Five things to check before signing a storefront contract

A glass storefront contract is one of those documents that looks straightforward until something goes wrong. A leak six months in, a sagging door, an unhappy inspector, a panel that does not match the spec. Then the contract becomes the most important piece of paper in the room.

Before you sign, take an hour to verify these five details. We have seen each one be the difference between a clean job and a six-month dispute.

1. The scope is specific, not generic

The most common contract issue we see is a scope of work that says something like “supply and install glass and aluminum storefront” with no further detail. That sentence does not tell you what glass thickness, what aluminum grade, what door type, or whether the perimeter sealant is included.

The scope should name, in writing, the aluminum profile model and finish (by manufacturer and product code), the glass thickness and type (tempered, laminated, insulated, low-E) and any tint or coating, the door make and model including the closer, lock, hinges, and pull, the perimeter sealant responsibility, any structural anchors or backing required to support the storefront, and the cleanup and waste disposal arrangement.

The perimeter sealant line deserves its own attention. It is the single most commonly excluded item on Jamaican storefront contracts. The glazier installs the glass into the aluminum, and the gap between the aluminum and the building structure gets left for “someone else” to seal. Six months later, water is coming through that gap and nobody owns the problem. The contract must name who does the perimeter sealant.

Structural anchors are the next quiet gap. On older buildings, the existing structure may need additional steel or wood blocking to take the load of the new glass. Whether the installer or a separate contractor provides this should be named.

Cleanup and waste disposal sounds trivial until you realise nobody is bringing a skip. Whose crew removes the old storefront, and where does the waste go.

If the scope says “supply and install” with no further detail, the contract is incomplete. Push for the specifics in writing before signing.

Modern commercial storefront with glass doors showing the kind of finished install that depends on a tight contract

2. The warranty terms are clear and separate for workmanship versus parts

Glass storefronts have two distinct warranty layers. The installer’s workmanship warranty covers the install: that the panels were set correctly, the seals were applied properly, the hardware was mounted to spec. The manufacturer’s warranty covers the parts themselves: the aluminum profile, the glass, the door hardware, each with its own term.

The contract should state the installer’s workmanship warranty term (typically one year on Jamaican commercial work) and what it covers. Generally, workmanship warranties cover labour to fix install-related defects.

It should also state the hardware warranty terms by component. Door hinges and closers are often warranted for two to five years, aluminum profiles for ten to twenty, glass for one to two years against defects.

Exclusions should be specific. Storm damage, vandalism, owner abuse, cleaning with the wrong products, and modifications by other trades are commonly excluded.

And the contract should explain how warranty claims are actually handled. Who you call, what the response time commitment is, and what happens if the original installer is unavailable.

A contract with “warranty as standard” and no detail is not actually offering anything enforceable. Ask for the warranty terms in writing as part of the contract or attached as a schedule.

3. The installer has liability insurance and you have proof of it

Anything can happen on an install day. A panel can slip and crack a customer car parked outside. A worker can be injured. The crew can damage the interior of the unit during demolition. If the installer is not insured, you are exposed to all of it.

What to verify. The installer carries general liability insurance with a minimum coverage of JMD 10 million for property damage and bodily injury. Many installers carry more. The installer carries workers’ compensation insurance for the crew, which is required by Jamaican labour law and protects you from being chased by an injured worker who turns out not to be covered. And you have a copy of the current certificate of insurance, naming you (or your business) as a certificate holder for the duration of the project. Ask for it before signing, not after.

If the installer cannot produce a certificate of insurance, the install is uninsured. Whatever happens is on you. Walk away or sign at your own risk.

4. The payment terms protect both parties

Storefront installs typically use a payment schedule rather than a single payment at completion. A reasonable schedule for a Jamaican job looks like this.

A deposit at contract signing, usually 30 to 50 percent. This funds the materials order and the supplier’s deposit. Above 50 percent on a deposit is a yellow flag. Above 70 percent is a red one.

A progress payment when the materials arrive on site or fabrication is complete, usually 30 to 40 percent. This confirms the materials have actually been produced before the next payment is released.

Final payment on substantial completion, usually 15 to 30 percent. Substantial completion means the install is finished, the inspection has passed, and there are no significant punch-list items remaining.

The contract should also cover retention. Some contracts allow you to hold back 5 to 10 percent of the final payment for 30 to 60 days after completion as protection against latent defects. This is standard on larger commercial work.

And it should cover what happens if a payment is late (fees and interest should be reasonable, not punitive) and what happens if the work is delayed. Liquidated damages clauses that penalise the installer for missing deadlines are sometimes used on larger commercial work but rarely on small retail. Where they exist, they should be balanced and named in advance.

Be wary of a contract that asks for 70 to 100 percent up front before any materials arrive. That arrangement gives the installer no incentive to finish and gives you no recourse if they walk away.

5. The timeline commitment is realistic and named

The contract should include a written timeline with milestones, not just a single end date. A realistic milestone schedule for a Jamaican storefront contract looks like contract signing and deposit received (day zero), permit application submitted if applicable (within five business days), materials ordered and fabrication started (within five business days), materials delivered to site (week three to week ten, depending on spec), on-site install begins (within three business days of materials delivery), install complete (one to three days after start), and inspection passed and handover complete (within ten business days of install).

The contract should commit to these dates with reasonable flexibility for genuinely external delays (parish council permit delays, freight delays on imported materials, weather-related impossibilities).

What is not acceptable. A contract that says only “completion within 12 weeks” with no intermediate milestones. There is no way to tell if the project is on track until the end.

A contract that gives the installer the right to delay without notice or explanation. You should be entitled to written notice of any delay, with the reason and a revised date.

A contract with no completion date at all. Some smaller installers will sign open-ended contracts and finish whenever the work fits their schedule. Do not sign without a date.

A short closing word

We have done a lot of these. Most contracts get signed without anyone reading them carefully. Most of those installs end fine because most installers are decent and most projects do not have surprises. The five percent of jobs that do go wrong are the ones where someone wishes they had read the contract.

An hour with the contract before signing, with a question or two to the installer about anything unclear, is the cheapest insurance you can buy on a storefront project.

For background on the construction warranty types referenced here, see the Wikipedia entry on warranty.

The next step

If you are about to sign a storefront contract in Jamaica and want a second pair of eyes on it, our team is happy to look at any quote or contract before you commit, no strings attached. We will tell you what looks reasonable, what looks light on detail, and what we would push back on.

Request a contract review, browse our commercial work, or get a quote of our own to compare line by line against what you have on the table.