What to Expect During Installation: A Complete Guide

Before getting into detail, it helps to see the shape of the whole process. Every stage matters, but the two that most affect your day-to-day life — installation and the immediate aftercare period — are also the shortest.

Initial consultation

1–2 hours, on site or by appointment

Technical survey

Usually 1–3 hours depending on project size

Manufacture lead time

4–10 weeks, product dependent

Installation, per window

Roughly 1–2 hours

Installation, whole house (3–4 bed)

3–7 working days

Snagging and sign-off

Same day as final fix, or within a week

The process usually begins with a conversation rather than a tape measure. This is where you describe what you are trying to achieve — more light in a kitchen, a quieter bedroom facing a road, a whole-house upgrade to bring an older property up to modern thermal standards — and get an honest view on what is realistic for the building.

For period properties, conservation areas or listed buildings, this is also the point at which planning considerations are raised. It is far better to know before you fall in love with a particular frame colour that the property sits inside a conservation area with restrictions on materials and finish.

Once you decide to proceed, a technical surveyor visits to measure every opening precisely, check the condition of surrounding brickwork, render, timber or stone, and confirm structural details that affect the final specification — cavity widths, lintel positions, sill depths and existing drainage.

This is also when practical questions are settled: which way doors should hang, where handles sit, whether trickle vents are needed for building regulations compliance, and how existing frames will be removed without damaging surrounding finishes. On older stone or render properties, the surveyor will flag anything that needs remedial work before new frames go in, so it can be priced and scheduled rather than discovered on installation day.

• Exact width and height of every opening, taken at multiple points
• Condition of the surrounding wall, sill and lintel
• Cavity depth and insulation position, where visible
• Internal finishes that may need protecting or making good
• Access for delivery and disposal, including any restrictions
• Confirmation of colour, glass and hardware specification

Between survey and installation, your windows or doors are manufactured to order. This is not a stock product pulled off a shelf: aluminium and Residence Collection frames are cut, welded or mechanically jointed, glazed and finished to the exact dimensions confirmed at survey.

Lead times vary by system and by how busy the factory is, but as a guide, aluminium windows and doors typically take six to ten weeks from confirmed order to delivery, and Residence Collection timber-look uPVC is often a little quicker, at four to eight weeks. Bespoke colours, slim-frame sliding systems and large or unusual sizes tend to sit at the longer end.

You will usually be contacted to confirm a start date once frames are complete and quality-checked at the factory. This is the point to sort out the practical things covered in more detail in our guide to preparing your home: clearing access to each opening, moving valuables and delicate items, and arranging parking for a van or two.

For larger projects, the installation team will usually talk through the running order in advance — which rooms first, whether any openings need to stay weathertight overnight partway through the job, and what that means for pets, children or anyone working from home during the week.

This is the stage most homeowners picture when they think about window replacement, and it is usually more contained than expected. A single window or door is often a half-day job. A full house is a coordinated sequence rather than one long chaotic event.

1. 01Arrival and protectionThe team arrives, introduces themselves, and lays dust sheets and protective boards across floors, staircases and any furniture near the working area before anything is touched.
2. 02Removal of the old unitThe existing window or door is carefully removed. On period properties this is done with particular care to avoid damaging surrounding stone, render or plasterwork.
3. 03Making good the openingAny remedial work identified at survey — repointing, replacing a damaged sill, addressing a soft lintel — is carried out before the new frame goes in.
4. 04Fitting the new frameThe new window or door is offered into the opening, checked for level and square, packed and mechanically fixed. This is the step that determines long-term performance, so it is not rushed.
5. 05Sealing and insulatingGaps between frame and structure are insulated and sealed both internally and externally to control draughts, moisture and cold bridging.
6. 06External finishingExternal trims, sills and weatherproofing details are completed so the opening is fully protected from the elements the same day.
7. 07Internal finishing and clean-upInternal trims are fitted, hardware is adjusted, and the immediate work area is cleared of packaging and debris before the team moves to the next opening or leaves for the day.

Installation is carried out by experienced installation teams we know and trust, specialists who fit our products day in, day out and are familiar with the particular challenges of Cumbrian properties: solid stone walls, exposed elevations, and the settlement and irregularity you find in buildings that are often well over a century old.

You should expect the team to be identifiable, punctual, and willing to explain what they are doing at any point. If you have specific concerns — a nervous pet, a home office that needs quiet hours, a driveway that cannot be blocked — raise them before the day, not on it.

Cumbria's weather is a genuine factor in scheduling, and a sensible installer will not open up a large elevation on a day with heavy driving rain forecast. Light rain rarely stops work; teams carry protective sheeting for exactly this reason. Expect some noise from removal work, some dust despite protective sheeting, and the ordinary presence of a van outside for the duration.

Heating and hot water are not affected unless a boiler flue happens to sit within a window being replaced, which is unusual and would be flagged at survey. Broadband and telephone lines are occasionally routed near openings; this is also checked in advance so nothing is disconnected unexpectedly.

At the end of the job, someone walks the property with you, opens and closes every window and door, demonstrates hardware including any multi-point locking or restrictors, and answers questions on the spot. Any snags — a stiff handle, a trim that needs a final scribe, a touch-up to paintwork disturbed during the work — are noted and scheduled for a return visit, typically within a week or two.

You should receive guarantee documentation, care and cleaning instructions, and, where applicable, a FENSA or Certass compliance certificate confirming the work meets current building regulations. Keep these with your household paperwork; they matter if you sell the property.

New sealant around frames typically needs a short period to fully cure, and it is sensible to avoid pressure-washing new frames or heavy cleaning for the first couple of weeks. Our separate guides to aftercare and maintenance cover this in detail, including the simple seasonal routine that keeps hardware and seals performing for decades.

It is also worth knowing what your guarantee actually covers from this point, since the paperwork can look denser than it needs to. Our guide to guarantees sets out, in plain terms, what is covered, for how long, and what would invalidate cover.