Terms of service & quote terms.

1. About these terms

These terms govern your use of the railingsandglass.ca website and any services provided by Aluma Contracting Ltd. By using the site or accepting a quote, you agree to these terms.

2. The calculator quote is an estimate, not a binding contract

This is the most important part: the price band you see in our calculator is a good-faith estimate based on the information you provide. It is not a binding quote. The binding quote is the written quote we send after a site visit, where we've measured your actual job and confirmed site conditions.

Things that can change the calculator's number after we visit:

• Site access difficulties (steep slopes, retaining walls, narrow access paths)
• Existing installation that's harder to remove than expected (concrete-encased posts, embedded into masonry)
• Underground utilities at post locations requiring specialty drilling
• Heritage or HOA approval requirements affecting design
• Soil conditions requiring deeper or alternate footings
• Unusual height, span, or load requirements not flagged at the calculator stage

If the site-visit number differs from the calculator by more than 10%, we explain why before any contract is signed.

3. How a project runs (timeline)

1. Calculator submission — you submit specs and (optionally) photos through our website
2. Calculator response — instant price band on the page, or a message that your job needs human review
3. Site visit — we measure on site, confirm specs, send a written quote (this becomes the binding number)
4. Deposit — typically 30–50% on signing, refundable up until fabrication starts
5. Site visit + fabrication — 1–2 weeks for site visit after deposit; 3–5 weeks aluminum / 5–7 weeks glass for fabrication
6. Install — 1–3 days residential, 3–5 days pool, 5–7 days estate gates
7. Inspection (where required) + final payment — we don't collect final payment until the install passes municipal inspection (where one's required)

4. Payment terms

Standard payment schedule:

• 30–50% deposit on signed contract (varies by job size — larger jobs trend toward 30%, smaller toward 50%)
• 40% on fabrication completion — paid before the materials leave for site delivery
• Balance on install completion — paid after the install passes inspection (or, where no inspection is required, after walkthrough sign-off)

HST (13%) applies to all jobs. Accepted payment methods: e-transfer, cheque, or wire. We do not accept cash for amounts over $7,500 (per FINTRAC reporting requirements).

5. Cancellation and refunds

Before fabrication starts (typically the first 1–2 weeks after deposit), you may cancel and receive a refund of the deposit minus:

• An administrative fee of $250–$500 covering site visit time, project management hours, scheduling, and engineering / drawing work already commissioned for your job. The exact amount depends on how far along the pre-fabrication work has progressed when you cancel.
• Any materials already ordered specifically for your project (custom colors, custom motifs, special-order glass) that the supplier won't accept back. These are non-refundable from the moment we place the order with the supplier.

After fabrication starts (materials cut to your specs, custom finishes applied), the deposit becomes non-refundable. The materials can't be resold to another customer because they were built to your dimensions, your color, your spec.

Custom-color or custom-motif jobs become non-refundable when the fabrication order is placed with the supplier — usually within a few days of deposit.

If we cancel the project (rare — usually due to unforeseeable site conditions discovered post-visit), we refund the entire deposit plus any partial payments, no admin fee withheld.

6. Warranties

We provide the following warranties on every install:

• 20-year aluminum frame structural warranty — covers structural integrity of aluminum components against manufacturing defects
• 10-year powder-coat finish warranty — covers fade, chalk, peel, and adhesion of AAMA 2604 finish under normal use
• 10-year glass defect warranty — covers spontaneous breakage from manufacturing defects (does not cover impact damage)
• 5-year workmanship warranty — covers our installation work (post anchoring, leveling, hardware tightness, sealant integrity) under normal use

Warranty service during the covered period is free for covered defects: we replace the defective component and re-do any failed workmanship at no charge to you.

What the warranty does not cover

Like every standard contractor warranty in Ontario, the following are excluded:

• Acts of God and severe weather events — hurricanes, tornadoes, ice storms exceeding normal Ontario climate, hail beyond typical size, lightning strikes, flooding, earthquakes
• Impact damage — vehicles backing into railings, falling tree limbs, baseballs / hockey pucks, swung tools, snow plows, animal collisions, fireworks
• Normal wear and tear — minor scuffs from foot traffic on stair rails, gradual color softening (within fade-warranty limits), routine seal aging on glass, hardware patina
• Negligence or misuse — sitting or climbing on railings (railings are guards, not seating), hanging heavy planters or laundry from glass panels, using railings as tie-down points
• Improper cleaning — abrasive cleaners, wire brushes, pressure washers above 1,500 PSI, harsh acid-based cleaners, cleaning products not recommended for powder-coat or tempered glass
• Modifications by others — any alteration, repair, drilling, painting, addition, or removal performed by you or by another contractor without our written authorization voids the workmanship warranty for that section and may void manufacturer warranties
• Environmental damage outside our spec — direct chlorine immersion of non-stainless hardware (the calculator's stainless upgrade is for pool/marine exposure for this reason), saltwater immersion, industrial chemical exposure, prolonged contact with corrosive materials
• Foundation, structural, or substrate failure — railings only perform as well as what they're attached to. If your deck, porch, concrete, or wall structure shifts, settles, rots, or fails, the railing fastening is not warranted against that movement
• Pre-existing conditions — issues with materials we did not supply, work we did not perform, or conditions present before we started
• Cosmetic items after acceptance — minor cosmetic concerns (small scratches, surface marks, hairline finish variations) must be raised at install walkthrough. Cosmetic claims raised more than 30 days post-install are at our discretion.
• Consequential or indirect damages — loss of use, lost rental income, hotel stays during repair, emotional distress, or any damages beyond the cost of repairing or replacing the defective work

Warranty is transferable to subsequent property owners with written notice to us within 60 days of property transfer. New owner receives the remaining balance of the original warranty period.

Warranty claims process: contact us at info@railingsandglass.ca with photos, the original install location, and approximate install date. We respond within 5 business days with next steps. Warranty work is scheduled within 30 days for safety-critical issues, within 60–90 days for cosmetic issues during peak season.

7. Liability

Our maximum liability for any claim related to a project is the contract value of that project. We carry $2 million in general liability insurance and current WSIB clearance — both available on request before signing.

We are not liable for: damage caused by acts of God; damage caused by your modifications to the install; consequential damages (e.g., loss of use, lost rental income, emotional distress); or claims arising from materials we did not supply or install.

8. Intellectual property

All content on railingsandglass.ca — text, photos, calculator logic, page designs — is owned by Aluma Contracting Ltd or used with permission. You may share links to our pages and quote our prices in conversations. You may not republish our copy or photos commercially without written permission.

9. Disputes

We try to resolve all disputes directly. If a dispute can't be resolved, it will be settled in the courts of Ontario, applying Ontario law. Both parties waive any right to a jury trial. Any dispute under $35,000 must be brought in the Small Claims Court of Ontario.

10. Changes to these terms

If we update these terms, we'll change the "Last updated" date at the top. Material changes don't apply retroactively to projects already under contract — those are governed by the terms in effect when the contract was signed.

11. Contact

Questions about these terms: info@railingsandglass.ca or (647) 932-3266.