The HouseGuru Blog from Suburban Windows and Siding

The 3 Types of Window and Siding Companies

      There are basically three types of companies for the replacement window, vinyl siding and specialty home improvement business. Depending on who you talk to will determine the cost of your project. You can get a quote on the exact same products from two different company types and the estimate will vary drastically!

Contractor #1:  This a company that is run by a tradesman who usually will subcontract from bigger contractors and do some jobs on the side. They might run an ad in the local classifieds. This poor guy has to estimate his jobs, run an office, and try to do the work as well. The problem is that to run a professional business there has to be a business infrastructure that can service and communicate with their customers. A bookkeeper and a sales person to estimate jobs as well as someone to keep up on new technology and product development. If the owner of the company gets sick or wants a vacation their customers have to wait. It's also hard to produce the jobs with limited help and many times they will jump back and forth between jobs to try and keep people happy, taking much longer to complete the job.

Contractor #2:  Is a professional Home Improvement Contractor who has experienced work crews and office staff as well as production and service people. This contractor is up on the best quality products and installation systems, he carries proper insurances, markets locally and is known in the community. This type of contractor will give you more value your money and the owner of the company will be involved in the estimating and supervision of the project. Your job will be completed in a professional and timely manor using quality materials at a reasonable price. You will not be required to sit through a long sales pitch that will end with high pressure sales tactics to try and get you to sign a contract that night. Instead you will be treated with respect, given information, references and your estimate in writing with absolutely NO pressure. I can't think of a better way to do business,can you? This is the type of company Suburban Windows & Siding operates.

Contractor #3:  Is the most expensive, this company is a sales and marketing company that sells Replacement Windows and Vinyl Siding. As a result, this company model does a large volume of business and has a huge overhead. Advertising budgets and sales commissions can exceed $50,000 a month. The primary business here is to generate leads for the sales force and sell as much work as possible, regardless of the ability to properly execute and service the jobs. Many of these companies come and go due to "burning out" and cultivating a poor reputation. You can easily spot these guys! They are the ones spending the most on expensive TV commercials, fancy mailers, big newspaper ads, and calling you on the phone. Telemarketing is a business within a business, and its a very sophisticated form of lead generation that costs huge money to sustain, but can return a large volume of prospects and jobs. The hope here is to catch you off guard, since you weren't shopping for Siding or Windows there is a better chance to get you to sign a contract that night, they will also insist that both husband and wife be present for the presentation for this purpose. This is the main goal of the sales and marketing contractor, so to avoid making a bad decision NEVER sign a contract the first sales call, instead evaluate and check out the company and get other bids. Yes I told you to get other bids and make an INFORMED decision before you buy, this way you will feel more comfortable with your choice and get the best VALUE for your money.