Larry Wood

It went wonderful.  I had researched windows ad nauseum and liked Simonton and Marvin.  Larry was a contractor that was recommended on another website.

He arrived promptly for our appointment, spent plenty of time explaining his product, and spent a lot of time looking over the cobbled old house that we are trying to make it right.  The first four rooms were built in 1900 and it has been added on by family members (not carpenters or builders) over the years.  It is solid but full of oddities.  One pitch that Larry made was that installation of the windows is a huge aspect of getting new windows, his installer, Paul, had been doing it for decades and was great, and he had not acquired a second installer because he could not find one as good.  Another pitch was that they would be quick -- it would take only a week to have the windows made and they would install them within weeks after that. Larry left saying he was going to "bid me to get me," as he wanted our business. 

Part of our project was some extensive carpentry work.  We wanted to eliminate a door, put in a window where none existed, replace large industrial windows with some smaller ones, and replace a bank of windows in our front room with one that was taller but narrower.  We told Larry we would hire a local handyman we know to do the work, but his availability was spotty so we didn't know when we would begin if we went with him.

Larry next called saying that he would like to bring Paul down from Omaha to look over the place before he put in a bid. He said Paul could do the carpentry work as well as the windows and he could give us a bid that was all inclusive. 

Larry and Paul showed up on time and spent quite a bit of time going over the house and talking about the issues posed by things they could SEE. 

The next day Larry gave us a quote, a very good one for 24 windows, that included all of the carpentry work, which Larry said accounted for about $3,000 of the about $16,000 bid. 

We went with Larry shortly after that, the windows were ordered, they came in on time, and Paul was there to install them a week after that. 

Paul earned every dollar for the carpentry work, and probably came up short.  Our house was even more challenging than expected.  As he opened up walls, he kept discovering problems.  Sometimes he would start cussing but he would quickly leave and come back calm and start in again.  There were issues that we expected -- a whole bank of windows had been built with headers, we knew -- but many that were not.  The family has been in the house for 50 years and worked on by my dad, who was not a carpenter, and family members, who dad insisted do the work his way, not the right way.  Paul saw the fruits of that and marveled at it!  He even took pictures to show friends because he said they would never believe it!  But he was calm and worked steadily.  It took him four days instead of the expected three but he did not complain.

Paul did beautiful work.  Very nicely done.  The windows are installed very well, I couldn't have asked for a better job.  I did call three prior customers for references, each of whom had had work done at least a year before, and all gave glowing reviews. I will add mine in a year, I'm sure.

I am going to attach some before and after pictures if I can figure out Angie's list's system for that.  Note that the areas around the windows has much area exposed and the trim is not done, but that was not part of Paul's project.  All work that was contracted to be done was done and done well.