Most of our contractor relationships started the same way: a builder got burned — a crew that no-showed during a weather window, openings flashed wrong that leaked at the first spring storm, or a punch list that dragged for a month. The window scope is a small line on the schedule that can quietly wreck it.
This post lays out how we actually run the scope, start to finish, so you know what you're getting before the first opening is set.
Two ways to engage us
Full-service scope: we take off the window schedule from your plans, verify rough openings on site, order through our supplier relationships (ProVia, Andersen, Pella, Thermo-Tech, MI, and others), receive and stage, install, and warranty the labor. You get one line item and one throat to choke.
Installation-only: your account, your order, your delivery — our crew sets, shims, fastens, foams, and flashes. This works well for builders with established supplier pricing who just need dependable labor that treats the openings right.
Before framing ever finishes: the planning window
The scope succeeds or fails weeks before install day. Our pre-work checklist with your PM:
- 1Plan takeoff and window schedule review — flagging egress, tempered-glass locations, and anything that won't pass inspection as drawn.
- 2Lead-time lock: standard vinyl lines run ~3–5 weeks, custom colors and clad-wood 6–8+; we back-plan ordering from your framing schedule.
- 3Rough-opening verification on site once walls are up — catching a wrong RO before the order ships beats arguing about it after.
- 4Delivery staging plan: where units land, who receives, and how they're protected until set.
On the wall: how openings get done
Every opening gets the same sequence regardless of schedule pressure — sill pan or flexible sill flashing, unit set plumb/level/square and shimmed at fastening points, jamb-side flashing over the nail fin, head flashing lapped under the WRB, low-expansion foam at the interior perimeter. Head flashing over house wrap, never behind it — the detail that separates dry walls from spring callbacks.
You can see the taped flashing detail in the photo above from one of our new-construction installs. We photograph openings as we go; if your envelope consultant or super wants documentation, it exists by default.
Schedule discipline and closeout
You get a named lead on every job, a realistic crew-day count at bid time (not a hope), and a heads-up call the moment anything threatens a date — weather, freight damage, a backorder. Surprises are the thing builders fire subs over; we treat the phone call as part of the scope.
Closeout means operating and locking every unit, screens in, labels off except the NFRC stickers your inspector needs, openings foam-sealed and ready for insulators, and debris gone. Punch items get closed the same week, because we'd rather spend a morning on a punch list than lose a builder relationship over one.
What working with us costs (and how to start)
Labor-only pricing is per-opening and scales with unit size, floor height, and flashing spec; full-service pricing bundles supply and install per the window schedule. Either way you get a written scope with inclusions and exclusions spelled out — the same discipline we preach to homeowners comparing quotes.
If you've got a project going to frame this season anywhere in the Twin Cities metro, send the window schedule and we'll turn around a bid quickly: 763-204-2099 or jmbbuildersmn@gmail.com.
Frequently asked questions
Do you handle both new construction and replacement scopes for builders?
Yes — new construction sets with full flashing integration into the WRB, and replacement scopes on renovation and insurance projects, including full-frame work where openings need rebuilding.
Can you work from our supplier's window package?
Yes. Installation-only is a core service — many of our builder partners have their own supplier accounts. We'll review the schedule before ordering if you want a second set of eyes on ROs, egress, and tempered locations.
How far ahead do you book?
It varies by season — summer slots fill several weeks out, winter is more flexible. The honest answer for any specific window: call us with your framing date and we'll tell you exactly what's real. We'd rather turn down a date than miss one.
Are your crews insured and licensed for GC requirements?
Yes — licensed Minnesota contractor, insured, and we'll provide certificates for your files as part of onboarding. Safety basics like fall protection on multi-story sets are standard practice, not negotiation items.
