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General FAQ
We have tried to answer some of our most commonly
asked questions below. Click on any question to go to the answer on this
same page. You might also be interested in learning more
about engineering for our materials packages
or have questions about building permits.
Do you have pricing information on your website? How do I get an
estimate?
Do you
accept credit cards?
Do you accept
checks? What about traveler's checks?
Do you
accept debit cards?
Can I buy materials without a building permit? Do I need a building
permit?
From the time I place my order, how long is it before I can pick my
materials up?
What size vehicle do I need to pick up my materials? Can I use a
trailer?
Do I pay for my materials when I order or when I pick them up?
Can I order materials over the internet or phone or do I have to do it in person?
Even though you don't offer delivery or shipping, can I arrange for my
own delivery or shipping?
I don't live in Florida. Will these materials work in other states?
Do you have pricing information on your website? How do I get an
estimate?
We do not put
pricing information on our website. It
is simply impossible to present pricing
information in a meaningful way since
almost everything we sell is highly
customized. The sheer number of options
available for most materials packages is
simply overwhelming, so that is why you
will want to talk to us directly. We
make it easy for you to get just what
you want without being bogged down with
confusing options. We gladly provide
free estimates, just call us or stop by.
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Do you accept
credit cards?
Yes. We accept
Visa, Master Card, Discover, and
American Express.
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Do you accept checks?
What about traveler's checks?
Yes, we accept
checks and traveler's checks (except
temporary checks) with proper i.d. All
checks are now processed electronically
at the time of sale just like a debit
card.
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Do you accept
debit cards?
Yes, we can
accept most types of debit cards.
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Can I buy materials without a building permit?
Do I need a building permit?
Yes, you can
definitely buy materials without a
building permit. We sell aluminum
building materials just like a lumber
yard sells wooden building materials.
You don't need a building permit to buy
materials at a lumber yard and you don't
need a building permit to buy materials
from us.
Whether or not
you need a building permit depends on
what you doing. If you are building
something like a screen room or car port
or other structure then most likely you
will need a building permit. If you
are installing something like an awning
over a window or vinyl windows in your
screen room, then you may not need a
building permit. It is always best to
check with your local building
department as they have the final say as
to whether a permit is required.
If you want to
know more about building permits, click
here.
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From the time I place my order, how long is
it before I can pick my materials up?
This depends on
what you order. General timeframes are
as follows:
- For screen
room, car port, patio cover, and
modular room material packages it
generally takes 1-2 business days*
from the time you place the order
until we get the materials. If you
are having us cut the materials for
you, we generally need another 1-2
days for fabrication. If you are on
a tight schedule we will do our best
to expedite the process for you. We
can sometimes have these materials
packages ready for pickup the day
after you have ordered it, however
just keep in mind we don't get
Saturday deliveries, so we can not
expedite an order placed on Friday
to have it ready on Saturday. (We
don't charge any extra to expedite
an order, but we also can not
guarantee availability within that
time frame. We do request that you
pick up an expedited order as soon
as it is completed.)
- For prefab
room and lattice structure material
packages it generally takes 1-2
weeks for delivery. These material
packages are put together completely
by the manufacturer.
- For aluminum
building materials we do not have in
stock please allow 1-2 business days
typically*.
- For awnings
please allow 1-2 weeks typically,
although often they are available in
just a few days.
- For vinyl,
acrylic, or glass windows as well as
sliding screen units, please allow 2
weeks.
*Please note that if your order
includes custom materials such as
skylight panels, those custom
materials may take approx 2 weeks.
You can usually choose to pick up
all other materials earlier and pick
up the custom materials later, or
choose to pick up everything at
once.
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What
size vehicle do I need to pick up my materials? Can I use a trailer?
The size vehicle you need depends entirely on what
you are getting. Some things will fit into the average car, but many will
need something larger. Please call us to discuss what size your materials
will be.
In general a trailer, either enclosed or open, will
work, but again check with us to find out what sizes your materials will be.
If you have a pickup truck, that will likely work.
Another option many people use is to rent a small to mid-size truck like a
U-Haul or something similar. If possible with a rental truck you may find a
flat floor more convenient. U-Haul's typically have a lower loading height
because the wheel wells protrude above the floor. Others, like Ryder, have a
higher loading height but a completely flat floor. The flat floor is very
convenient if your project has the insulated roof panels as insulated roof
panels will NOT fit between the wheel wells of most trucks. Insulated roof
panels measure over 48" wide. However, either type of rental truck should
work just fine.
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Do I pay
for my materials when I order or when I pick them up?
For any custom
order we require a non-refundable 50%
deposit at the time the order is placed.
This is because the materials will be
made specifically for your project and
can not be used for other projects.
Before we can release materials to be
picked up, the balance must be paid in
full. Most people pay the balance when
they pick up the materials - you don't
have to make a special trip just to pay
the balance due.
If you like, you
can pay in full when you place the
order. This can be helpful if you will
be having other people pick up materials
for you.
Sometimes
customers are not entirely certain about
their purchase, but also do not want to
have to make another trip to our store
to place an order. In that case we can
take the normal 50% deposit but it will
be COMPLETELY refunded if
you change your mind. Although we take
the deposit, we do not actually order
any materials until you give us the go
ahead.
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Can I order materials over the internet or phone or do I have to do it in person?
Since we do not
provide shipping or delivery, we do not
take orders over the internet.
Furthermore, our material packages are
completely customized and it would be
impossible to provide this service over
the internet without direct customer
contact. We can take phone
orders and accept credit cards for
payment over the phone. We strongly
encourage you to visit our showroom to
see exactly what you will be buying,
though. Once you have seen the materials
you will be buying, placing an order by
phone later is no problem. And, of
course, you can order materials sight
unseen, but if at all possible you
should visit us so there is no confusion
as to exactly what materials you will be
getting.
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Even though you don't offer delivery or shipping, can I arrange for my own
delivery or shipping?
Absolutely you can arrange for your own
delivery or shipping of materials. In fact we have had other customers do
just that, including a shipment to Hawaii.
What you may find out, especially with
shipping long distances, is that shipping costs can easily exceed the cost
of the materials. These materials are not terribly heavy, however they are
usually long and/or bulky. Roof panels 4' x 12' or longer are typical and
beams 20' to 30' long are not uncommon. This often makes shipping
impractical and is why we do not offer shipping - it just is not economical.
If you do set up your own shipping, you
will also need to arrange with the shipping company to provide protection
for the materials. The materials are not packaged in such a way that they
would be protected during shipping. Due to the size of the materials it is
not possible for us to wrap or otherwise protect the materials for shipping.
The shipping company will likely have their own requirements for this.
Also, you may want to provide insurance
for your shipment. We can not be responsible for items lost or damaged
during shipping.
Finally, please arrange for your shipper
to make their pickup during our normal business hours. Our facility can
accommodate tractor trailers since that is how our manufacturers ship to us.
And we can assist with loading just as we assist all customers with loading.
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I
don't live in Florida. Will these materials work in other states?
Absolutely. These materials are
used and sold in most areas of the country. Please keep in mind,
however, that we can not engineer material packages for use outside
the state of Florida as we do not have any engineering data for
areas outside Florida. You should also keep in mind that Florida has
no snow and therefore no snow loads, and we can not engineer for
seismic conditions like found in California.
If you live in a state close to
Florida, you can easily pick up these materials yourself. In fact we
have had customers from Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, South
Carolina and a few from even further. We are only about 3 hours from
the Florida/Georgia border at I-95 we and just over 3 hours from the
Florida/Georgia border at I-75.
If you live in a state far from
Florida, might want to read the section above about
arranging your own shipping.
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