Homeowners in and around Ann Arbor and Detroit, Mich. and Toledo, Findlay and Port Clinton, Ohio, plus all of the surrounding communities, are the first residents to be added to Pella’s new service for shopping for doors and windows: online consultations.

“Online consultations give homeowners the convenience of personally scheduling an online video chat around their schedule and on their terms,” says Annette Bravard, vice president of sales and marketing. “Similar to Pella’s in-home consultations, where window and door experts physically come into the home to educate and share options, Pella’s new online consultations takes that conversation and puts it over video chat. Now, homeowners from Lapeer, Mich., to Findlay, Ohio, and towns and communities in between can decide what is best for them; an in-home or an online consultation.”

Homeowners seeking an online consultation can select their preferred date and time in advance on pella.com and can currently have a consultation within 12 to 24 hours. At the time of their appointment, they’ll simply connect via computer, tablet or smartphone directly to a skilled window and door professional based in Pella, Iowa, the company headquarters.

More than just offering a quote, the consultation lasts anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, and homeowners are encouraged to do some pre-consultation measuring of the current windows and doors they would like to replace and have an estimated budget for their project.

Online consultations are currently available in most neighborhoods of Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Portland, San Diego, Seattle, Toronto and now Southeast Michigan and Northwest Ohio — with plans to roll out to additional locations throughout 2016 and 2017.