Most homeowners spend weeks choosing glass packages and just a few minutes reading the contract. That can be a mistake because the window has set specifications, and as long as it’s installed correctly it should perform the way the label says it will. But the contract is what determines what happens if the crew finds rot behind the trim, when the quoted price can change, what happens when a sash sticks after three years, and who you can call if there’s ever a problem.
So ask these 15 questions before you sign a window replacement contract and you’ll learn more about a company in twenty minutes than any number of sales visits will tell you!
The Short Version
Ask who is physically doing the work, what the total investment covers, what specific items you’re actually buying, and what happens after the install. A good company should be able to answer all fifteen of these without stalling, and will put the answers in writing. A high-pressure closer will answer some of them, get vague when it suits them, and steer you back toward signing now.
Who’s Actually Doing the Work
You’ve met the salesperson. But you haven’t met the crew, and the crew’s doing the installation work.
Q1. Are your installers your employees, or subcontractors?
Neither answer should be disqualifying. Plenty of good work gets done by subcontractors. What matters is that you get a straight answer, because it tells you who carries the workers’ comp, who trains the crew, and who you’re dealing with if something goes wrong.
There’s a test for this in Pennsylvania. A home improvement contract has to list the names, addresses, and phone numbers of every subcontractor known at signing. So if you’re told “our own crews” and the contract names three subs, or if you’re told “subs” and the contract names none, you may have found a missing item worth asking about before you sign.
Q2. What’s your contractor registration number, and where do I check it?
In Pennsylvania, any window company you’d actually consider hiring has to register with the Bureau of Consumer Protection in the Attorney General’s office. The number starts with “PA.” It’s required to appear on advertisements, contracts, estimates, and proposals, so it should already be on the paperwork. If it isn’t on the estimate, that’s worth a question.
The Bureau maintains a public lookup and a toll-free line so you can confirm a registration yourself. It just takes two minutes, making this the simplest due diligence available.
Delaware works differently, and Hockessin-area homeowners should know about this. Delaware does have a statewide contractor registry, but it resides with the Department of Labor rather than a consumer protection office, and it’s mainly to police worker misclassification rather than to screen contractors for homeowners. Any contractor performing construction work in Delaware has to hold a Contractor Registration Certificate, and the Department of Labor runs a public portal where you can look one up. But Delaware doesn’t require the certificate number on advertisements, estimates, and proposals the way Pennsylvania does. The number is verifiable, but you may have to ask for it rather than find it on the quote or contract.
Q3. How much liability insurance do you carry, and can I see the certificate?
Ask for the certificate, not a verbal number. Any registered Pennsylvania contractor has to carry at least $50,000 in personal injury coverage and $50,000 in property damage coverage, and has to state the current coverage amount in the contract.
Here’s why that floor matters. Fifty thousand dollars is the legal minimum, and it’s low for a job where somebody is working on ladders around your siding, your landscaping, and your interior finishes. A contractor carrying $50,000 is compliant. A contractor carrying $1,000,000 or $2,000,000 is telling you something about how they run the business. Ask what the actual number is and ask to see it in writing.
Q4. Who is my point of contact from measure to final walkthrough?
Get a name and a phone number. On most window jobs at least three different people touch the project, usually the salesperson, the technician who does the final measure, and the installation lead. Those are three opportunities for something to get lost.
The answer you want is one name who stays with your project. You should consider it a red flag if you’re given a general office number and a promise that “someone will reach out.” This role is often a project manager, but titles may differ.
What the Estimate Has to Tell You Before It Becomes a Contract
An estimate is a sales document while the contract is a legal one. The space between them is where most window projects go wrong.
Q5. Is this itemized by opening, or is it one all-inclusive quote at the bottom?
One number at the bottom of the page makes comparison shopping difficult, and some companies know that. Itemized pricing lets you see what the bay window is costing versus the six double-hungs, which means you could phase the project if you want to do the north side this year and the rest next spring.
It also protects you later on. If a change order comes through, an itemized contract shows exactly which line was adjusted. The more transparency you see in the quote, the better.
Q6. How long is this price good for?
Ask for the quote expiration in writing. A price that’s good for 30 days like ours is a reasonable business practice. A price that’s good only tonight is usually just a sales tactic. Of course there are exceptions. For example, if a published sale with a specific end date is running, that could be a hard end date. But if it’s not published anywhere and you’re feeling sales pressure, consider that you could be dealing with a common sales tactic to make you act on the spot.
Q7. What’s specifically not included in this quote?
This is the question that saves the most money. Get a written answer on each of these:
- Interior trim, drywall repair, and painting after the install
- Exterior capping or aluminum wrapping
- Haul-away and disposal of the old units
- Rotted sill or framing repair, if any turns up
- Permit fees
- Screens, hardware finish upgrades, and grilles
Two contractors can quote the same eight windows $4,000 apart because one included capping and painting and the other didn’t. The cheaper number isn’t always cheaper. It might just include less.
If you’re planning to finance the project, ask for the annual percentage rate and the total amount you’ll repay, not the monthly payment. Monthly payment is the number designed to be shown to you. The total cost is the number that really matters. Shop based on the cost, services, and company—finance to get payments that suit you.
Q8. Who pulls the permit, and is the fee included in this price?
Permit requirements for replacement windows vary by township across Chester, Montgomery, and New Castle counties, and they can vary within a single county. Some townships want a permit for any replacement. Others only require one if the opening size changes or if the work touches egress. Registering with the state doesn’t exempt a contractor from local building permits, and the municipality can still require them.
The contractor should know the answer for your township. If your home sits in a historic district like the ones in West Chester or Kennett Square, or if you’re in an HOA, ask specifically about the approval process for visible exterior changes, since that could add time that nobody budgeted for.
What You’re Actually Buying
Q9. Is this full-frame replacement or insert replacement, and why was that selected for my house?
This changes the price, the glass area, and the scope of what gets fixed, and quotes may not make it obvious which one you’re getting.
An insert, sometimes called a pocket replacement, fits a new unit inside your existing frame. It’s faster, it’s cheaper, and it preserves your interior trim. It also leaves the old frame in place, which is a problem if that frame is rotted or out of square, and it costs you a little glass area because you’re adding a frame inside a frame.
Full-frame takes everything back to the rough opening. It’s more money and disruption, but the it’s the option that lets the installer inspect and repair what’s behind the trim. On a 1992 Tredyffrin split-level with no visible water damage, an insert might be right. On a 1960s ranch in Hockessin with soft sills, it may not be. What you want is a contractor who explains why they’re recommending one for your specific openings, rather than one who quotes the same approach on every house.
Q10. What brand and product line is this, and what are the NFRC numbers?
“Vinyl, double-pane, Low-E” is not a product, it’s a specification list. You want the manufacturer, the specific product line, and the numbers off the NFRC label, particularly U-factor and SHGC.
Those two numbers are how you compare quotes on something other than price. A U-factor of 0.27 and a U-factor of 0.32 are different windows even when the sales sheets read identically. If you want to understand what those numbers actually change about your comfort and your bill, energy efficient windows breaks the jargon down so you can quickly understand it.
Get each product listed on your quote, so you know exactly what you’re getting.
Q11. Is this the same product I looked at in the showroom?
Product lines generally have tiers. The unit on the showroom floor could be a step above what’s in your quote, and the difference can visibly show up in the hardware finish, the balance system, the spacer, or the glass package.
Nobody’s necessarily hiding anything. Tiers exist for a reason, and a step-down might be the right product for your needs. You just want to know which tier you bought before it shows up on installation day.
What Happens After You Sign
Q12. What happens if you open the wall and find rot?
Answers to this probably start with “it depends,” and that’s fine. What you’re listening for is the process, not the price.
The answer you want has a process to it. For example: You get told before the repair happens, you get a written change order with the price on it, and you sign it before any of that work proceeds. Pennsylvania backs you up here. Deviating from the specifications in any material way without a dated written change order signed by both parties is a prohibited act under the state’s home improvement law.
Q13. How much deposit are you asking for, and what is it covering?
Pennsylvania sets a ceiling here, and the details are worth understanding because a legitimate window contractor can ask for more than the number most homeowners have heard.
On a contract over $5,000, a contractor may not take a deposit larger than one-third of the contract price. There’s an exception that’s important for windows specifically. The contractor may take one-third plus the cost of special order materials, as long as those materials are designated in the written contract. Windows built to your openings are special order materials. So a deposit above one-third isn’t automatically a red flag, but it does need to be broken out in the contract, with the down payment and the special order cost listed separately.
Two related rules. No contractor can demand or receive any payment before the contract is signed. And if 45 days pass from the start date in your contract with no substantial work performed, and you request a refund in writing by certified mail, the contractor has 10 days from receiving that request to return your money.
Delaware doesn’t have a comparable statutory deposit cap. A bill that would have created one was introduced in 2025 and tabled in committee, so as of this writing it isn’t law. In Delaware the deposit is a negotiation, which means the contract language carries more weight.
Q14. Does the warranty cover the product, the labor, or both?
This is an important distinction in the window business.
Manufacturer warranties cover the window. If a seal fails or a sash cracks, the manufacturer should send a replacement part. What that warranty typically does not cover is the labor to install the replacement, and it never covers an installation error, because the manufacturer didn’t install it.
Installation warranties cover the work. If water gets in around a unit that was set wrong, that’s a workmanship claim, and it is the responsibility of the installer. Installation warranties carry their own exclusions, though, so ask what falls outside this one.
Ask for both warranty types in writing, with the length of time for each. Then ask the question that settles it: Who pays for the labor on a warranty part in year six? Delaware regulation actually requires a contractor to clearly disclose when a warranty covers only the product and not the installation, which suggests this misunderstanding isn’t rare.
Q15. Who do I call if there’s a problem, and what does the call cost?
Say a lock stops catching two winters from now. Who picks up? Is there a service department, or is it the salesperson’s cell number? Is there a trip charge on a warranty visit?
Companies that have been around a while should have an answer to this. Companies that haven’t might improvise one, and you’ll probably hear the difference. If the company isn’t confident in how you’ll be supported long-term, that’s a major red flag.
How Pennsylvania and Delaware Protect You
First, this was not written or reviewed by a lawyer and is not legal advice. The information was researched using online sources and consolidated to help get you started in your own research. Township rules and statutes change. If something in a contract concerns you, a local attorney will read it for a fraction of what the windows cost.
Some of your protection doesn’t depend on the contractor’s goodwill at all. It’s already in the law, although it differs across the two states we serve.
Pennsylvania. You have three business days from signing to cancel a home improvement contract without penalty, regardless of where you signed it, and the contract has to contain a notice telling you so. A contract also isn’t valid or enforceable against you unless it’s in writing, legible, signed by both parties, and contains the contractor’s registration number, the transaction date, the contractor’s name and street address, approximate start and completion dates, a description of the work and materials, the total price, the deposit and special order amounts listed separately, subcontractor information, insurance coverage amounts, and the Bureau of Consumer Protection’s toll-free number.
Certain clauses make a contract voidable at your option. Those include a hold harmless clause, a confession of judgment, a waiver of your right to a jury trial, a provision awarding the contractor attorney fees, and any waiver of your rights under the act. If there’s an arbitration clause, it has to appear on its own page, with a separate signature line for each party.
Delaware. The protections are thinner, and the cancellation right in particular is narrower. The Home Solicitation Sales Act gives you until midnight of the third business day to cancel a sale you signed somewhere other than the seller’s place of business, and the contract should carry that notice. But the Act does not apply to a sale that follows prior negotiations during a visit you made to the seller’s showroom. So if you toured a showroom and then signed at your kitchen table, you may have no cancellation right at all. Ask about your option to cancel and get it in writing.
What Delaware does give you is a strong set of contract rules. State consumer protection regulations make it an unlawful practice for a contractor to leave final terms blank when you sign, to omit an approximate completion date without conspicuously saying there isn’t one, or to structure the paperwork so that you’re bound before the contractor is.
The One Bonus Question That Tells You the Most
Ask this last, after everything else: “Can I take a few days with this?”
You’re not really asking about the timeline. You’re testing what happens when you don’t sign tonight. A company confident in its pricing says yes, leaves the paperwork, and follows up in a reasonable amount of time. A company that presses for the signature before you can think will come up with a reason you should sign now, like the price changing on Monday.
It’s a sales person’s job to sell, so don’t let an attempt to close the sale now bother you. Just don’t accept high-pressure tactics or anything that makes you uncomfortable.
Spring House Window & Door has been answering these questions across Chester, Montgomery, and New Castle counties since 1989, and the business is built to answer all of them. You get a written estimate within 24 hours of the consultation, and the price is good for 30 days. Our showrooms carry Marvin, ProVia, MI, Therma-Tru, Simpson, and more (brands vary by location) rather than one manufacturer’s line, giving you plenty of options. And every installation is backed by our own Lifetime Installation Warranty on top of the manufacturer’s product coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cancel a window replacement contract after I sign it in Pennsylvania?
Probably yes. Pennsylvania gives you three business days from the date of signing to rescind a home improvement contract without penalty, and it applies regardless of where you signed. The contract itself is required to include a notice of that right. There’s a narrow exception for genuine emergency repairs. Delaware works differently. The Home Solicitation Sales Act gives you until midnight of the third business day to cancel, but only for a sale signed away from the seller’s place of business, and it may not apply if the sale followed a visit you made to the seller’s showroom.
How much of a deposit can a window contractor ask for in Pennsylvania?
On a contract over $5,000, the limit is one-third of the contract price, or one-third plus the cost of special order materials designated in the written contract. Custom-sized windows usually qualify as special order materials, so a deposit above one-third can be legitimate. It has to be spelled out in the contract, with the down payment and the special order cost listed separately. No payment at all can be collected before the contract is signed.
Do I need a permit to replace windows in Pennsylvania?
It depends on your township and on the scope of work. Some municipalities require a permit for any window replacement, while others only require one when the opening is altered or when egress is affected. State contractor registration doesn’t override local permit requirements. Ask your contractor which permits your specific township requires (if any) and confirm who is pulling them.
How many window replacement quotes should I get?
It’s always a good idea to get multiple quotes. Just how many should probably depend on how confident you are in the companies and solutions the quoting companies provided. If you’re not confident you’ll get quality installation and support and the right windows at a reasonable price, keep looking! But keep in mind that quotes are only comparable if they’re scoped the same way. Before you compare numbers, confirm that all three specify the same replacement method, the same brand tier, and the same treatment of capping, trim, disposal, and permits.
Is a verbal window estimate binding?
No. In Pennsylvania a home improvement contract isn’t valid or enforceable against you unless it’s in writing and includes the specific elements the law requires. That protects you, and it also means a verbal price is worth exactly nothing when the invoice arrives. Get every number on paper.
Ready to Start Asking Questions?
Bring this list to a free in-home consultation with Spring House Window & Door. No pressure, no expiring discount, and no reason to sign anything the same night. You’ll get accurate measurements, a straight recommendation for your openings, and a written estimate within 24 hours that holds for 30 days.
Visit the Malvern showroom, Spring House showroom, or Hockessin showroom, or Reading Showroom to see our products in person first, or read our post, what to expect at your free in-home consultation before you book!
