Contractor Pre-Order Checklist

The Pre-Order Checklist for Gentek Aluminum Siding

Most aluminum siding problems are less expensive before the purchase order is released. A profile misunderstanding, unapproved color, missing corner, or inaccurate wall measurement can become a major delay once material is delivered or installed.

A disciplined pre-order review should confirm the exact product, building conditions, quantities, accessories, physical samples, availability, delivery plan, and warranty documents.

The goal is not paperwork for its own sake. It is to ensure that the owner, contractor, supplier, and installer are approving the same material package.

1. Confirm the Gentek Product Line

Gentek offers two aluminum siding lines with different profiles and surface designs. Do not write “Gentek aluminum” on the order without identifying the exact product.

Gentek Deluxe Aluminum Siding

Gentek Deluxe Aluminum Siding provides a smooth exterior and is offered in Double 4-inch clapboard and 8-inch single profiles. Gentek lists a 1/2-inch butt height, 12-foot 6-inch panel length, Poly finish, and smooth texture for the published profiles.^[1]

Gentek Woodgrain Series 2000

Gentek Woodgrain Series 2000 provides a textured Double 4-inch clapboard. Gentek lists a 1/2-inch butt height, 12-foot 6-inch panel length, Poly finish, and woodgrain texture.^[2]

Specifications can change. Verify the current product literature and the exact item number before ordering.

2. Verify the Profile and Exposure

Confirm the profile from the manufacturer's literature and a physical sample. A Double 4-inch clapboard and an 8-inch single profile create different course spacing, seam patterns, shadow lines, and accessory needs.

Record:

• Product line
• Profile name
• Exposure
• Butt projection
• Panel length
• Surface texture
• Finish type
• Manufacturer item number

On a repair project, compare the new profile with the existing siding. Similar color does not establish lock compatibility or matching exposure.

3. Obtain Written Approval of a Physical Color Sample

Do not treat a website image, phone screen, or printed brochure as final color approval. Gentek recommends making final decisions with actual product samples because digital and printed representations can vary from the physical product.^[2]

Compare the sample:

• Outdoors at the project location
• In direct sun and shade
• In the orientation in which it will be installed
• Beside the roofing, brick, stone, windows, and doors
• Beside the selected soffit, fascia, trim coil, and rainware

Record the approved color name, product code, sample date, and owner's written approval. This prevents later disagreement over which color was selected.

4. Inspect the Existing Wall

New aluminum siding should not be ordered under the assumption that every existing wall can be covered without preparation.

Inspect for:

• Rotted or damaged sheathing
• Bowed framing and uneven wall surfaces
• Loose existing siding
• Failed flashing and evidence of water entry
• Insect damage
• Insufficient fastening support
• Existing materials requiring regulated handling
• Wall components that must be removed or corrected

Uncertain conditions should be identified as allowances or excluded work rather than ignored. Aluminum siding is a finish cladding, not a structural or water-damage repair.

5. Measure Every Elevation

Record wall length, height, openings, gables, dormers, additions, and areas using a second material or profile. Keep measurements separated by elevation.

Your quantity calculation should show:

• Gross wall area
• Reasonable opening deductions
• Net siding area
• Waste allowance and its basis
• Carton or square conversion
• Additional repair material, when appropriate

Waste depends on wall dimensions, panel length, openings, gables, seam layout, crew experience, and the ability to reuse cutoffs. Do not apply one unexplained percentage to every house.

6. Count Every Accessory

The siding cannot be installed properly without the correct accessories. Measure each condition rather than relying on a general “trim package.”

Confirm quantities for:

• Starter components
• Inside and outside corners
• Receiving and finishing channels
• Window and door trim
• Material transitions
• Roof-to-wall terminations
• Mounting blocks and utility details
• Product-specific fasteners

Do not substitute accessories from another system based only on color. Dimensional compatibility and manufacturer approval matter.

7. Coordinate Soffit, Fascia, Coil, and Rainware

Review the siding order with Suburban Wholesale's complete Gentek metal products.

Confirm the planned:

• Soffit and fascia
• Trim and gutter coil
• Gutters and downspouts

The same color name may not be available in every product or coating. Coordinated surfaces can also appear different because of texture, sheen, and orientation.

8. Verify Fasteners and Installation Requirements

Confirm fastener material, length, head size, penetration, spacing, and compatibility for the exact siding and substrate.

The installation team should have current Gentek instructions covering panel engagement, fastening, clearances, cutting, laps, and thermal movement. Do not rely on memory from another metal product.

Verify that the crew has suitable tools and a plan for protecting factory- finished panels during delivery, storage, cutting, and installation.

9. Confirm Availability, Lead Time, and Return Status

Separate stocked products from special orders. Ask the supplier to confirm:

• Available quantity
• Estimated lead time
• Minimum order requirements
• Special-order status
• Return and cancellation restrictions
• Whether all accessories are available
• Whether products should be ordered from one coordinated selection

Do not schedule removal based on an estimated arrival date alone. Confirm that the material package is complete before exposing the building.

10. Review Delivery and Storage

Determine where the delivery vehicle can safely unload and where the material will be stored. Panels and accessories should be protected from traffic, standing water, contamination, incompatible debris, and physical damage.

Separate material by elevation or work phase when that improves efficiency. Keep labels and packaging information available until the project is completed and verified.

11. Provide the Correct Warranty

Gentek publishes a written lifetime limited warranty covering Deluxe and Woodgrain Series 2000 aluminum siding and specified soffit products. Coverage, exclusions, remedies, transfer provisions, and claim procedures are stated in the complete document.^[3]

Do not summarize the warranty as “everything is covered for life.” Give the owner the current document for the exact product and retain a copy in the project file.

12. Assign Approval Responsibility

A complete pre-order review should identify who approved each critical decision.

• Contractor: Measurements, quantities, constructability, accessories, and installation plan
• Owner: Product, profile, physical color sample, and elected upgrades
• Supplier: Item numbers, current availability, lead time, and order status
• Installer: Product-specific instructions, tools, fastening, and jobsite preparation

Clear responsibility prevents the most expensive sentence on a siding project: “I thought someone else checked that.”

Product specifications, packaging, profiles, colors, warranties, availability, installation instructions, and project requirements may change. Confirm current Gentek documents, physical samples, and field conditions before ordering or installing materials.