A Product Name Is Not a Complete Scope

Gentek Fairhaven Sound Single Select is a polypropylene specialty-siding collection. It includes Traditional Shake, Scallop, Cape Cod Shingle, and Hand-Split Shake profiles with different exposures, panel dimensions, and packaging.

A proposal that says only “install Gentek shakes” leaves unanswered questions about profile, color, quantity, accessory selection, installation area, and current manufacturer requirements. Those missing decisions can later become substitutions, change orders, or disagreements.

Build the Specification in Twelve Parts

1. Property and contracting parties
2. Project drawings and installation areas
3. Exact siding product
4. Accessories and trim
5. Removal and substrate preparation
6. Water-resistive barrier and flashing
7. Installation requirements
8. Allowances and concealed damage
9. Protection, cleanup, and disposal
10. Schedule, payment, and change orders
11. Inspection and correction
12. Warranty and closeout documents

1. Identify the Property and Responsible Parties

The contract should identify the legal business name of the contractor, the homeowner or authorized property owner, and the exact installation address. It should also provide current contact information and identify who has authority to approve changes.

• Property address
• Owner’s name and contact information
• Contractor’s legal name, address, phone, and email
• Applicable contractor registration or license information
• Liability and workers’ compensation insurance information
• Project manager and site supervisor
• Person authorized to approve written change orders

Gentek’s Fairhaven Sound warranty information recommends selecting a licensed and insured contractor. Homeowners should verify current local registration, licensing, permit, and insurance requirements rather than relying solely on a statement in the proposal.

2. Attach Elevations Showing Where Each Product Goes

Written descriptions such as “front gables” can be interpreted differently. Mark the exact installation areas on photographs or simple elevation drawings.

Each elevation should identify:

• Walls receiving Fairhaven Sound
• Walls receiving another siding profile
• Horizontal and vertical transition locations
• Accent returns around corners
• Areas excluded from the project
• Trim and color changes
• Windows, doors, vents, fixtures, masonry, and roof intersections

Date the approved elevations and make them part of the signed agreement. If the design changes, issue revised elevations with the written change order.

3. Name the Exact Fairhaven Sound Product

Product specifications and availability can change. Confirm the profile, color, packaging, and accessory compatibility against current Gentek literature when the order is placed.

4. List Every Accessory and Trim Component

“All necessary trim” is too vague for a design-sensitive project. The proposal should identify the type, manufacturer, material, color, and location of visible components whenever those details have been selected.

• Starter components
• Inside and outside corners
• Window and door surrounds
• Horizontal transition bands
• Receiving channels and termination components
• Frieze-board and soffit transitions
• Mounting blocks for lights, vents, faucets, and receptacles
• Trim at masonry and roof intersections
• Fascia, soffit, or rainware included in the project

Gentek’s Color Clear Through® system is intended to help coordinate exterior components. Coordination should still be verified with physical samples because different materials and surface textures can reflect light differently.

5. Define Removal and Wall Preparation

New cladding should not be used to conceal an unknown substrate. Specify what will be removed, what will remain, and how the wall will be evaluated after exposure.

• Existing siding and accessory removal
• Disposal or recycling responsibility
• Removal of abandoned nails, fasteners, and loose material
• Inspection of sheathing and framing where exposed
• Correction of uneven or unsuitable surfaces
• Treatment of existing paint, rot, mold, or insect damage
• Responsibility for hazardous-material testing or abatement
• Photographs required before the wall is covered

PEPA notes that polypropylene panels are unique and that manufacturer instructions must be reviewed. Its code guidance also states that polypropylene siding requires an appropriate sheathing substrate. The current product instructions and local code control the final installation.

6. Specify Water-Resistive Barrier and Flashing Work

The proposal should not treat the water-resistive barrier as an unnamed sheet behind the siding. Identify whether the contractor will retain, repair, or replace it and how it will connect to flashing.

Include responsibility for:

• Water-resistive-barrier product and installation
• Seams, laps, tears, and penetrations
• Window and door head, jamb, and sill conditions
• Roof-to-wall step flashing
• Kick-out flashing at roof terminations
• Masonry ledges and material transitions
• Deck and porch attachments
• Exterior utilities and mounting blocks

PEPA’s installation guidance says vinyl, insulated vinyl, and polypropylene siding must be installed over a water-resistive barrier. Project-specific flashing must also comply with current codes and the instructions for windows, doors, roofing, and other connected products.

7. Establish Installation Requirements

Do not attempt to rewrite Gentek’s entire installation procedure into the contract. Incorporate the current manufacturer instructions by reference, require that they be available to the crew, and identify important project-specific expectations.

• Install according to current Gentek requirements for the exact Fairhaven Sound profile.
• Follow applicable codes and approved permit documents.
• Use compatible fasteners of the required type, length, spacing, and corrosion resistance.
• Allow required expansion and contraction.
• Keep courses level and transitions aligned with approved elevations.
• Stagger or arrange joints according to the product instructions.
• Do not face-fasten panels unless a manufacturer-approved detail specifically requires it.
• Do not block intended drainage or ventilation openings.
• Obtain written approval before deviating from the specified profile, color, or visible trim.

PEPA specifically advises following manufacturer specifications for polypropylene siding rather than assuming generic PVC vinyl-siding directions are interchangeable.

8. Price Concealed Damage Before It Becomes a Dispute

Contractors cannot reliably price deterioration they cannot see. Homeowners should not expect unknown rot to be repaired for free, but they should know how additional work will be measured and approved.

Establish unit prices or a written pricing method for likely discoveries:

• Sheathing replacement per sheet or square foot
• Framing repair by defined labor and material method
• Water-resistive-barrier repair beyond the base scope
• Window or door flashing reconstruction
• Fascia, soffit, or trim-board replacement
• Specialty-trade work involving electrical, plumbing, gas, or HVAC systems

Require photographs and a written change order before concealed-condition work proceeds, except for narrowly defined emergency measures needed to protect the property.

9. Define Protection, Cleanup, and Disposal

• Protection of landscaping, roofing, windows, decks, and pavement
• Location and duration of material storage
• Daily removal of loose debris and fasteners
• Dumpster or trailer placement
• Responsibility for damaged plants or surfaces
• Final magnetic sweep where appropriate
• Removal of labels, protective film, and excess sealant
• Final cleaning method consistent with Gentek guidance

10. Make Schedule, Payment, and Change Orders Specific

The Better Business Bureau recommends a written home-improvement contract and retaining that agreement for future reference. A useful contract identifies the project schedule, payment obligations, and how changes will be handled.

• Estimated start and substantial-completion windows
• Conditions that may reasonably affect the schedule
• Deposit and progress-payment amounts
• Objective milestones connected to each payment
• Amount retained until punch-list completion, if agreed
• Method for approving substitutions and changes
• Price and schedule effect of every change order
• Responsibility for permits, inspections, and fees
• Cancellation and dispute provisions required by applicable law

Contract and lien laws vary by state. Projects in Iowa and Illinois should use the requirements applicable to the property location. Obtain legal advice when contract rights or obligations are uncertain.

11. Define Inspection and Correction

Schedule a walkthrough before scaffolding and equipment are removed when practical. The inspection should cover both appearance and completion of the agreed scope.

• Level courses and consistent profile alignment
• Secure but properly movable panels
• Finished corners and transitions
• Complete trim around windows and doors
• Roofline and masonry details
• Properly mounted vents, lights, faucets, and receptacles
• Open drainage and ventilation paths
• Correction of visible damage and excessive sealant
• Cleanup and removal of project debris

Record incomplete or disputed items in a written punch list with responsible parties and target correction dates.

12. Require a Complete Closeout Package

Final payment should correspond with the contract’s agreed completion and documentation requirements. A useful closeout package may include:

• Final invoice showing the installed product
• Approved change orders
• Permit and final-inspection records
• Before, during, and completed-project photographs
• Applicable contractor workmanship warranty
• Current Gentek product warranty
• Care and cleaning instructions
• Profile, color, production, or label information available from packaging
• Lien waivers or releases where appropriate and legally applicable
• Labeled spare panels and accessories

The FTC distinguishes product warranties from separately sold service contracts. Likewise, the Gentek material warranty and the contractor’s workmanship obligations should be identified as separate documents with separate responsible parties.

Copy-and-Adapt Project Specification Outline

This outline is a planning aid, not a complete contract or project-specific construction specification. It should be adapted to the property, applicable law, approved design, and current manufacturer requirements.

Warning Signs in a Siding Proposal

• No exact profile or color is named.
• The installation areas are not marked.
• All trim is described only as “standard.”
• Removal and substrate repair are omitted.
• Flashing is treated as optional caulking.
• Unknown damage has no pricing or approval process.
• Large payments are disconnected from verifiable milestones.
• Verbal promises are excluded from the written agreement.
• The warranty is described more broadly than the actual document.
• The contractor discourages permits or inspections where required.

The Bottom Line

A reliable siding project begins with a scope that another knowledgeable person can read and understand. The specification should connect the approved design with exact products, wall preparation, water management, installation responsibilities, pricing rules, and closeout documents.

If an important promise affects appearance, cost, performance, or responsibility, put it in writing. Clear specifications do not eliminate every surprise, but they make bids more comparable and project decisions far easier to verify.