Preparing for Your Skylight Project
Reviewing and Signing the Contract
After finding a local skylight company that meets all of your standards, ask for a written contract that includes the major details of the project, including the price, materials and start/end dates. Don’t be afraid to write specific requests or verbal agreements in the contract—this will protect you and confirm that you get the services you agreed on. You might include issues that are not always in a contract, like roof or lawn damage from installing the skylight.
Make sure you read and understand all the terms and restrictions before you sign the contract. This contract should protect your property and your interests, as well as those of the skylight company. Because of this, you should never sign an incomplete estimate.
You should also protect your home by being proactive. Before the skylight is installed, schedule a walkthrough with the company supervisor and conduct a pre-work inspection of the property. You may want to take pictures of the areas where the company will be working. Speak to the representative about the protection of your roof and yard during the work.
After reaching an agreement, both you and the representative should sign and date the contract. After the skylight is installed, do a final inspection together to confirm that your expectations were met.
Preparing Your Home for Skylight Installation
There are things you can do to get ready for the skylight installers’ arrival and help the job go more efficiently. You may even be able to cut back on billable hours or the possibility of damage to your home.
Remove furniture and other movable objects from the working area. Before the workers arrive, remove all furniture and movable items from the room where the skylight will be installed. Anything you can’t remove should be moved as far out of the way as possible and covered with drop cloths.
Provide parking spaces for the work vehicles. Some skylight companies have large work trucks and may need more parking space than regular vehicles. Communicate with the company before the start date and ask them how many vehicles will need parking spaces and whether any of the vehicles are oversized.
Keep children and pets away from the work area. The contractors will be concentrated on their work and shouldn’t have to watch out for children or pets. Rope off the room that’s being worked on and keep that area clear until the work is finished.
