| #1 Licensing:
Everyone has seen the ads and the car signs "Licensed, Bonded, and Insured." However, many contractors advertising they are licensed are actually not fully so. All contractors should possess a minimum of two licenses:
- a state contractor's license
- and a county or city business license.
Many contractors only possess the county license or city license and are not properly licensed by the state of California. One way to tell the longevity of a contractor is by the numbers in their license. Newer licenses start with 8 or 9's showing they have not been in business very long.
#2 Insurance:
Again, many contractors advertise they are insured when in actuality they are not fully insured. Most only carry General Liability and skirt the rules on carrying Worker's Compensation. Any contractors with 3 or more employees, including day laborers, are required by the state to carry Worker's Compensation. Most do not because it is quite expensive to do so exceeding $30,000-40,000.00 annually for a company that does >$1 million in revenues. What does this mean to you, the homeowner? It means if the worker injures himself on the job, he can come to you for medical payments.
#3 Warranty:
The state requires all licensed contractors to provide a minimum of a one year warranty on workmanship. If your contractor is not properly licensed or insured, you will be lucky to be able to find them in order to service their warranty. Look for a company that has been in business under its current name for at least 3 years and check with their references about how they honor their warranty.
- East County Glass offers more than just 1 year, we offer you a 10 year warranty on NEW WINDOW installation and lifetime warranties ON MOST of our products.
#4 Payment:
If you are working with a reputable company, they should never do the following:
- ask you to pay in cash,
- ask you to pay based on anything other than work completion milestones,
- ask you for more than 30% deposit on materials and labor contract.
If they do ask for any of the above, buyers beware!
- East County Glass only asks for 10% or up to 1,000 dollars of the purchase price contract. (E.g if it a $10,000 contract we would collect a $1,000 dollars and if it a $17,000 contract we would still only collect $1,000) We also offer a 100% financing available on approved credit. Electric & Gas Industries Association and their lender offer a 'no money down' loan program where your first payment is deferred for 90 days. Rates range from 9.9% - 12.25% from five to fifteen years.
#5 Permit:
Many homeowners are asked by a contractor to pull the permit for the job. This should send up big red flags. This typically means the contractor is not properly licensed (if at all) nor insured. It also means the homeowner is accepting all responsibility for the work meeting the required building codes. Failed inspection also means additional work will have to be completed in order to bring the project into code compliance. If this has not been stipulated in the contract, the contractor will frequently bill you additional money for something they should have been responsible for to begin with.
- East County Glass does all the work to acquire the proper permits for your home, all included within the cost of the project contract. However, we certainly give the homeowner the option to pull their own permits for the job if they want to save on the additional permit fee. Rest assured that we will have all the permits necessary for a safe, compliant install prior to every job site. Please keep in mind that we will do all the labor necessary to bring your home up to code on anything related to the window or door installation only. All other issues are the homeowners responsibility.
#6 References:
Reputable contractors will belong to organizations such as their local chamber of commerce, the Better Business Bureau, and National Association of Remodeling Institute. Annual dues for these organizations run about $1500.00 annually. Thus, many "tailgate" contractors avoid these organizations since they are operating on the fringe of legitimacy and dont want to spend the extra money.
- East County Glass is a member of Pittsburg,CA Chamber of Commerce, the Diamond Certified Organization, the Better Business Bureau, the Associated Builders and Contractors of California, and the National Glass Association. And on top of that, we have thousands of jobs you can see, in some cases, as many as 12 jobs on one street! 85% of our business is from happy customers and referrals.
#7 Background Checks:
Anytime you are allowing anyone access to the inside of your home, you should feel comfortable that they have had a basic background check performed on their history. If you care about the security of your loved ones and your valuables, you should have an expectation that the contractor is only allowing trustworthy individuals into your home. Typical employment background checks usually cost $35-$50.
- Every employee of East County Glass goes through an extensive background check ensuring the safety of you, your family and your home.
#8 Communication:
Homeowners should have an expectation of being able to reach someone with questions or concerns about their project. Many contractors are one man shows. You are lucky if you get anyone on the phone or a return phone call in the same week. Also, many times the day laborers hired to assist on projects are not able to communicate with the homeowner due to language barriers and a limited knowledge of the project details. A reputable contractor should always have a representative of the company available to speak with the homeowner about project schedule, issues, and concerns. The homeowner should expect a call by the next business day at a minimum.
- East County Glass has in house specialists every day from Monday through Friday between 8-5. You can be assured that you will always reach someone when you call and get the answers you need immediately. Estimators can even provide cell phone numbers so that you can always reach them for questions or concerns.
#9 Comparison Shopping:
Most Dealers are careful to avoid comparison since they only have two or three products to offer. To make a decision on your investment, you must first know what choices are available in the marketplace. Also, companies that insist you buy today do not have your best interests in mind. Compare for yourself, and don't be pressured.
- East County Glass works closely with top of the line manufacturers. This allows us to offer you infinite amounts of products and options to choose from that can best fit your budget and your homes needs. As window and door experts we may give suggestions on what would better suit your home, but we can always provide you with manufacturer specifications and prices so that ultimately the decision is yours.
#10 Don't Get Caught in the Bermuda Triangle of Window Buying!
The Difference Between Big Box Stores and East County Glass
Buying from Big Box stores is a real gamble, although they do offer discounts on their products, that's about all they offer. They can set you up with a sub contractor to install for you, but these stores do not take responsibility for them. Most Big Box stores have staff that are not dedicated Window and Door professionals so even if you buy top of the line windows, the installation could be faulty.
Installing yourself may save you money, but consider all the things you must do ACCURATELY to ensure a long lasting problem free installation. - Measure your window openings accurately so you order the right sized windows. Not all openings are identical even if they appear the same. Measure each one because vinyl windows are custom-built and nonreturnable.
- There are additional tools and special sealants that installers use that most common home owners don't already have so another trip to the Big Box Stores would be needed.
- Should your window need servicing down the road, you must pay for it yourself since you installed it yourself
Should you need servicing, and you're lucky enough to get someone on the phone, chances are the Distributor (Big Box stores) will tell you to call the Manufacturer claiming it to be a manufacturer error. The manufacturer inturn tell you that it was an installer error, and the installer will tell you to contact the distributor. Ultimately you will be trapped in the Bermuda triangle with everyone pointing fingers at who they think is at fault and you will be lucky if you can get any resolution at all.
One stop shopping with East County Glass
Save yourself the time and headaches. At East County Glass & Window, our mission is to provide you with the utmost customer service. We will guide you through the process of choosing the best product at the price YOU the customer are looking to spend. All our employees are trained in installation and safety so you won't have to worry about a faulty install. From time to time window leaks and small flaws are inevitable but this is why we offer a 10 year warranty, ensuring that if there are any issues with the installation, you can pick up the phone and call us, and we GUARANTEE that during office hours, 5 days a week, 8-5 you WILL find a friendly voice on the other line ready to help you as soon as possible. Bottom line: Whereas Big Box stores only sell the product, use someone else to install, and work with an outside manufacturer, East County Glass can offer a plethora of products in house, install, service & repair as necessary, all in one stop and one phone call away.
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