Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Do you ask for money down?
A. On cash deals, we will only ask for 1/3 down. Any contractor wanting more than 1/3 down or asking for full payment before the project is fully completed is violating Pennsylvania contracting laws. If you are using our financing, most programs do not require money up front.
Q. We have a project in mind that requires a special solution or custom work. Are you able to help us?
A. In most cases, yes. We are great at finding the best solutions for even the most crazy project. If we can’t find a solution, we will tell you why we feel the project can’t be done or refer you to someone who may have options that we don’t offer.
Q. What areas do you service?
A. We only work in Pennsylvania & cover the following counties: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Perry, Potter, Snyder, Somerset, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, Westmoreland, York. We’ve had established customers throughout these areas who have done repeat business with us for decades. We have a full time service technician to service customers in all areas efficiently and in a timely manner.
Q. Will you provide references?
A. Absolutely! We have many customers who keep coming back & aren’t afraid to share why they keep choosing us for their home improvements. We’ve had many who have agreed to take a phone call from someone who lives close to them to discuss their experience with our company. Some will even give you their address and let you drive past their house to see for yourself. We will be happy to provide references on request.
Q. We have a project in mind that requires a special solution or custom work. Are you able to help us?
A. In most cases, yes. We are great at finding the best solutions for even the most crazy project. If we can’t find a solution, we will tell you why we feel the project can’t be done or refer you to someone who may have options that we don’t offer.
Q. Do you have insurance?
A. All contractors in the state of Pennsylvania are required to have liability insurance. Some have liability insurance but are not fully covered under Worker’s Compensation. Without the proper insurance and without enough insurance, homeowners put themselves at risk if someone on the job is injured. Without the right kind of liability insurance, homeowners are at risk for covering repairs caused by damages to their home or property by bad contractors. We have more than the required minimum insurance, including both liability and Worker’s Compensation, even though we rarely have a cause to use the insurance with our long track record of safety on the jobsite.
Q. Do you use subcontractors?
A. Very rarely and only proven ones that come highly recommended and highly insured. We have an excellent siding subcontractor whose daughter has worked for the company for many years and who has done fantastic work for our customers. And if your project requires work that our installers are not qualified to do, such as move the wiring for a security system or extensive plumbing or electrical, we will be happy to choose a qualified subcontractor to help complete the work. We will disclose to you when we use subcontractors but one promise we make to our customers is that all workers who step foot on your property are fully insured, from the product specialists to the installers.
Q. Why can’t you give me a price over the phone?
A. Every home is unique. And no matter how basic a home improvement project seems, every application is different. Other home improvement companies may throw out a “ballpark” figure to get their foot in the door but the problem with that is you end up getting your hopes up only to find out the exact price is a lot higher. Some home improvement companies will provide you with an “estimate” which lists repairs as “extra” without specifying how much extra or what other repairs are needed. We provide you with an exact quote after discussing your project in detail and visiting your home. If our contractors get there & we missed charging for something that was included in the project, we won’t send you a bill – we eat the costs.
Q. Do you offer a warranty on your installation?
A. Yes, we offer a one year warranty on our installation. Problems with any installation become apparent in much less time than a full year and usually immediately. Our installers will ask homeowners to inspect their work when completed to make sure it is done to their satisfaction. Before leaving, they will address all questions and concerns you bring up and can adjust things if needed. All installers can have a bad day every now and again but with us you are fully covered.
Q. Do you offer financing?
A. We have many third-party financing options, including ones with low to no interest, low monthly payments, or deferred payments. Our product specialists will go over your options based on what you have qualified for and you can decide if you would like to go with our financing or check with your own bank to see what they offer. Our most popular financing program comes with no interest for 60 months.
Q. Why haven’t I seen your advertisements?
A. TV, radio, internet, and other types of advertising can get extremely expensive. We can keep our costs lower than many of our competitors because we don’t have to do a lot of expensive advertising to get business, we have a large amount of repeat and referral business that keeps us busy. We’ve been doing work in Pennsylvania for decades under the same ownership for thousands of homeowners and repeat customers.
Q. Where have your products and company been featured?
A. When choosing products and materials to complete our projects, only the best will do. Our product lines, the manufacturers we work with, and our company have been featured in local and national media. Our products have been featured on The Discovery Channel, Fox Business News Network’s Manufacturing Marvels, Window & Door Magazine, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Indiana Gazette, Pittsburgh Business Times, and more. Our company has been featured in the Altoona Mirror, on WTAJ’s Central PA Live, on WBLF State College’s Local Live, Angie’s List Super Service Award for Windows, Angie’s List Super Service Award for Doors, in the Builders Association of Central PA’s “Ask the Expert” series and other social media, in the Indiana-Armstrong Builders Association’s Virtual Home Showcase, and more.
Q. Can you match or beat competitor’s pricing?
A. In many cases, when comparing apples to apples, we can match or beat competitor’s pricing due to bulk discounts on materials from the large volume of work we do. If we can’t beat a competitor’s pricing, we’ll tell you why so you can make an informed decision.
Q. I’ve gotten 3 or more quotes on the same project from different companies and the range of prices is so large. What causes some contractors to be super cheap while others seem super expensive?
A. The old saying “You get what you pay for” really applies when it comes to home improvements. Your home is your biggest investment you’ll ever make. If someone gives you a quote suspiciously cheaper than your other quotes, most likely they are cutting corners somewhere, whether by buying junk materials or products, using uninsured laborers, giving you something with a worthless warranty that won’t last, completing shoddy work, using whatever subcontractor shows up first the day of your install, or they just aren’t as qualified as they make themselves out to be & have to do the work super cheap. No quality carpenter or installer will work dirt cheap because they just don’t have to – good carpenters & installers are hard to find and in high demand because they can only take on so much work.
Q. Can you work with tight budgets?
A. Yes, in fact we can work with all realistic budgets. You can’t buy a Porsche 911 for the price of a Toyota Corolla no matter who you try to buy it from. If you let us know your budget, we can tell you the options we can provide within your budget and negotiate the details and pricing from there. Unlike some other contractors who won’t want to hurt your feelings, if your budget is unrealistic for what you are looking for, we’ll inform you why.
Q. I won free labor on a home improvement project at an event – how are you able to do the labor for free?
A. We participate in many different events all across Pennsylvania and after each event we pull several homeowners to receive free labor on their first home improvement project with our company. We’ve done this for quite a few years to promote name recognition without expensive advertising. What we’ve found is that once a homeowner has their first project completed with us, over 75% of those customers call us for their next home improvement project because we have earned their trust. And most of those customers continue to hire us for all of their home improvements. So while we lose money on the first project, we gain a lot of lifetime customers that support us for many years to come. Homeowners are not under any obligation to use their free labor certificate, but it can save you quite a bit of money if you’re already planning your next project.
