Supply Only or Supply and Install? How Responsibility Splits on an Aluminium Window and Door Project in Sydney

Most Sydney buyers compare windows and doors on product and price. The scope that decides whether a project runs smoothly sits one level below: who is accountable for measurement, freight, installation and after-sales service. A supply-only order and a supply-and-install order transfer different responsibilities to the buyer, and the difference is not always visible in the headline figure.

1. What a supply-only order covers

On a supply-only project, RS Doors & Windows is responsible for product and specification confirmation, technical coordination, production, quality checks, and delivery to the delivery point set out in the quotation. The scope covers the systems quoted, the agreed glass and hardware configuration, assembly of frames where applicable, and packaging for transport.

For a supply-only project, the product is handed over at the agreed delivery point. After delivery, the buyer or the buyer’s nominated installer is responsible for installation, on-site adjustment and the final finish.

2. What supply-and-install adds

Where installation is included, RS coordinates the local installation team and the local delivery team, and the installation programme is agreed in writing. A standard installation sequence covers:

• site condition check before work starts;
• verification of the openings against the delivered product;
• installation and fixing of the windows and doors;
• adjustment of level, plumb and operation;
• checks on hardware and function;
• a final site check and clean-up.

Installation is then checked and accepted with the responsible person or the buyer before handover.

3. Delivery terms decide who controls the freight

Four delivery terms are used on RS Doors & Windows quotations. They decide who arranges transport, where responsibility transfers, and which costs sit inside the quoted price.

Standard delivery is quoted on the basis that the site has a suitable area for unloading and that a truck can reach it. A delivery address within about 50 km of the Australian warehouse is the standard charging range. Where the address sits outside that range, the order is below the minimum quantity, or site conditions do not meet standard delivery requirements, additional transport costs are listed as a separate item in the quotation.

4. What a standard installation quote includes, and what it excludes

Installation is priced on the area of windows and doors supplied and on site conditions. The exclusions below are the ones that most often change a site total.

Two practical notes. First, replacement projects often expose existing wall or opening conditions that need adjustment, and the quote should state how those are handled. Second, any structural modification or extra rectification work is confirmed separately rather than absorbed into a standard installation price.

5. The sequence, and where measurement fits

Project briefing → quotation → quotation confirmation → measurement and site check → drawing confirmation → production and quality check → transport → arrival and site delivery → installation → commissioning check → acceptance and handover.

Measurement matters most on projects that include installation. On new-build projects the opening schedule and drawings drive the confirmation; on replacement projects the existing openings, wall structure and surrounding finishes are checked on site first, because conditions vary from building to building.

Drawings are prepared after the quotation is confirmed and the deposit is received. The confirmed dimensions, operation type, glass and product configuration become the basis of production.

6. Timeframes, storage and payment

• Timeframe. Counted from confirmed drawings and receipt of the deposit, first-container production takes about four to five weeks and sea freight about four to five weeks. From production to site delivery, approximately ten to twelve weeks is the planning reference for Sydney. For Adelaide, where the sea route differs, plan on fourteen to sixteen weeks.
• Storage. After the goods arrive, 14 days of free storage applies to DDP-to-site orders. Beyond that, storage is charged by the area used, and a part week is normally counted as a full week. The factory can hold finished goods free of charge for up to 30 days before shipment.
• Payment. For supply-only orders, 40% of the contract value is payable as a deposit and the remaining 60% before dispatch. Where installation is included, the structure is 40% as a deposit, 50% after the goods reach the Australian warehouse, before local delivery and installation are arranged, and the final 10% after completion.

7. Where the service boundary sits

RS Doors & Windows provides local consultation, measurement, delivery, installation and after-sales services in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. For other Australian locations, the supply is product only, and installation can be discussed on a project basis. Where installation is included, its scope and responsibilities are set out in the project quotation and terms.

8. Warranty and after-sales boundaries

Warranty terms are set out in the signed Warranty for each order. For standard projects the published periods cover powder coating for ten years, aluminium frames for ten years, glass for three years, and Australian-brand hardware for seven years. The exact coverage and conditions are set out in the signed Warranty for the order.

Warranty applies to material and workmanship defects. It does not extend to every issue caused by external conditions, site conditions or normal use. Damage from external factors, surface treatment failure caused by environmental factors, wear or colour change from normal use, and glass breakage are outside the standard warranty, subject to the exact terms in the signed document. Coastal, high-corrosion, special-environment and custom projects have warranty conditions agreed separately, so standard periods should not be assumed for them.

When a problem is reported, the cause is assessed before a solution is chosen, because a report can involve product or manufacturing issues, hardware or function, installation or site rectification, or site environment and use. Report the project address, the product location or number, a description of the issue, and photos or video. Warranty claims should in principle be raised within one week of the problem appearing, and repairs inside the warranty are carried out by RS Doors & Windows or an authorised agent.

9. What to check before signing

• Is the order quoted supply-only or supply-and-install, and is the installation scope written down?
• Which delivery term applies, and what is the standard charging distance from the warehouse?
• Is the address inside the standard delivery range, and does the site allow truck access and unloading?
• What is excluded from the installation price, and how are equipment hire and waste handling treated?
• What are the storage terms after arrival, and is the order DDP-to-site?
• What is the payment structure, and which milestone triggers each payment?
• What is the production and delivery timeframe, and does the programme allow for it?
• Which warranty periods apply, and where are the boundaries written down?

Keep the final quotation, the confirmed drawings and the signed Warranty together. They are the documents that decide who is accountable for each step.

Two external references are worth keeping beside those documents. The National Construction Code treats windows and external glazed doors as part of the building fabric, so the installation detail and its relationship to the surrounding wall are material project questions rather than finishing details. Where compliance evidence is requested, the applicable standard is AS 2047, Windows and external glazed doors in buildings.

Version history

• v1.0 — 13 October 2026: first published as a draft for review.