Every general contractor, remodeler and siding crew runs into it eventually. The homeowner wants the windows done while you're there. Maybe it's six openings on an addition, a few rotted units behind the new siding, or a bathroom window you can't leave as-is. You can do the install. Getting the right windows ordered is the part that eats your week.
Why window ordering is a hassle for non-window contractors
Harvey sells through distribution partners, and the normal route is to open an account: credit application, sometimes a minimum, then quotes at the counter and either a pickup or a scheduled delivery. If windows are your core business, that's the right setup. If windows are a few jobs a year, it's a lot of overhead for very little.
Then there's the order itself. Unit size versus rough opening, replacement versus new construction frames, hinge sides, grid patterns, glass packages, color. Window orders are unforgiving. A wrong size isn't a return; it's a reorder and a delay you have to explain to the homeowner.
The simpler way: buy through a Harvey installer
Window Inserts installs Harvey windows across Westchester, Putnam and Fairfield County, so we already order Harvey for our own jobs. We've opened that up to other contractors. You send us the takeoff, we quote it, and once you approve, we place the order and have it delivered to the jobsite or your yard.
No account to set up. And because we install these windows ourselves, every order gets checked by an installer before it's placed.
What to send us
A clean takeoff gets a fast quote. For each opening: location, style, size (and whether that's the unit size or the rough opening), the Harvey line, interior and exterior color, grid pattern, and any glass preference. Note whether it's a replacement or new construction opening. For doors: type, size, swing and handing.
A photo of a handwritten sheet is fine. If something is missing, we'll ask before we quote. And if you'd rather not measure, check the measuring box: inside our service area we'll come out and measure.
What we check before anything is ordered
We look for the mistakes we've seen cost contractors money. Sizes that look like rough openings listed as unit sizes. Casement hinge sides that don't match the layout. Grid patterns that don't match the rest of the house. Colors that change halfway down the list. Replacement units listed for openings that will need full frames.
If something looks off, we call you. Five minutes on the phone beats five weeks waiting on a reorder.
Delivery to the jobsite or your yard
Tell us where the windows go. Most contractors have them delivered straight to the homeowner's house, so there's no pickup and no double handling. If you stage materials, we can send them to your yard or shop instead. We confirm the expected delivery window with the quote so you can schedule the install around it.
Replacement or new construction: get this right first
Before anything else, know which kind of opening you're filling. Replacement (insert) windows go into an existing frame that stays in the wall. New construction and full-frame windows go into a rough opening, usually with a nailing fin, and need the old frame out and the opening flashed properly. Ordering the wrong type is one of the costliest mistakes on a window job, because the window can't go in and it can't go back.
On a remodel it's common to have both: replacement units in the existing rooms and new construction units in the addition. That's fine. Mark each opening clearly on the takeoff so the quote and the order reflect it.
A sample takeoff that quotes fast
Here's the kind of list that gets a quote back quickly. Opening 1, front bedroom left: Tribute double hung, replacement, white, colonial grids, 31 1/2 x 55 1/4 unit size. Opening 2, front bedroom right: same. Opening 3, kitchen over sink: Classic casement, hinged left viewed from outside, white, no grids. Opening 4, rear slider: Harvey gliding patio door, 72 x 80, left panel operating.
Every line says where it goes, what it is, which line, the color, the grids and the size, and whether the size is a unit size or a rough opening. If you're missing a piece, send what you have and we'll ask for the rest.
Timing the order around your schedule
Windows are built to order, so plan the order early in the job rather than when the walls are open. We confirm the expected delivery window with your quote so you can line up the crew. If your schedule moves, tell us as soon as you know and we'll work with you on the delivery date.
When to send the homeowner to us instead
Sometimes a window job is bigger than you want to take on: a whole house of windows, a tricky bay, or a homeowner who wants it all handled by one company. In that case, send them our way for a free installation estimate. You keep the rest of your job, and the windows get done right.
What happens on delivery day
Have someone at the address, or tell us where the windows can be left safely. Check the count against your order and look each unit over for shipping damage before the truck leaves. Every unit is labeled to an opening on your list, so stage them by room and your crew can work straight down the list. If anything is wrong or damaged, take photos and call us that day so we can get it sorted fast.
Your customer stays your customer
When you buy through us, we're your supplier. We deliver to the address you give us and we deal with you. We don't contact your client or quote around you.
Mixing lines and adding doors
One quote can cover everything Harvey makes: Tribute, Classic and Slimline vinyl windows, Majesty clad-wood windows, patio doors and entry doors. Plenty of jobs use Tribute on the front of the house and Classic elsewhere, or add a patio door to the same delivery. If the homeowner can't decide on a line, send them our Tribute vs Classic vs Slimline comparison.
By The Window Inserts team. Published November 6, 2026.