Who Does The Work?
Are the contractor's installers W-2 employees of his company, or are they actually sub-contractors?
Are the sales staff registered with the State, and are the installers industry-qualified to do the job?
Most window companies use sub-contractors to do the installation work. Progressive's sales staff AND installers are all W-2 employees, NOT sub-contractors. When you choose a company whose installers are sub-contractors, it creates several problems:
Consistent Quality
Even if this company was referred to you, you never know if you will get the same installers your friend or neighbor got, therefore, your experience could be vastly different from theirs.
Insurance Liability
One of the biggest problems in the construction industry today is workers compensation insurance. If there is no workers compensation insurance and one of the installers gets injured while working on your property, YOU WILL BE HELD LIABLE FOR HIS/HER INJURIES. Even if they prove to you they are employees (letter from insurance company or letter from accountant usually works), you still should check with the Contractors License Board to verify they have workers compensation insurance. You can check on the Contractors Board website (www.cslb.ca.gov).
Customer Care
Another problem this creates is supervision; if you are waiting for sub-contractors to show up they are less likely to be on time, less likely to keep the work area clean and less likely to clean up when finished. Remember their customer is the window company that hired them to do the job, not you. If the installers are W-2 employees of the window company, YOU are their customer, and you will have a better experience.
Make sure you choose a company whose sales staff and installers are W-2 employees of the company, not sub-contractors. You should also ask if they have a full time service department on staff (and make them prove it); this can reduce headaches later if you do have service and repair issues down the line.
Important Note: Do Not Let A Salesperson Into Your Home Without First Showing You Their Home Improvement Salesperson Identification Card
All sales people that come to your home to do estimates and make sales are required by the State of California Contractors License Board to hold a current Home Improvement Salesperson Identification issued by the Consumer Affairs Department within the State Contractors License Board Section 7152 (a). This card identifies them and the company for which they are employed. DO NOT LET A SALESPERSON INTO YOUR HOME WITHOUT FIRST SHOWING YOU THEIR IDENTIFICATION CARD. You can verify this information by going to the State of California Contractors State License Board website (www.cslb.ca.gov)
Here is an excerpt from the Contractors License Board web site:
"Section 7154 of the Business and Professions Code states that a contractor who employs an unregistered person to negotiate home improvement contracts is subject to disciplinary action by the registrar. Furthermore, Section 7153 of the Business and Professions Code states that it is a misdemeanor for a person to act as a home improvement salesperson without being registered."
Industry Qualifications
You can purchase the best windows on the planet, but if they are installed incorrectly you can have a mess. There are several different qualifications you want to make sure the installers comply with. First, as stated earlier, make sure the window contractor has the appropriate C-17 and C-2 licenses to do the job. Next, make sure the installers have had all of the manufacturer training that is available, and then make sure the installers are certified as RLC-1 Installers through the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (A.A.M.A.).
