BUILDERS WINDOW SUPPLY

I did a major kitchen remodel project where I replaced windows and doors with new Marvin wood windows and doors. As the home owner, I went direct to supplies to avoid paying the mark-up that a contractor would have charged. Armed with plans and specs, we got estimates and good prices from Builders Window Supply. The staff was helpful and tried to explain stuff in non-industry terms so everyone was on the same page. They were fairly knowledgeable about the product set and had good recommendations and referrals for painters/stainers. They were prompt in returning calls and providing information on the products. Since we had official plans, they didn't come out to measure the existing windows/doors (mistake #1). The problem came up when it turned out that in order to help us save money, they ordered a smaller door size than was on the plans and didn't clearly tell me that this was what they were doing (mistake #2). So when the doors go to get installed, they were 4" shorter than they should be (so instead of the standard 6' 8" door, the doors were 6' 4"). Now the reason for this was because we had an existing opening for some french doors that were a set width. In order to avoid having a "custom" door created by Marvin, they looked at the width and then found a height that would match. When the installers realized what we had, everything got put on hold while it was figured out. Working with Builders Window Supply on this turned into a complete disaster. They basically said "you signed off on it" which technically was accurate, but they also neglected to properly disclose that they were deviating from what was asked for in the building plans. We tried coming up with multiple solutions, and initially they were very hesitant to do anything other than allow us to buy new doors from them at cost. We could then try to sell the doors on Craigslist or a builder consignment type seller. The problem is that 1) chances are we'd take a huge bath on the doors and at best case senario get about 50% of what we paid and 2) no one would most likely want this size of door. Ultimately, after about 2 months of negotiations, we struck a deal where they would take back the Marvin doors that were the wrong size, give us a credit of about $1,300 (for doors that we paid $4,600 for) and order a new set of doors from a different vendor. And then they could try to sell the "old" doors to another customer that may have had a specific need for smaller "retrofit" size doors. Now, keep in mind I got another "fix it" type bid/estimate from another supplier who basically told us that no one should ever get that size of door because it's just not what's used and it's not even up to code. And that if we did ask for that size, that any supplier should have had a flag go up and double check that it was really want we wanted. This other guy felt so bad, that he basically said that he'd sell any replacement door to us at an "employee cost" which was like cost plus 5% or something. (So now I know what the mark up was on these doors I was sold...and Builders Window Supply kept telling me they were "losing" money. Oh well.) When the new doors showed up ... wouldn't you know it, the single french door was the wrong width (28" instead of 30" wide)! I just kept the door and made due, rather than go through the process again. In this case, it worked out in the end, but took far too long and far too much money to resolve. I can't say I'd work with these guys again just due to my bad experience. However, if you know EXACTLY what you need, and are really, really confident you know what you're doing and can double, even triple check, their orders, then they're probably a good source for doors and windows. But I'd warn that if something does wrong, you're completely on your own.