Window & Door Guide › Buying smart
A general contractor or handyman can be a good fit for many jobs. Here’s what to check before they replace your windows and doors.
Updated November 2026 · 6 min read
Ask any company for its MA HIC registration, proof of insurance, who pulls the permit, what the written coverage includes (labor, defects, glass breakage), and who does the cleanup. Castle: licensed and insured, MA HIC #200323, we pull the permit, and the transferable Castle Lifetime Guarantee covers install issues, defects and failures on windows and doors, plus accidental glass breakage.
| Castle | Typical contractor / handyman | |
|---|---|---|
| Who installs | Our dedicated install crew does every job | Ask who will actually do the install |
| Focus | Windows and exterior doors only | Many trades; windows are one of them |
| Price | Locked once signed* | Ask about change orders |
| Rot on the frame | Fixed free where the new window sits | Often a change order |
| Haul-away | Old windows and doors hauled away | Ask |
| Wait | Typically 4–6 weeks from order | Varies |
| MA HIC registration | Yes, #200323 | Ask for the number and check it [1] |
| Insurance | Licensed & insured | Ask for a certificate |
| Permit | We pull the permits for you | Ask who pulls it |
| Product | Vinyl windows and exterior doors we supply and measure | Varies; sometimes you buy the product |
| Coverage | Castle Lifetime Guarantee on windows and doors, incl. accidental glass breakage; transferable | Varies; get it in writing |
| Cleanup | Area protected, cleanup and walkthrough | Ask what’s included |
| Time | Most jobs done in one day | Varies with crew size and schedule |
Massachusetts requires home improvement contractors working on existing 1–4 family homes to register with the state. Registration also connects you to the state’s arbitration program and Guaranty Fund. [1]
The Guaranty Fund requires that the contractor, not the homeowner, secured the building permit and that the contractor was registered when the contract was signed. [2] If someone asks you to pull the permit yourself, ask why.
We’ll measure every opening and give you a written price. Free, no pressure.
Ask for proof of liability insurance before work starts. Castle is licensed and insured.
We do windows and exterior doors only, and we measure every opening so each unit is made to fit. Most of our installs are inserts that keep your existing trim.
Ask what’s covered in writing, for how long, and whether labor is included. The Castle Lifetime Guarantee covers anything that goes wrong with the windows and doors we install, whether it’s install-related or a manufacturing defect or failure, plus accidental glass breakage. It’s transferable, so it goes with the house if you sell.
One dedicated install crew does every Castle job. Once your job is signed, the price doesn’t change (except in extreme circumstances), and if we open up a window and find rot on the frame where the new window will sit, we fix it free of charge. With other contractors, ask who will be on site and how surprises like rot are billed.
We haul away the old windows and doors. We protect the work area, clean up and walk you through everything before we leave.
The Castle Promise
One dedicated install crew does every Castle job.
We pull the permits for you.
Once your job is signed, the price doesn’t change.*
If we open up a window and find rot on the frame where the new window will sit, we fix it free of charge.
We haul away your old windows and doors.
Windows and doors: install issues, manufacturing defects and failures, plus accidental glass breakage. Transferable when you sell.
*Except in extreme circumstances. Typical wait from order to install is 4–6 weeks, depending on the product.
Sometimes. Compare the same scope: product, install type, permit, cleanup and written coverage.
Ask for their MA HIC number and look it up on Mass.gov.
Start your project
Get a free in-home estimate and see exactly what’s included.
Call us (508) 425-4977
Email customerservice@setrocllc.com
No cost · No pressure
Free in-home estimate
Takes 30 seconds. Someone from our team will reach out by text, email, or phone to set a time.
We never share your info. Licensed & insured, MA HIC #200323.
