Quick Answer
Before placing an order, give each aluminum windows manufacturer the same project schedule and ask for written confirmation of the specification, production milestones, delivery responsibilities, and after-sales terms. A published lead-time example applies only to the stated product and start point; it does not automatically include shipping or arrival at the project site.
A Project Buyer's Aluminum Window Manufacturer Checklist
| Topic | What to confirm before comparing or ordering |
|---|---|
| Production cycle | When does the production clock start? Is the schedule tied to approved drawings, deposit confirmation, material availability, or another milestone? Ask for a product- and order-specific schedule. |
| Delivery | Which delivery term and destination are included? Confirm packing, transport, insurance, customs and destination handling, unloading, and who arranges installation. Keep production time separate from transit and site delivery. |
| After-sales and warranty | Request the written coverage period and scope, exclusions, claim evidence and process, response channel, spare-parts availability, and whether labor or freight is included. |
| Customization | Clarify which options can be selected within an existing system-such as finish, hardware, glazing, or opening type-and whether any requested change requires new tooling or a separate engineering review. |
| Sizes | Provide a window schedule or drawings with each opening's width, height, quantity, opening direction, and installation conditions. Ask the supplier to confirm which dimensions are being quoted. |
| Profiles | Identify the exact profile series and relevant section drawings. Confirm frame depth, visible sightlines, finish, and whether a thermal break or other specified feature is included in that configuration. |
| Design | Confirm the opening style, handing, fixed and operable sections, mullion layout, color, finish, and how the frames relate to the façade and interior details. |
| Glass | Specify the glass build-up and any project needs for safety, privacy, solar control, insulation, or sound reduction. Check the proposed glass against sash size, frame system, and the project requirements. |
| Complete solution | List what the supplier will provide-from drawing review and product selection to manufacture, packing, shipping coordination, installation guidance, or local installation. Treat each item as included only when it appears in the quotation or agreement. |
Separate Production Time from Delivery Time
A useful lead-time statement names the product and the event that starts the clock. For example, SGL's flush casement aluminium windows page gives a production-cycle estimate of 20–35 days after drawing approval and deposit confirmation and says special finishes or bar layouts may take longer. This is an example for that product page; it should not be applied to every aluminum window or treated as a shipping or site-delivery estimate.
Make Customization Specific
"Custom aluminum windows" can refer to different levels of change. A supplier may be able to configure an existing system for a project's dimensions, opening style, finish, hardware, and glass. A request for a new profile extrusion or a structural change is a different scope and should be confirmed separately. Sending a complete window schedule helps the manufacturer identify what is being requested and where further technical review may be needed.
Profile, design, and glazing should also be reviewed together. A frame series, opening size, sash layout, hardware, and glass build-up form one assembly. Choosing each item independently can leave the buyer without confirmation that the proposed combination matches the project. SGL's Aluminum Windows category outlines product families and buyer inputs such as drawings, sizes, glass, colors, hardware, and project configurations. Its SGL-90 Series page is one product-specific example.
Define the Complete Solution in Writing
Some buyers need product manufacture and export packing; others also need drawing coordination, delivery planning, or installation arrangements. Those scopes are not interchangeable. Before accepting a proposal, list the deliverables, exclusions, approval points, shipping endpoint, and party responsible for each task. Confirm warranty and after-sales arrangements in writing rather than assuming they follow from a "complete solution" description.
For a comparable quote, send the same drawings, schedule, destination, preferred configuration, and requested scope to each shortlisted manufacturer. Review the technical offer, timeline, delivery responsibilities, and after-sales terms together. The best comparison is the one where product, schedule, delivery, and service scope are clear in writing for the selected system.
FAQ
Q: How long does it take an aluminum windows manufacturer to produce an order?
A: Timing depends on the product, quantity, customization, and the milestone that starts the production schedule. SGL's flush-casement page lists 20–35 days after drawing approval and deposit confirmation, with special finishes or bar layouts potentially taking longer. This is a product-specific production example, not a shipping or site-delivery estimate.
Q: Can aluminum windows be made to custom sizes?
A: Some systems can be configured to project dimensions after the manufacturer reviews drawings or a window schedule. Confirm the exact opening sizes, tolerances, opening types, and installation conditions in the approved drawings. A request for a new extrusion or structural change may require a separate engineering and tooling review.
Q: What information should I send when requesting a quotation?
A: Send the project location, drawings or window schedule, quantities, opening sizes and styles, preferred profile, glass, finish, and hardware. Also state the delivery destination, required project timeline, and whether the quotation should include packing, shipping coordination, or installation support.
Q: Does a "complete solution" automatically include delivery and installation?
A: Not automatically. Suppliers use different scopes for this phrase. Ask the manufacturer to list what is included, the delivery endpoint, exclusions, installation responsibilities, and after-sales terms in the quotation or agreement.
Q: How should I compare aluminum profiles and glass options?
A: Review them as one window assembly. Match the profile series, sash size, hardware, glass build-up, and project requirements, then ask the manufacturer to confirm the proposed configuration in the approved drawings and product documents. Do not assume that a glass option or frame depth alone establishes whole-window performance.
Q: What should I check in warranty and after-sales terms?
A: Confirm the coverage period, covered components, exclusions, claim process, response channel, spare-parts availability, and whether labor or freight is included. Request these terms in writing for the selected product and destination.
