How Long Does it Take to Install a Window?
If you’re like any other person, then you’ve got a busy schedule and no time to waste. Window installation must be penciled into your workweek just like anything else. With demanding lives, it can be a real challenge to comprehend exactly how long does it take to install windows.
After all, an average homeowner will hopefully replace their windows once in the span of living on the property. It’s not exactly common knowledge to know what the installation process entails.
The Preliminary Steps of Window Installation
Let’s say that you’ve already done the research to nail down the window company you plan on using to install your windows, which these days, can be a relatively efficient process with the aid of the Internet. Your first step is scheduling the installation.
For the average window company, installations usually have a lead time anywhere from four to eight weeks. This will depend on what time of the year you’re calling to get on their schedule. Busier times fall in cool, tepid weather, allowing for workers to move swiftly without having to fight extreme heat or chilling cold, along with hopefully avoiding the elements that go with these snow-laden or rain-heavy seasons.
You’ll also have to consider if your selected window company has any promotions and sales going on during the time that you call in for scheduling. Homeowners keen on getting the best deals will be in line for installation, just like you, and this could set you back in waiting for a crew.
After you’re scheduled for installation, a field supervisor will come in and inspect your home and its current windows. Measurements, notes, and a list of materials will be taken, compiled, and ordered, for optimal efficiency on the first day the crew begins to work.
Window Installation
On the day of the installation, the crew will arrive ready to begin as soon as they step foot on your property. All of the initial work has already been completed prior to their arrival and all that’s left to do is the installation itself.
A crew will come into your home at a predetermined date. First, they’ll set cloths inside your home near the windows to prevent debris from being tracked throughout the house.
Window treatments, nearby furniture, and wall hangings will be moved out of the way to prevent damage. The crew will work to remove the old windows while simultaneously installing the new windows they have brought to the site.
Depending on how many replacement windows you need, the entire process can wrap up in a day. If you happen to have a large home with all of its windows needing to be replaced, then the process could take up to three days for the crew to complete.
After the old windows have been removed and the new ones installed, the crew will then begin to install exterior trim, thus finishing the job. The exterior trim, called cladding, will provide a tight, reliable seal that fights against the outside elements, preventing moisture damage from things like rain, snow, and other adverse weather conditions.
A highly capable, practiced window installer can typically install about 10-15 windows per day, but there are other factors to consider. There’s the size of the windows, the obstructions in the home, the number of windows needing installed, the material of the windows, whether the home is a ranch or two-story, and the reliability of the window manufacturer—just to name a few. All of these factors can help or hinder the time it takes to install your windows.
After the Installation is Complete
Installation should be completed within a day, or three at most, depending on the experience of your installers, the number of windows you need to replace, and a variety of other factors we’ve discussed.
Your installation crew will conduct a final walkthrough to ensure that the installation has been performed correctly and the windows have all been inspected thoroughly. The crew will also clean up. A professional installation crew will look as if they weren’t there at all, leaving only the new windows as evidence.
From the day you make the call to schedule your installation, the average window job takes about six weeks for a crew to come in and one to three days to actually install the windows. When you find the company you want to go with, you can always call and ask them what the lead-time will be.
They’ll also tell you how long it will take to install your windows after they’ve examined your home and you’ve determined how many windows you want to replace.
