Windows and Doors

A retrofit fits a new window inside the existing frame, which is faster and less expensive but loses a little glass area. A full frame replacement removes everything down to the rough opening, which lets us inspect the framing and flash the opening properly. Full frame is the right call where there is water damage or the opening is out of square.

Almost always because of flashing, not the window itself. If the sill pan was skipped or the flashing laps run in the wrong order, water gets directed into the wall instead of out of it. A quality unit installed badly leaks. A modest unit installed correctly does not.

In California, yes. Replacement windows have to meet state energy standards, which in practice means dual pane units with a Low-E coating and rated U factor and solar heat gain numbers. We specify units that comply so the work passes and you actually get the efficiency you paid for.

Usually yes, especially replacing single pane units, and the difference is most noticeable on west and south facing glass that takes afternoon sun. How much depends on what you have now, how many openings, and how well the rest of the house is insulated. We will not promise you a specific number.

Fog between the panes means the seal on the insulated glass unit has failed. Sometimes just the glass unit can be replaced while keeping the existing frame, which is much cheaper than a full window. We look at the specific unit and tell you which option applies.

Yes. Cutting into stucco or siding is part of the job, and patching it back so the repair is not obvious is part of finishing it. On stucco we match the texture, and we can coordinate paint so the whole wall reads as one surface.

Yes, along with interior doors, closet doors, and barn door systems. Exterior doors get the sill flashed and the threshold set to shed water, and every door gets its hardware adjusted so it closes and locks without being forced.

Almost always because the frame is out of square or the door has shifted on its hinges. A door that swings on its own, drags on the jamb, or will not latch is telling you the frame or the reveal is off. We reset or adjust it so it hangs true and latches clean.

Sometimes. A slab door can hang on a sound existing frame, which is cheaper and faster. Where the frame is out of square, rotted, or the wrong size, a prehung door in a new frame is the honest answer. We check and tell you which one your opening needs.

We finish a typical house in one to three days depending on the number of openings and whether they are retrofit or full frame. Each opening is opened and closed the same day, so the house is never left open overnight.

Cost is driven by the number of openings, the size, the frame material, whether the work is retrofit or full frame, and how much stucco or siding patching is needed. We price against a written scope with the actual opening count and sizes rather than a flat per window figure.