Frequently Asked Questions

No. CCI offers FREE estimates.

CCI has been serving Hawaii’s window, door and lanai enclosure needs since 1987. During that time we’ve installed literally thousands upon thousands of windows and doors.

CCI employs full-time installation and repair specialists and will send them out either separately or together to complete most jobs. However, we occasionally build teams utilizing subcontractors and part-time employees, supervised by our full-time employees, for large projects where additional manpower or specific expertise is needed.

Yes, CCI may recommend a certain type or brand of window based on your needs. However you, as the customer, always make the final determination. We are dealers in PlyGem, Alside, Victor Sun and other brands, many of them directly competing with one another.

We do this so that we can offer what we believe to be the right window for the customer, not just the one brand we sell.

We have a relationship and experience with these companies and feel comfortable that they produce quality products at fair prices and stand behind us and their products.

We also believe, for various reasons, that certain types of windows function well here in Hawaii due to our climate, while others may have features that are designed for different environments.  We have our experiences and opinions and will gladly share them with you.

We offer customers the experience to help them make the right choice and the choices to help them find the right windows.

 

Service calls are handled by our service and maintenance team. Full-time employees with the experience and expertise to help keep your windows and doors operating as they were meant to. We service what we sell and more.

If you have any issues or even questions, feel free call your CCI estimator or any of our associates, including Robin, the owner.

CCI typically requires a down payment of 50% when the contract is signed, which becomes non-refundable once materials are ordered, and the balance due upon substantial completion. Exceptions include service calls which are usually paid upon completion and large longer-term projects where any balance due may be broken up into smaller progress payments.

A late charge of 1.5% per month may be assessed on all past due accounts.

Installation typically includes an incidental painting of trim and surrounding areas disrupted during the installation process.  Available colors include our standard white and bronze (dark brown). Customers may supply color-matched paint if they wish.

Depending upon the type of windows, quantity and other factors, windows can take anywhere from a few days, for single pane picture windows to 12-14 weeks or longer for aluminum awning windows or specialty windows like commercial grade hoppers.

Our rule of thumb is vinyl takes 4-6 weeks to be delivered, aluminum takes 10-14 weeks.  The actual installation rate runs at about 3 windows per day per installer or 1 sliding door per day, depending upon the type of window or door being removed, the condition of the opening (the existence of dry rot, termite damage, or out of plumb openings), and the amount of trim and finish work required.

We strive to provide a realistic estimate of the installation date with every order.

Unless otherwise agreed to, we typically attempt to tastefully match the style of the home and existing windows.  Depending upon the type of window and installation method, we are able to do everything from simply caulking around the window to fabricating a tiered trim with sill and apron.

We typically use treated-primed-pine or redwood for trim or sill work due to its smooth, consistent appearance and resistance to pests and rot.  As for paint, we generally use Behr brand paint from Home Depot, which has consistently been rated as a top paint brand. These materials are chosen because we feel they provide lasting results.

Once the windows are delivered, installing 10 average sized windows typically takes anywhere from 2 to 5 days depending on the type and installation method of the windows coming out, the condition of the window openings and the trim work needed to complete the project.

Our installation specialists always do our best to close up any openings before leaving for the day.

CCI’s installation workmanship is generally warranted for 10 years.

CCI has completed thousands of installations all across Oahu. Call us for information on recently completed nearby projects.

Yes. CCI has a certified lead renovator on staff and all homes built prior to 1978 are tested for lead paint prior to, or at the time of, installation.

CCI recommends the following experts for assistance with lead or asbestos abatement:

James Lee

CORALCO CORPORATION

Ph 808-848-8171

www.coralcocorporation.com

CCI is not related to this service provider and does not receive compensation for recommending or referring business to them.

It depends on what you have now and what you intend to replace them with. Advertised energy savings are often based on mainland conditions, where inside and outside temperatures can differ by 30 degrees or more and can easily be overstated.  Hawaii’s ideal climate often means a/c systems are run only during certain months and only for short periods of time. In other words, your results may vary.

Depending on the windows you currently have, CCI does offer windows that can dramatically increase the airflow and security of your home. Awning windows, for instance, can provide a 100% increase in airflow over sliding or hung windows, which may allow you to use your a/c less often.

CCI has a wide selection of windows and doors, including the full line of window and door products from multiple manufacturers.

Depending upon the job, there may be several ways to install a window.  We discuss each installation with our installers and select a method at the time of the final measurement prior to actually ordering the window. No matter which method we choose, we do our best to ensure the window is secure, plumb and weather tight.  In addition, to the extent possible, we take care to aesthetically match the installation and style of existing windows and make sure they look as good as possible.

Your old windows will be broken down into their basic components and either recycled or disposed of safely and appropriately.

Window replacement is a personal decision. All windows, as with most things, have a finite useful service life. Windows will over time deteriorate, leak, crack, lose their lustre, and eventually may cease to function as intended. In addition, as with most things in your home, window technology changes. Seals become tighter, new features become available, styles change, new improvements in glass and windows become commonplace.

Yes. CCI’s owner, Robin Kameda, was born in Honolulu and grew up in Maui. A graduate of UH Manoa, he and his family now reside in Mililani. Employees include those born and raised in Hawaii and long time residents.

CCI offers a wide selection of windows and doors and has spent decades earning a reputation for excellent installation workmanship at fair prices. CCI has literally installed thousands upon thousands of windows and doors here in Hawaii over the last 28 years and we proudly service and stand behind what we sell.

CCI frequently offers large discounts, often over 50%, on in-stock windows and doors that were ordered or manufactured to incorrect specifications or otherwise overstocked. These are brand new windows that have never been installed and are not damaged or seconds. However, we choose not to emphasize these discounts in our advertisements because we feel that would be misleading, as they most likely would not fit a customer’s existing opening. They are, however, ideal for new construction or where the builder or homeowner has the ability to alter the existing opening.

As for why we do not discount new custom orders 30-40%, we don’t mark up our products enough to allow us to cut prices by those amounts. We feel a fair price, without sales gimmicks, allow customers to get their money’s worth, our employees to earn a decent wage and us to stay in business. As it should be.

Permits are the responsibility of the homeowner. If needed, CCI can recommend an experienced local permit specialist.

CCI recommends the following  experts for assistance with building permits:

For assistance with permits or architectural services:

Jenken Pacific Incorporated

William Wong, AIA

[email protected]

Ph 808-356-8788

or

Permits Hawaii, LLC

Lauren Davis-Hudson

Ph (808)394-0848

CCI is not related to either of these service providers and does not receive compensation for recommending or referring business to them.

Yes. Although CCI does not submit or coordinate requests for permits, we will provide any window, door or lanai enclosure related specs or diagrams needed for submission and will assist in providing additionally requested information where possible.

Depending upon conditions and the level of care and maintenance provided, windows can last several decades.

Each company words their warranty slightly differently and they can occasionally change, so it’s hard to say who has the best at any given time. Many offer limited lifetime warranties, some are transferrable, some are void within a certain distance from the ocean. Some cover the window but offer different protection on the hardware.

Often companies will offer coverage that sounds good, but in practice provide less than you might expect. For example, a glass breakage warranty may cover the glass but not the labor. When repairing broken glass, the labor is often more than the glass and glass breakage itself is not very common.

Another is a limited lifetime warranty that is not transferrable. On average US home buyers move 11 times in their lifetime and tend to stay in a home they’ve purchased for just over 10 years.