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Green Energy Home Improvement
 is
an approved Affiliate of The Home Service Store® and offers Windows,
Siding, Roofing, and more through
BJ’s Home Improvement
program in BJ’s Wholesale Club®. Ask about our BJ’s Member only
savings. Contact us today to learn
more.
 GE-HI
is Lead-Safe Certified under the EPA. Learn more about RRP (Renovation,
Repair and Painting at the EPA website.
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GE-HI Questions and Answers
Don’t see your question of interest? Contact GE-HI today to learn more, or to request our Home Energy Assessment. Also see Replacement Windows FAQs, Siding FAQs, and Roofing & Water Management FAQs. At GE-HI, we do more than provide a quote or sell you a product. We help you make the best decisions for your home.
What is the relationship between Green Energy Home Solutions (GE-HI), and Hartwell Home Improvement?GE-HI reflects what we’ve become, one of the most trusted sources for quality weatherization services, replacement windows, insulated siding, roofing and water management, and entry doors throughout New England. GE-HI reflects what we’ve heard from you, our customers. You want quality windows, doors, roofing, and vinyl siding at an affordable price. Pure and simple. GE-HI offers affordable, low maintenance products and energy efficiency services. Our high quality offers your family comfort, health, and peace-of-mind. Our experience and reputation means you have a wide range of great products to choose from. How long will my project take?Once we have your order in hand, a team of professionals begins production planning. Our Production Department first schedules a visit to your home to confirm the measurements and quantities needed for ordering materials. Work specifications for each trade skill are broken down onto separate work orders. Permits and applications, including required drawings, have to be completed and filed with the appropriate building departments. Purchase orders are prepared and sent to each vendor supplying materials. When all the paper work is done, your order is put onto the work schedule, awaiting the availability of the appropriate crew or crews to begin production. Generally only three things come between this point and the beginning of your project: work currently in progress, work scheduled prior to yours, and the unpredictability of Mother Nature. Once the work is started on your home it is our company’s policy to proceed to completion. It’s important for each homeowner to understand that our concern is much the same as yours: the successful completion of our contract. How much will my home improvements cost?Projects vary widely depending on your needs and budget. Our representatives visit with you to better understand your home improvement needs. At GE-HI we do more than give you a quote. We provide you with the information you need to make the right decisions for your home. Our representatives take time to explain the details about your siding, roof, windows, and doors. We answer all of your questions and explain our estimates for your home improvement project. There is no obligation. No hard sell. Give us some time to review your wish list and we will give you valuable information. We believe that an educated consumer is our best customer! Request a Free Estimate. Are your workmen employees or subcontractors?We employ both. When we hire a tradesman we focus on his or her skill set. The best in this business are very creative, personable, and customer oriented. Our concern is to employ the finest talent to the most outstanding effect. Can I save money by obtaining my own building permit?You can! However you will be excluded from the guarantee fund of MGL chapter 142A. Beware of any contractor who asks or recommends that you obtain your own building permit. At GE-HI, we would prefer our customers take advantage of the protections we can acquire for you through our professional expertise. Are there independent groups that define standards for building products?Yes, there are organizations that establish standards for products; however, they do NOT test compliance with the standards. These organizations set standards for architects and builders to apply when defining the materials used in building construction. Independent testing laboratories measure whether or not products stand up to the ASTM or AAMA specifications. A given manufacturer will submit its products to an independent testing lab to determine compliance with the standards. The independent testing lab reports compliance to the appropriate organization, so that a certification can be issued and a record of the certificate maintained. What agencies set the standards for manufacturers producing products for the home improvement market?There are many, a few follow. ASTM The American Society for Testing and Materials. Publishes voluntary consensus standards for materials. AAMA The American Architectural Manufacturers Association. Publishes standards for and a list of compliant manufacturers. The “ANSI/AAMA/NWWDA 101/I.S.2” standard for fenestration products includes structural, energy efficiency, and component part compliance before a product is “AAMA” certified. AAMA also requires manufacturers submit to and pay for periodic independent audits of their compliance with certification by ANSI. ANSI The American National Standards Institute. Administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. IGCC Insulated Glass Certification Council. These folks test for glazing seal durability. Who are the agencies that set standards for how products are installed in a residential home?Your local Building Inspector generally uses the Massachusetts Building Code. Its root is derived from the ICC, the International Code Council. A huge portion of the code is dedicated to public buildings. A very small portion is dedicated to residential housing, and almost none refers to window product standards (once you eliminate structural framing issues). That is why it is good to find a window installer with high standards that you can trust, like GE-HI. What types of insurance should a contractor carry?Contractors should carry at least three types of insurance: automobile, workman's compensation, and comprehensive general liability (CGL). You should require proof of insurance before allowing a contractor to begin work on your property. How do I get proof of a contractor's insurance?Don't leave insurance to chance. Ask your contractor to have his insurance company send you a copy of the firm's current "certificate of insurance." Insurance carriers do not charge anything for this service. Then you can be sure you've done your "due diligence" in protecting your family and property during renovation. View a copy of the Certificate of Liability Insurance issued to GE-HI. How much Worker's Comp should a contractor carry?Workman's Compensation is a state controlled insurance and as such, just having it is enough. However, in 2007 the state established a distinction between company owners and employees. Workman’s Compensations board has always required employees to be insured, but owners were in a kind of limbo. The new law requires owners to choose if they are exempt or included. There is a large fee to include owners. Most small companies cannot afford the fee. BEWARE: If your contractor does not have workman’s compensation coverage for himself and he is hurt on site, it is your home owner’s policy that is challenged in court. If the contractor's vehicles have Massachusetts license plates, the State Insurance Board controls the quality of the company. What should I know about comprehensive general liability (CGL)?A CGL carrier will be rated by an independent national agency that determines financial strength - in other words, the ability to pay a large claim. Always look for an AAA rated CGL carrier. CGL Limits of coverage below $1,000,000 should be considered low and CGL limits of coverage over $2,000,000 are considered to be excessive for most situations. Do I need to worry about subcontractor's coverage as well?Your only concern is the contractor with whom you have a contract. If your contractor brings in an uninsured subcontractor, you are covered through the general contractor's insurance. For Frequently Asked Questions on a Specific Topic, please visit the following pages: Service AreaWe improve homes in Boston, Newton, Canton, and throughout Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. We have remodeled homes and have replaced roofs, siding, windows, doors in many towns and neighborhoods including: Abington, Acton, Amesbury, Andover, Arlington, Ashland, Attleboro, Avon, Ayer, Bedford, Bellingham, Belmont, Beverly, Billerica, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brockton, Brookline, Burlington, Cambridge, Canton, Chelmsford, Chelsea, Concord, Danvers, Dedham, Dover, Dracut, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Everett, Fairhaven, Fall River, Foxboro, Framingham, Franklin, Hanover, Hanson, Haverhill, Hingham, Holbrook, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Hull, Ipswich, Kingston, Lakeville, Lawrence, Lexington, Lincoln, Littleton, Lowell, Lynn, Lynnfield, Malden, Manchester, Mansfield, Marblehead, Marlboro, Marshfield, Mattapoisett, Maynard, Medfield, Medford, Medway, Melrose, Methuen, Middleboro, Milford, Millis, Milton, Natick, Needham, Norfolk, North Andover, North Attleboro, North Billerica, North Easton, North Reading, North Weymouth, Northborough, Norton, Norwell, Norwood, Peabody, Pembroke, Plainville, Plymouth, Quincy, Randolph, Raynham, Reading, Revere, Rockland, Salem, Saugus, Scituate, Sharon, Sherborn, Shrewsbury, Somerset, Somerville, South Easton, Southborough, Stoneham, Stoughton, Stow, Sudbury, Swampscott, Taunton, Tewksbury, Wakefield, Walpole, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, Wellesley, West Bridgewater, West Roxbury, Westborough, Westford, Weston, Westport, Westwood, Weymouth, Whitman, Wilmington, Winchester, Winthrop, Woburn, Wrentham In Boston - Allston, Boston, Brighton, Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Mission Hill, Roslindale, South Boston, West Roxbury In Newton - Auburndale, Chestnut Hill, Newton, Newton, Newton Center, Newton Corner, Newton Highlands, Newton Lower Falls, Newton Upper Falls, Newtonville, Nonantum, Waban, West Newton In Rhode Island - Lincoln, Providence, Pawtucket, Cumberland, Central Falls, East Providence, Cranston, Warwick, Smithfield, North Smithfield, Johnston, Woonsocket, Tiverton, North Providence, Portsmouth, Glocester, Coventry, Scituate, East Greenwich, West Greenwich, West Warwick, Barrington, Warren, Bristol.
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