In the process of building a new house, you're going to encounter skyrocketing costs of all shapes and sizes.
Among these may be garage door installation.
This isn't an area where most homeowners-new or old-have a lot of experience, so it can be difficult to quantify all of the factors that go into making a decision.
When is a contractor being up front and fair with you? How much is too much? These questions must be answered before you can move forward.
The fact is that you can spend as much or as little as you want (within reason) when going through this process.
But your decision will have consequences.
Here are some considerations that will help you weigh the costs.
Need If you're building a new home or your current equipment is in severe disrepair, this will be an easy consideration to address.
You need it.
If you're somewhere in between, however, the question becomes much more difficult to answer.
How necessary is garage door installation right now? Just because you're having a few problems with function, you may not need to purchase an entirely new system.
Some pointed repairs can be done for much less and give you the same results.
On the other hand, if you have rust and rot that can't be repaired, you know what you need to do.
Type As with anything, there are several types of garage door installation from which to choose.
Generally speaking, the biggest differences are going to come in the form of the materials used.
This is also where you're going to find the biggest disparities in price.
This choice goes well beyond price, of course.
The type of material you choose is going to have an impact on your aesthetics, your function, and the life of the door.
Inclusion If you're calling around to get quotes from contractors, make sure you know what's included in the price and, more importantly, what isn't.
Tracks can add substantially to the bottom line price, so you need to make sure they are included in any estimates you get.
You should also look at the bottom line cost of materials.
Pay attention to how much you are paying for labor, and how much for the materials.
Beyond that, look at the warranty you're getting.
You never want to pay for the same garage door installation more than once.
If a company is willing to accept your money to come out and do the job, they should be willing to put more than their reputation behind the work.
If something goes wrong in a month, or a year, you should be able to get it fixed for free.