Cutting Edge Windows, LLC (206) 633-0202

We've seen countless warranty promises broken by window contractors who closed up shop or changed their 'name' & 'ownership' when times got tough. If their prior 'success' were actually due to being better than the other guys, then we would say, "God bless 'em for it!" But, when false guarantees are made, legitimate companies get deprived out of fair jobs for fair prices, while building owners end up incurring big costs in getting all their new leaking windows fixed. Yes, leaking... -what other kind of windows do promise breakers install? It happens again & again, like clockwork.

Where we have honored our promises:

Every warranty promise we've ever made is still being kept to this day.

Every proposal we've ever made has been honored in good faith.

Our installation schedule is usually close to spot on, assuming we don't run into complications beyond our control, or unusual procedural requirements.

Where we have fallen short:

Sometimes we're late in providing bids, invoices, information or such, but we have two legitimate excuses: We're human, and we're contractors. The most difficult time of year for us in the office is during the Thanksgiving/Christmas season between mid November and mid January. Each year we try to get more office-efficient, but still fall short at times. Don't worry though, I'm sure we'll get the hang of it about a month before we all retire.

That's not a good reason to pick the other guys over us though. We invest much more of our customers' cost toward actual products & installation rather than 'wasting' it on extra sales and office staff. That means that one of us gets to do the office stuff while also being part of the installation crew. Most customers agree that in five years, they won't care about the extra time it took us to provide them with a bid. They appreciate the quality of our windows, how great they look, how well they're installed, how long they last, and how wholesome the warranties are.

LOCAL NAME-BRAND PRODUCTS

The only name-brand window manufacturer in Seattle that's owned by local folks is WEATHERVANE. Others are owned by distant mega-corporations.

99% of the windows we provide are made by WEATHERVANE WINDOWS right here in Kent, WA. Its owners, Marlin Clausner & Dale Wamsley purchased the company in 2003, and happen to have the most long-standing, honorable record in the industry that we know of. Marlin & Dale have made high-quality windows for decades, including the first vinyl windows in our state. They've taken careful steps in making sure that every single warranty promise they've made has been honored.

Why we buy from local, name-brand manufacturers:

WARRANTY ISSUES: (ENFORCEMENT) What legal recourse does a customer have if an out-of-state manufacturer chooses not to honor its warranty? Our Attorney General does not have the same authority over an Oregon company. (EASE) It's easier for a local manufacturer to take care of factory defects and warranty issues. (LIKELIHOOD) Most folks are more trusting of warranties that aren't made from too far away; they can just show up at their office and "turn the tables over" if needed.

RELIABILITY: Projected delivery dates are more reliable, because no long-distance trucking is needed. Also, if one of their trucks breaks down, or a driver gets sick, we can easily pick your windows up at the plant ourselves. That helps US keep OUR promises.

LOCAL ECONOMY: It's patriotic to invest your money in the neighborhood by buying the windows here. Your rental income comes from local folks, and is ultimately paying for the windows, so shouldn't their/our local economy be strengthened rather than someone else's? It's free-market 'trickle down economics' at its best.

SEALED INSULATED GLASS: This gets slightly technical, but anytime windows must be driven over a mountain pass, breather tubes must be installed in the glass, so that air can escape at low-air-pressure altitudes & re-enter upon descent. In other words, it's not really sealed, and frankly isn't "just as good". They can't even come with argon gas (because they're permanently unsealed).

WELL-PAID, SKILLED, ALL-FAMILY CREW

Specific knowledge & skills are required to qualify as a window-replacement specialist. Contrary to what many contractors might think, these are not common carpenter know-hows or experiences, because much of what we do is nothing like new construction.

A BLOCKHEAD SAYS: "If you can't keep up with your workload, just hire more people. It's only construction work! The more jobs you get done, the more money you make, right??"

This attitude disrespects the skilled craftsman by tossing him into a general category, called "labor". Many contractors claim that their company is 'superior', yet have disregard toward their own workmen (who are on the front lines doing the actual work). Their crew is not their most valuable asset (their salesmen are), and they tend to follow the same pattern: Grow and grow during 'good times' only to collapse in on themselves when small hardships come. Their hard times are greatly compounded by costly warranty issues, a bad reputation, and a crew with no moral. Their workers don't respect themselves or their employer, let alone customers, and yes, their workmanship will bring the company down. A deserving craftsman must be respected, and won't be found working at such companies for long.

Having a SKILLED crew is one of our core values:

At Cutting Edge Windows, all four of us are the owners and the crew, and we are our most valuable asset. Since 1993, we've only continued to improve on our skills while the other guys continue to re-hire a revolving labor force. Who can afford to make warranty promises and keep them? We can and always have, while seeing many competitors dissappear (over and over). We know our job is getting done correctly, because we're doing it ourselves. Our prices are good, and our products & installations are simply the best there is to offer.

MAINTAIN PROPER INSURANCE

You can check a contractor's insurance at Labor & Industries, yet still not know if they're covered for work on multifamily buildings. Most aren't, so here's some guidelines that you might look for:

Contractors with a $2million+ policy might be more likely covered on apartment-condo work. Most window companies carry a million or less in coverage, and are not specifically covered for such work. We believe this includes most competitors who bid on the same multi-plex projects as us.

One general thing that might add confidence, is if the contractor openly advertises on the Internet that they do apartment & condo buildings. For self-preservation reasons, insurance companies often check up on their clients, researching what it is that they do. They'll probably drop a contractor like a lit firecracker if they're performing work that they shouldn't.

One company we often bid against only carries a $500K policy! I don't see how they could possibly be covered for multifamily buildings. If they're not (as I suspect), and a substantial claim were made against them, the building owner may be in big trouble. This is because the insurance-deficient contractor might be free from any liability by simply shutting their small corporation down, while the insurance company would probably reject the claim on the exclusive basis of multifamily buildings not being covered.

Where we measure up in protecting our customers' interests:

Unlike most competitors, we have been (and still are) insured for what we do, which is Window Replacement for Multifamily Buildings. This is basically all that we do, and we're good at it. Throughout our company history, there hasn't been a single need for an insurance company to pay out a nickle for anything we've done. Our record is golden and flawless. Currently, we're insured better and more than any competitor that we know of.

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