Ballpark Pricing
One of the Diamond Certified company owners, John Gorman from the Save Energy Company in Petaluma, is today’s guest blogger. I like what he has to say about asking for a “ballpark figure” on windows.
_____________________________________________________________
I recently got off the phone with a potential client who at one point during our conversation had asked me, “So how much are replacement windows going to cost? Just a ballpark figure.” I know that he was anxious about the cost and standing in his shoes I can completely understand, but I had to tell him, “Honestly, it’s so hard to say.”
Because window replacement jobs or any other construction related project is so site-specific, any contractor worth his/her salt would never bid a project sight unseen. There are just too many options to consider: type of window frame (wood, aluminum, fiberglass, composite or vinyl windows), installation style (“new construction” or retro-fit), glass type (clear, LowE2, Lowe-366, obscure, tempered, etc) and grids or no grids, to name a few of the many choices to be made and price variances. Many times the caller or homeowner doesn’t even know what they want or that these various options exist. And a home in Petaluma or Novato may require a different application than window replacements in San Francisco.
So we recommend that you take the time to get written estimates from reputable contractors working in your area. You may have a great feeling about someone over the phone but make sure to check out the company through third party verification such as the BBB, Diamond Certified, and the Contractors State License Board.
Remember, purchasing a contracting experience is different than buying a new car or appliance. If you can get the very same car or refrigerator for a few dollars less down the street, then by all means go and purchase the less expensive one. However, when you are going forward with a remodel of any kind, the grade of materials is an important consideration, but who’s going to install them is even more important. Do your homework. Most often the least expensive bid is not the “best price.”
