Replacement Window Installation: A Georgia Homeowner’s Checklist
Get your home ready before the installation crew arrives
Your replacement windows are ordered, and installation day is approaching. A little preparation now can make the day easier to manage: confirm the work plan, clear access to each opening, and decide how your household will use the home while work is underway.
This checklist helps homeowners in Georgia organize those details. Use it alongside the instructions from your installer and the manufacturer of the windows you selected.
1. Confirm which windows are included
Keep the approved proposal handy and review the room-by-room window list with your installer. If several windows look alike, identify them by room and position, such as “living room, left of the fireplace.” Confirm which openings will remain untouched.
Ask these questions before rearranging the house:
- What is the arrival window, and who is the contact for that day?
- Which rooms need to be available, and in what order?
- Is access needed from inside, outside, or both?
- Who is responsible for moving large furniture and removing window coverings?
- What trim, painting, cleanup, and old-window disposal are included?
The installation method also matters. Our guide to insert versus full-frame replacement windows explains questions to ask about the existing frame and surrounding finishes.
2. Clear indoor and outdoor access
Ask how much working clearance the crew needs around each window. Move furniture, fragile decorations, and nearby wall art as agreed. Remove curtains, blinds, or shades when that is your responsibility. Coordinate any window-alarm work with your security provider.
Outside, move planters, patio furniture, and other obstacles from the agreed work area. Discuss access around shrubs and gates before making changes. Andersen’s installation-day checklist covers these preparation steps, including protecting furnishings from dust.
Walk the route from the entry door to each room. A cleared window is not much help if a hallway is blocked by the furniture you moved. Ask the crew how floors and belongings will be protected.
3. Discuss lead-safe preparation for an older home
If your home was built before 1978, tell the installer before work begins. EPA’s guidance for homeowners explains that older homes are more likely to contain lead-based paint and that window replacement can release hazardous dust and paint chips when that paint is disturbed.
EPA recommends hiring a lead-safe certified contractor trained in appropriate work practices. Ask how the work area will be contained and cleaned, and where your household should stay during the work. Do not sand or scrape old painted surfaces as a preparation shortcut; discuss them with the contractor first.
4. Plan for people, pets, and your daily routine
Keep children and pets away from active work areas, and arrange to be available for questions. These are among the practical steps in Pella’s window installation preparation guide.
If you work from home, ask which rooms will be affected before planning calls. Set aside the items you will need during the day so you do not have to keep entering the work area. If you must leave, agree on a way to reach you and who can discuss any decisions that arise.
5. Agree on how changes will be handled
Ask for the expected project duration and how you will be notified if weather changes the plan. Also ask how openings will be protected if work pauses or continues into another day. Use the schedule given for your home rather than assuming a standard number of windows can always be completed in one day.
Existing damage may need attention during installation. The U.S. Department of Energy’s window installation job aid includes checking the opening, repairing damage, addressing flashing, and sealing the opening while following the manufacturer’s fastening specifications.
Before work starts, agree on how unexpected conditions will be documented and how proposed extra work will be presented for your approval. A useful question is: “If you find damage after removing a window, what information will I receive before deciding on the next step?”
6. Make time for the final walkthrough
Walk through the completed work with the installer while you can ask questions in person. DOE’s job aid includes verifying that the window operates properly. Ask for a demonstration of opening, closing, and locking each operable window, plus any screen or cleaning features specific to your product.
Compare the finished work with the proposal. Note any trim or finish items still outstanding and confirm who will handle them. Ask when you can clean the windows or reinstall coverings, following the applicable product instructions.
Save product identification details, care instructions, and the labels provided with your windows. Pella’s preparation guide recommends retaining product documentation and energy labels. Our guide to U-factor, SHGC, and Low-E glass can help you understand the performance information in those records.
Keep one short handover list
For each room, record the window location, any question raised during the walkthrough, the agreed next step, and the person responsible. For example: “Guest bedroom, right window: confirm cleaning instructions before reinstalling the shade.” Keep that list with the proposal so follow-up details are easy to find.
Good preparation gives you a clearer conversation before the crew arrives and a more useful walkthrough when the work is done.
This guide provides general planning information. Your home’s condition, the selected products, and the installer’s project-specific instructions determine the preparation and installation work needed.