Employed Installers vs Subcontractors: Why It Matters for Your Install

An employed installer works directly for the company that sold you the job, while a subcontractor is a separate business brought in to do the install on that company’s behalf. For security screens, that one difference decides who trained the person fitting your doors, who checks their work, and who answers your call if something’s not right afterwards. If you’ve ever thought, “who exactly is coming into my home to install it?”, that’s a very fair thing to wonder. It’s also one of the best questions you can ask before you accept a quote.

Every Securelux installer is on our payroll. We don’t use contract fitters. Here’s what that means for you in practice, and how to find out where any other company stands.

What It Means When an Installer Is Employed Rather Than Subcontracted

An employed installer works for one business. That business trains them, decides how they fit each product, chooses the parts they use, and is responsible for them every day.

A subcontractor runs their own business. They might fit screens for several companies, or mix screen jobs with windows, glass, or general renovation work, and they’re usually paid per job. Plenty of subcontractors are excellent tradespeople. The question isn’t whether someone is good with a drill. It’s who sets the standard, and who’s accountable when the standard slips.

How Subcontracting Works in the Security Screen Industry

In home improvement, it’s common for the company that sells the job to pass the installation to someone else. You might find a business online, read the ratings and recommendations, have a consultant out for a quote, and then have a completely different business turn up on install day.

There are understandable reasons for it. A company only pays for labour when there’s work on, which helps in quiet months. It’s not dodgy; it’s just a different way of running things.

For you, it means one practical question. When you’re reading a company’s profile, are the people in the photos the ones who’ll actually be standing in your lounge room?

Accountability: Who Answers for the Job When Something Goes Wrong

The business that sells you the job is responsible for it, whoever does the work. That’s how it should work. In real life, a layer in the middle can turn a simple problem into a back-and-forth, with the office saying it’s an installation issue and the installer saying they fitted what they were sent.

With employed installers, there’s nobody else to point at. If a sliding door drags, a hinge needs adjusting, or a fixed window screen isn’t sitting flush, it’s our person, our method, and our problem to fix.

Training and Consistency Across Every Securelux Install

We train our installers to fit the Crimsafe range, from Crimsafe First to Crimsafe Regular and Crimsafe Ultimate. That matters because installation methods change from window to window. An aluminium sliding window, a timber French door and an old frame in a heritage home each need a slightly different approach.

The same team works right across the region, from Moreton Bay and North Lakes through Brisbane’s suburbs to Redland Bay, Ipswich and the Gold Coast. You get the same standard whether you live north or south of the river.

Why Installation Quality Decides How Strong a Security Screen Really Is

Put the same mesh on two houses, fitted by two different people, and you can end up with two very different security screens.

Crimsafe’s strength comes from its stainless steel Tensile-Tuff mesh and Screw-Clamp system, which are independently tested to exceed Australian Standards. But that strength has to carry through into your house. If a door is hung out of square, fixed into weak packing, or fitted with light-duty hardware, the weak point isn’t the mesh anymore. It’s the install.

That’s why we count the installation as part of the product.

Workmanship Warranties and Who Stands Behind Them

There are two warranties on a Crimsafe job. Crimsafe gives a 10-year manufacturer warranty on its products. We add a 12-month workmanship warranty on the installation.

A workmanship warranty is only as good as the business’s control over the workmanship. When the installer is our employee, the people behind the warranty and the people who did the job are one and the same.

Trust and Safety with People Working in Your Home

Having someone in your home for the day is a big deal, especially if the kids are around, the dog’s anxious, or you’re trying to work from the kitchen table. You want to know who’s arriving, that they’ll respect your place, and that they speak for the company you chose.

Our installers answer to us, and it shows in what people say afterwards. Several of our Google reviews mention installers being professional and tidy, and taking the time to explain how the new doors lock.

Heavy-Duty Accessories and the Shortcuts We Do Not Take

A cheap quote often isn’t cheap because of the mesh. It’s cheap because of what’s been left out, usually in the accessories and the installation. Here’s what goes into ours:

If one quote comes in well under the rest, ask them to walk you through exactly what’s included.

Questions to Ask Any Installer Before You Accept a Quote

Whether you’re comparing Crimsafe dealers in Brisbane or companies fitting other brands, these questions cut through the sales talk quickly:

1. Will the person installing my screens be your employee or a subcontractor?
2. Are you an authorised licensee for the product you’re quoting?
3. What’s your QBCC licence number?
4. Which locks, hinges and accessories are included, and are they heavy-duty?
5. Who do I call after the install, and what does a repair or callout cost?

A good business will answer all five without hesitating.

You don’t have to take anyone’s word for the licence details, either. The QBCC has an online licence search where you can check a builder or contractor’s licence in a minute or two. If you’re getting a Crimsafe quote, Crimsafe’s website also has a supplier finder that lists its authorised licensees, so you can confirm the business is genuinely authorised to sell and install the product. It’s worth doing for every quote, ours included. A company that’s proud of how it works won’t mind you checking, and it’s a lot easier to do before the job than after.

How Employed Installers Keep After-Service Support Simple

Once your screens are in, SecureCare, our after-service support, looks after warranty questions, maintenance, and troubleshooting. If you have an attempted break-in or vandalism, there’s a flat $99 callout. The people who come out know exactly how your screens were fitted, because our team fitted them.

From first visit to finished job

Are Employed Installers More Expensive?

Employing installers does cost a business more; no point pretending otherwise. There are wages, training, insurance, and keeping a team busy all year.

But for the customer, the difference is smaller than you might think. As a guide, Crimsafe windows start from around $350 and doors from around $1,000, with the final price depending on the range, the size of each opening, what the installation involves, and the frame colour. Most quality mesh security screens sit in a similar price range, so the gap between quotes usually comes down to the accessories and the install. Weekly payment plans are available if you’d rather spread the cost.

What you’re paying for is a job done once, a consistent standard and a team that’ll still be here years from now.

Meet the People Who’ll Do the Work

Securelux is a family-owned Queensland business with over 40 years in the industry. We’re a Crimsafe Authorised Licensee, an NSSA member, and QBCC licensed (1187294).

Ask anyone who quotes on your home who’ll be doing the install, and notice how quickly they answer. If you’d like to hear our answer in person, book a free consultation or call 1300 11 51 51.