.

Payment is not due on arrival. The balance is due when the work is complete and you have walked it with us. The number on the quote is the number on the invoice.

What Cory looks for

By the time a crew arrives, Cory has already measured every opening and written the plan. His measurements are what the manufacturer built to, and the installation follows what he found on the estimate visit: which openings are insert, which are full frame, what the siding needs, where the sill work is. He does every estimate himself, so the person who quoted the job is the person who answers for how it goes in. The full six-step process, from your first call to the walkthrough, is on our how it works and warranty page.

After we leave

• Let the sealant cure before washing the exterior around new windows. The sealant is formulated for this climate.
• Do not remove the manufacturer labels until you have recorded what they say. Those stickers carry the U-factor and the product information you need for a utility rebate application.
• Expect some condensation on the outside glass in the first mornings. That is the new glass keeping heat in, not a defect.
• File your rebate paperwork. We hand you the product specs and the invoice the utility needs. PSE applications are due within 60 days of installation. Amounts and eligibility can change, and we go over the current rules with you before you order.
• Call us if anything sticks, leaks or rattles. Our 2-year workmanship warranty covers the installation and we come back and fix it.

Questions homeowners ask

How long does window installation take?

Most homes are finished in one day. Full-frame jobs and larger houses can run into a second day, and we tell you which one yours is when we schedule. Glass-only replacements usually take under an hour per window.

Do I need to be home for the whole installation?

No. Someone needs to let us in and walk the job with us at the start and the end. Most people carry on with their day in between. We keep one opening open at a time so the house stays secure and warm.

Can you install windows in the rain?

Yes, and in this climate we would not get much done otherwise. One opening is open at a time, interior protection goes down before anything comes out, and the exterior is sealed before we move to the next window. More on how we work is in our window replacement guide and on the window replacement page.

Ready to get on the schedule?

Cory measures every opening himself, you get a written quote within 48 hours, and we call you to schedule as soon as your windows land. If it turns out you only need new glass, we will tell you that instead. Ask for a free estimate.