Gentek Sanctuary Patio Door Quote and Contract Checklist Blog

A Price Without a Defined Scope Is Not a Useful Comparison

“Furnish and install one patio door” leaves too many unanswered questions. The homeowner cannot tell which door is included, how it will be installed, whether trim will be replaced, or what happens if demolition exposes damaged framing.

The contractor also faces risk. If the proposal is vague, the homeowner may reasonably expect work the contractor never intended to include.

Contractors can review available configurations and request pricing through Suburban Wholesale Supply’s Gentek Sanctuary patio-door page.

Identify the Exact Product

Gentek Sanctuary patio doors are available with multiple styles, panel configurations, frame options, glass packages, colors, grids, and hardware. The proposal should identify the complete selection.

Product Detail	Information to Include
Product line and style	Gentek Sanctuary Contemporary, Classic, or French.
Size	Exact manufacturer order size or frame size, clearly identified.
Configuration	Two-, three-, or four-panel layout with active panels identified.
Operation	Operating direction shown on a drawing with interior and exterior labeled.
Frame option	Stucco fin, nail fin, available brickmould, or other confirmed option.
Glass	BarrierXP package, pane count, Low-E selection, safety glazing, and current whole-door performance information when promised.
Appearance	Interior color, exterior color, grid profile, grid pattern, and lite layout.
Hardware	Handle style and finish, lock options, screen, and approved accessories.
Integrated blinds	State clearly whether integrated mini blinds are included or excluded.

Attach the manufacturer’s order acknowledgment or an approved configuration sheet before production. Descriptions such as “white sliding door with Low-E” are not sufficient for a custom order.

Define the Measurement and Ordering Responsibility

The agreement should identify who supplies the final measurements and who is responsible for authorizing the order.

State whether the contractor will perform final field measurement.
Identify whether the price is preliminary or based on verified dimensions.
Explain when the order becomes noncancelable or subject to restocking costs.
Require written homeowner approval of colors, handing, and options.
Address what happens if the opening changes after measurement.

If the homeowner supplies the dimensions, the proposal should not quietly imply that the contractor verified them. Responsibility must be explicit.

Describe Removal and Disposal

Replacement proposals should explain which parts of the existing assembly will be removed and who is responsible for disposal.

Operating and fixed door panels
Existing frame and sill
Interior casing or jamb extensions
Exterior trim, brickmould, siding, stucco, or masonry modifications
Existing sealants, flashing, and installation materials
Blinds, curtains, security devices, and alarm components
Hauling and disposal of removed materials

Do not promise that every existing component can be removed intact. Old glass, brittle trim, adhered flashing, and concealed fasteners can make salvage impractical or unsafe.

Define Opening Preparation and Structural Repairs

The base proposal should identify normal opening preparation and distinguish it from repairs that cannot be priced until demolition exposes the structure.

Normal preparation may include:

Removing loose debris and old sealant
Minor surface preparation
Installing required shims and sill support
Preparing surfaces for flashing adhesion
Making limited adjustments within the stated scope

Potential concealed work may include:

Replacing decayed framing or sheathing
Correcting structural settlement or an improperly sized header
Remediating insect or moisture damage
Rebuilding an unsupported or deteriorated sill
Correcting missing or severely defective wall flashing
Addressing hazardous materials beyond the contracted scope

The contract should state that concealed conditions will be photographed and presented for authorization before additional work proceeds, except where an immediate safety response is necessary.

Specify the Installation Method

“Professional installation” is not a technical scope. Describe the intended work without inventing details before the exact frame and wall have been confirmed.

Replacement, full-frame, or new-construction installation
Applicable Gentek frame option
Continuous sill-support method
Sill-pan or sill-flashing system
Head and jamb flashing integration
Manufacturer-required fasteners and shimming
Perimeter insulation or low-pressure window-and-door foam
Interior and exterior air- and water-sealing work
Protection of intentional drainage openings
Panel, roller, lock, and screen adjustment

State that installation will follow the current Gentek instructions, applicable codes, and compatible flashing and sealant requirements. Avoid committing to a generic tape pattern before identifying the actual wall system.

Clarify Interior and Exterior Finish Work

Trim is one of the most common sources of disagreement. Homeowners may assume that “installed” includes finished carpentry and paint even when the contractor priced only the patio-door unit.

Finish Item	Questions to Answer
Interior casing	Reused or replaced? Which profile, species, width, and finish?
Jamb extensions	Included, reused, site-built, factory supplied, painted, or unfinished?
Drywall and plaster	Are repairs, texture matching, priming, and painting included?
Exterior trim	Which brickmould, coil, PVC, wood, siding, masonry, or stucco work is included?
Flooring	Are repairs, transitions, tile, carpet, or finished-floor modifications included?

Address Lead-Safe Work Before Demolition

Patio-door replacement in an older home may disturb painted trim, siding, jambs, or adjacent surfaces. EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule establishes requirements for covered work in pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities.

The proposal should identify whether lead-safe requirements are included, whether testing or documentation exists, and how any applicable certification, containment, cleaning, recordkeeping, and disposal responsibilities will be handled.

Do not bury lead-safe compliance inside a vague “jobsite protection” line. If the rule applies, it affects labor, materials, scheduling, documentation, and cost.

List Permits, Inspections and Code Responsibilities

Permit and inspection requirements vary by jurisdiction and project scope. The agreement should state who investigates, obtains, pays for, and closes required permits.

Building permits and inspection fees
Safety-glazing requirements
Structural changes or header modifications
Egress or rescue-opening considerations where applicable
Landing, step, deck, guard, and accessibility requirements
Energy-code documentation
Homeowner-association approvals

“Permit by owner” should not be used to evade required code compliance. Responsibility for paperwork and responsibility for lawful work are not the same issue.

Define Protection, Cleanup and Disposal

The proposal should describe reasonable jobsite protection and the condition in which the work area will be left.

Protection for flooring and nearby surfaces
Dust and debris containment appropriate to the work
Safe glass and demolition-waste handling
Daily cleanup if the project lasts more than one day
Removal of the old door and packaging
Final glass, frame, sill, and track cleaning
Removal of product labels only after their information is recorded

“Broom clean” and “professionally cleaned” can create different expectations. Use language the homeowner can understand.

Separate Manufacturer and Workmanship Warranties

The manufacturer’s product warranty and the contractor’s workmanship warranty are separate promises from different parties.

Warranty Type	What to Clarify
Gentek product warranty	Covered products, components, ownership, transfer, exclusions, claim procedure, labor terms, and current written conditions.
Integrated-blind warranty	Applicable rider, duration, limitations, and relationship to the insulated-glass unit.
Contractor workmanship warranty	Duration, covered installation work, exclusions, response process, and whether labor or materials are included.

Do not summarize lifetime limited coverage as “everything is covered for life.” Provide the current written warranty and allow it to define coverage.

Use Clear Exclusions

Exclusions should identify foreseeable work that is not included—not function as a blanket attempt to avoid responsibility for the contracted installation.

Potential exclusions may include:

Structural engineering or major framing changes
Unknown concealed decay or hazardous materials
Electrical, alarm, plumbing, or HVAC relocation
Deck, step, railing, or masonry reconstruction
Unrelated roof, wall, or foundation leakage
Painting, staining, drywall, or flooring work not specifically listed
Furniture and personal-property moving
Permit or association fees when assigned to another party
Repairs caused by preexisting building movement

An exclusion should not contradict the promised scope. If the contractor agrees to provide a flashed installation, “all water issues excluded” creates an obvious credibility problem.

Establish a Written Change-Order Process

Verbal jobsite decisions are easily misunderstood. The agreement should explain how additional work will be described, priced, approved, and added to the schedule.

Stop when an unpriced material condition is discovered.
Photograph and explain the condition.
Describe the recommended correction.
State the price or pricing method.
Explain any schedule effect.
Obtain written authorization before proceeding.
Preserve the change order with the final project documents.

Emergency stabilization may require immediate action, but that exception should not become the normal method for approving additional work.

Payment and Scheduling Terms

Payment terms should correspond to understandable project milestones and comply with applicable law.

Deposit required to place the custom order
When product selections become final
How order changes or cancellations are handled
Estimated production period without an unsupported guarantee
Conditions required before installation scheduling
Progress-payment milestones when applicable
Final-payment timing and completion procedure
Handling of documented punch-list items

Avoid treating an estimated production date as a guaranteed installation date. Shipping, inspection, weather, concealed conditions, and crew availability can affect scheduling.

Complete Proposal Checklist

Customer and project address
Proposal date and validity period
Exact Gentek Sanctuary product specification
Approved dimensions and panel drawing
Product price and listed options
Removal and disposal scope
Opening preparation and normal repairs
Installation, support, flashing, insulation, and sealant scope
Interior and exterior trim or finish work
Lead-safe work when applicable
Permit and inspection responsibility
Homeowner preparation requirements
Protection, cleanup, and disposal
Known exclusions and allowances
Concealed-condition and change-order process
Estimated production and installation timing
Payment terms
Manufacturer and workmanship warranty information
Final inspection and homeowner handoff
Required signatures and approval date

Sales Tips for Contractors

Make scope visible

A homeowner may not understand the value of sill support, flashing, and final adjustment until those items are listed beside a lower quote that omits them.

Offer controlled upgrades

Present clearly defined good, better, and best choices for glass, style, hardware, grids, or integrated blinds without changing the quality of the core installation.

Do not hide uncertainty

Concealed damage, production timing, and weather are legitimate variables. Address them directly instead of making promises that cannot be controlled.

Explain why the lowest price may not be equivalent

Compare product configuration, flashing, trim, disposal, permits, warranties, and exclusions—not just the final number.

Never use certifications as a workmanship guarantee

Explain exactly what the Gold Label and InstallationMasters credential mean and what they do not mean.

AAMA Gold Label Language for Proposals

FGIA explains that the AAMA Gold Label signifies third-party verification of fenestration-product performance. A representative product sample is independently tested, and ongoing manufacturing inspections help confirm continued compliance with applicable standards.

A proposal may accurately reference certification when it applies to the exact ordered product. It should not state or imply that the label certifies the contractor’s measurement, flashing, installation, or workmanship.

Confirm current certification and product labeling rather than promising that every size and configuration carries identical ratings.

InstallationMasters Language for Proposals

InstallationMasters is FGIA’s training and certification program for individuals involved with residential and light-commercial window and exterior glass-door installation.

When applicable, a contractor may accurately identify the certified individual and current credential. Do not state that the InstallationMasters program certifies the completed project, guarantees code compliance, or replaces Gentek’s instructions.

FGIA states that manufacturer instructions should take precedence over general training guidance.

Professional Quoting Support from Suburban Wholesale Supply

Suburban Wholesale Supply helps contractors build accurate Gentek Sanctuary patio-door orders by reviewing product styles, dimensions, panel configurations, glass packages, colors, frame options, hardware, and current availability.

Bring field measurements, photographs, panel drawings, project ZIP code, wall-construction information, and homeowner selections when requesting a quote. The distributor can help verify the material order, but the installing contractor remains responsible for the field scope and jobsite conditions.

Sources

This article provides general sales and scope-development information rather than legal advice or a jurisdiction-specific contract form. Contracts, deposits, cancellation rights, permits, disclosures, lead-safe requirements, lien notices, warranties, and consumer-protection rules vary. Contractors should use current Gentek documents and obtain qualified legal and compliance guidance for their business and jurisdiction.

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