Replacing windows in a condo or association

Start with your association, not a window quote. Rules vary from building to building, and your association's documents decide what you can replace, who is responsible for it and what it has to look like. Get those answers in writing first. After that, the work comes down to good paperwork and careful scheduling.

We can't tell you what your documents say, and this article won't try. If the wording is unclear, ask the manager or board to explain it in writing, or ask an attorney. What we can give you is the list of questions we would ask, the papers worth gathering and what a contractor should do for you.

Questions to ask your association

Who decides and who is responsible

• Who is responsible for the windows and sliding doors in my unit, me or the association?
• Do I need approval to replace them, and from whom?
• Is the building planning a window project of its own?
• Will the association need to sign anything for the building permit?

What the new windows have to look like

• Is there a required frame color, glass tint or window style?
• Is there a written window standard, or a list of products already accepted here?
• Does a replacement have to match the other windows in my unit or on my side of the building?

How the work gets done

• What form do I file, who reviews it and when do they next meet?
• What does the association want from the contractor, such as proof of license or insurance?
• Which days and hours can work happen?
• How do materials reach my floor? Is there a service elevator to reserve, or a deposit?
• Where can a crew park, and where does debris go?

Ask about a building project early. If the association is already planning one, waiting may make more sense than going alone, even if your window bothers you now. If it isn't, you have your answer and can move on.

Documents to gather

Put these in one folder before you ask anyone for a final price.

• The association's documents. The declaration, bylaws and rules, in their current versions. Ask the manager where to get them.
• The request form. Any application the association uses for changes to a unit.
• The window standard. Anything written about approved colors, glass or products.
• Product details. The spec sheet and approval for each product. Here is how to check a Miami-Dade NOA.
• Contractor papers. License and insurance details. You can check a license on the Florida license lookup. Ours is CGC #1525419.
• Photos of each opening. Close-ups of every window and door you want replaced.
• The board's answer. Keep it in writing, with any conditions it sets.

How a contractor can help

Your part is getting the rules. A good contractor can carry much of the rest, and this is a fair way to judge who you hire.

Start with the paperwork. A condo job can need two answers, one from the building department and one from the association. Dioenis P., who owns condos in Miami, wrote about a sliding glass door that needed "the architectural drawings done in order for the town and the association to approve it." Other companies stalled on it, and Dioenis P. sums it up this way: "Blue Diamond got it done."

Not every job is that involved, and yours may be simple. For who does what on the permit side, read permits and HOA approval for impact windows.

Here is what to expect from a contractor on a condo job:

• Measure every opening and put the sizes in writing.
• Provide specs the board can review, and answer the board's questions.
• Talk with the manager about elevators, hours, parking and debris.
• Handle the permit and carry the job through final inspection.
• Tell you plainly when a product won't fit the association's standard.

High floors take more planning. J. M. wrote that the result was "Beyond what i expected on my 18th floor condo."

One window or the whole unit

You may not need to replace everything. We cover that choice in can you replace just one or two windows. In a condo, add one question to that decision: will a single new window still fit what the association allows, next to the ones staying in place?

Once you know what is allowed, look at the impact windows we install. Fixed, casement, single-hung and horizontal roller windows look and work differently, and your association's standard may narrow the choice. Have that standard ready at the estimate, so you only compare options you can actually use.

If the board says no, ask what it would accept instead, and ask for that in writing. A change of frame color or window style may be all it takes, or it may not. Either way, you will know where you stand before you spend anything.

If you do only one thing, email your manager three questions: who is responsible for these windows, what does the building allow, and what do I file. The answers will tell you how big this job really is.